Show Review: The Blood Brothers at Paradise in Boston, MA

Monday evenings are very likely the most difficult night to play a show. People have just wrapped up their weekends and are back into the grind of the week. Going out almost seems like a chore on a Monday. Add in some rainy, cold weather and you may as well write your couch rent—It’s likely some time will be spent there. Unless, of course, post-hardcore band The Blood Brothers are playing for the first time in your city in nearly two decades. For Boston, that was the case earlier this week at Paradise Rock Club. The last time they played shows was a decade ago, and appropriately—the Boston venue sold out for their return on this leg of the “Everything is Gonna Be Just Awful When We’re Around” tour.

The shrill, caustic vocals of Johnny Whitney reside in a pitch where few dare to wander—or can even explore. It’s the type of range you expect to burn out and disappear after only a fiery handful of years and doctor visits. One’s larynx can only sustain so much, after all. So as the band ignited into “Set Fire to the Face on Fire,” I cannot have been the only one thrilled that Whitney has exercised his ability to continue the voices with vitriol. Co-vocalist Jordan Blilie has equally maintained his flow of buttery-rhythms-to-shout ratio. With their bursts thrashing through Mark Gajadhar’s scattered, erratic drum beats, the long lost sounds found revitalized life. With their freshly reissued 2004 album Crimes out on Epitaph Records, it is finding further rejoice.

Whitney frequently threw himself into the crowd, shouting words thought never to be heard again. Fan hands clamored across his shoulders, gripping the mic, and sharing in the bombastic moment. The Blood Brothers’ sound was unique to its time with whiplash dynamics of sonic expression. One of their most explosive songs, “Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Wreck,” seems to exemplify this in its name alone. The rhythms and elasticity of smooth to piercing tones further mark their aesthetic.

The support for this show were Psychic Graveyard. With dueling keyboards that gloom throughout the tracks, “Synth and Destroy” could be a backup band name. Keyboard player Nathan Joyner on stage left prods his instrument, twisting each knob with a grimace as though he is inflicting existential pain upon it. It feels somewhat similar to watching the torture machine being used in the 80s film Princess Bride. Massive bass swarms through the venue, tickling feet as the boards creak under the vibrations. Vocalist Eric Paul’s lyrics furthered the trance singing, “When we were together, we never wore clothes. Your friends asked me to write a poem for a newspaper, but you and I never used words.” As Paul’s mother was watching on Facebook live stream, the singer even encouraged everyone to flip the bird to since she apparently has a good sense of humor. “This’ll be our last number. See mom, I’m more than just an insurance salesman.”

The Blood Brothers

Psychic Graveyard