"I just dance my dance, I can't dance anyone else's."
September 22, 2014 11:26 AM   Subscribe

 
I always thought of "Someday I Suppose," as their breakthrough song.
posted by jonmc at 11:34 AM on September 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


Did they mean to spell the band's name wrong in the first sentence?
posted by craven_morhead at 11:46 AM on September 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


"We only played CBGB’s once but that was like the rat of New York."

For context, this was probably supposed to be capitalized; I'm guessing it's a reference to the Rat, a/k/a the Rathskeller, a legendary punk club in Kenmore Square. (I'd personally say the Channel was more like the CB's of Boston.)
posted by mykescipark at 11:48 AM on September 22, 2014 [7 favorites]


Thanks for this. I fucking love the Bosstones. One of my favorite concert memories is seeing a Sunday matinee show at (the now sadly demolished to make way for a fucking casino parking lot) Mississippi Nights featuring H2O, the Pietasters, and the Bosstones headlining. I danced my little 15 year old ass off and that show in some ways kick started a love of punk rock, ska, and live music in general. I heard a Bosstones song on the radio the other day and it reminded me that I need to get out More Noise and Other Disturbances for a spin soon. Looks like soon means tonight.
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:54 AM on September 22, 2014 [5 favorites]


My personal connection to this FPP is that when I saw the Bosstones at the Trocadero in 1996, Ben Carr accidentally kicked me.
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:57 AM on September 22, 2014 [7 favorites]


Oh man I totally remember this guy from Clueless and I guess this post answers the question "Where Did You Go?". Awesome!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:57 AM on September 22, 2014


I opened the fridge I opened a beer, played a tape I couldn't hear, emptiness began to grow and I'm wondering "where did you go?"
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:58 AM on September 22, 2014 [5 favorites]


Easily my favorite band growing up thanks to seeing 30 seconds of a video on MTV on my way to a mall trip with my mom in1997. It always threw me for a second when people called them "that band with the dancer right?"
posted by lownote at 12:05 PM on September 22, 2014


One of my greatest regrets in life involves the Bosstones - teenage me went specifically to Lollapollooza to see them play, and bumped into Nate Albert while he was making his way to the second stages. My much more with-it friend waved him down and we told him what big fans we were, and that we had bought tickets to just see them. He was gracious and lovely, and invited us to go see Redman's performance with them. And I was a freaking terrified introvert and completely shut down and couldn't even stammer out a "no thanks man." So full of regret, to this day. And the with-it friend still won't let me talk to anyone of even the mildest level of celebrity.
posted by librarianamy at 12:07 PM on September 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


I saw them in 1996 at Fairleigh Dickinson University with H20. Good times!
posted by Renoroc at 12:11 PM on September 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'm surprised Chas Smash, who filled this role during the early years of Madness (although I believe his role expanded in later years), didn't come up as a model.
posted by slkinsey at 12:22 PM on September 22, 2014 [5 favorites]


Man, it was so confusing* to 17 year old ska-loving punk rock me (who had seen the Bosstones live with Rancid and then again with, I believe, the Descendents) when "The Impression That I Get" suddenly blew up all over mainstream culture. I mean, it's a great song, but it's no "I Hope I Never Lose My Wallet".

I did enjoy seeing them on, I think, Conan, where Ben Carr really tore it up. Man, I can't remember if it was Conan, but I definitely remember some TV host asking Carr if all he did with the band was dance, and him replying: "Sometimes I have a tambourine."

I really wonder how many of the people who came to the Bosstones in '97 went back and checked out the rest of their catalogue.

*Though not nearly as confusing as what happened to AFI 5 short years later.

...And now I appear to be engaging in I-liked-them-before-they-were-cool.
posted by 256 at 1:03 PM on September 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


Just saw 'em last weekend at Riot Fest. They can still get a crowd moving.
posted by eamondaly at 1:04 PM on September 22, 2014


(Heh, and I just noticed the Descendents callout in the article. Boss.)
posted by 256 at 1:06 PM on September 22, 2014


I mean, it's a great song, but it's no "I Hope I Never Lose My Wallet yt ".
I was like "man, that's a ridiculous song title, no wonder I never got into the Bosstones that much. But I clicked on it to see how silly it was to instantly remember it, and remember that I bought a copy of "Devil's Night Out"…somewhere and listened to it a lot.

