Diversions Editor
Arriving onto the stage, dressed in sporty, plaid suits, to the preluding sounds of bagpipes, the eight members of the band raise d their bottles of beer in a toast then handed the remainder to audience members.
What followed during their security-less set, during which Dicky Barrett, the lead singer of the Bosstones, ripped up the song list and took requests of the fans (among other happenings), I can best describe as amazing - amazing and eclectic.
"Eclectic" is a word that can best