Man, the past is a different country.
posted by Brainy at 1:11 PM on September 22, 2014 [4 favorites]


Looks like they've got the... pictures to prove it.
posted by dr_dank at 1:18 PM on September 22, 2014


Now do Fred Nemo!
posted by entropicamericana at 1:25 PM on September 22, 2014


INSTANT UNWARRANTED TIME TRAVEL TO SUBURBIAN NEW JERSEY MALLS IN THE MID 90s AHHH
posted by The Whelk at 1:30 PM on September 22, 2014 [4 favorites]


Bez
posted by Omission at 1:30 PM on September 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


Fred Nemo.
posted by box at 1:53 PM on September 22, 2014


I went to see them at the (tastefully named) Horizontal Boogie Bar in Rochester. The floor caved in (gradually), and the show was cancelled.

The band played a make-up date the next semester. I didn't go. How do you top the floor buckling?
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:00 PM on September 22, 2014 [3 favorites]


Renoroc- I was at that show too! Ran into some guys I sort of knew from Heft, slept on some dorm basement, and probably wrote about it on Usenet the next day.
posted by exit at 2:01 PM on September 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


You are supposed to tear the roof off the dump.
posted by thelonius at 2:07 PM on September 22, 2014 [3 favorites]


For context, this was probably supposed to be capitalized; I'm guessing it's a reference to the Rat, a/k/a the Rathskeller, a legendary punk club in Kenmore Square.

Did you ever attempt to use either of the bathrooms at CBGB's? Because I really would not be so sure.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:10 PM on September 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


The only time I ever set foot in CBGBs was to use the restroom. I may have made some bad decisions in my life.
posted by 256 at 2:13 PM on September 22, 2014 [3 favorites]


"We only played CBGB’s once but that was like the rat of New York."

For context, this was probably supposed to be capitalized; I'm guessing it's a reference to the Rat, a/k/a the Rathskeller, a legendary punk club in Kenmore Square. (I'd personally say the Channel was more like the CB's of Boston.)


Most definitely a callout to the Rat, where they played a lot in the early years. Their annual holiday Hometown Throwdown shows held during December in Boston used to be held during the summer at different clubs around town. I think at least one night was at the Rat when it was still around. It's been long torn down and it's now like a 7-11/Dunks and the demolition is referenced in the song "Shit Outta Luck:"

Tear it down to the ground
A lot of kids grew up in there
You put it up and then you made a ton
Well aren't you the lucky one
posted by xtine at 2:17 PM on September 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


I worked with Ben at Harmonix for many years and I can confirm that he is the sweetest guy. I never would have guessed what his other job was if I hadn't been told.
posted by dfan at 2:27 PM on September 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


Mississippi Nights! stl homies represent!
posted by j_curiouser at 3:24 PM on September 22, 2014


Lately I've been thinking about how goddamn good and unique the 90s music scene was. So much originality, genuine expression and NGAF blending of styles. These guys were definitely part of that.
posted by gnutron at 3:49 PM on September 22, 2014


No Rankin Roger shoutout? Man. Good interview though.
posted by drowsy at 5:06 PM on September 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


Yeah, it's weird, '97 was well after ska's sunset, the few bands left giving up the brass to morph into pop-punk or accepting their novelty act fate. Then the Bosstones, always kinda big, straightup went supernova... And there was no one left to pick up the momentum. The labels at the time were fighting to hard to reign in the crazy shit that had dominated the decade, so new ska groups were not sought, bubblegum punk promoted instead. Then nu metal hit, and alternative died, horribly. It's now golden oldies for gen xers, with the (very) occasional new act so they don't feel totally outdated.
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:52 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Aww, these guys! Great bunch of fellas. I caught them back in college in October of 91 or 92, opening for Murphy's Law in Ithaca, NY. While some terrible local band played away too long a set to start the night, me and my friends got positively shitfaced with the Bosstones watching the Braves & Pirates in the NLCS. That's where I found out the Braves were originally a Boston team and that Dicky Barrett has some very definite opionions on Atlanta's worthiness to have a major league baseball team.
posted by KingEdRa at 7:37 AM on September 23, 2014 [4 favorites]


I saw them at Brandeis, outside of Boston, in 1992. According to the internet, late in the set they covered Enter Sandman.
posted by zippy at 10:38 AM on September 23, 2014


Yeah, well, Beau Beau (from Avail) is running for mayor.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:14 AM on September 23, 2014


« Older The Big Spliff, Re-lit   |   Ouvre moi la porte, toi qui a la clé! Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments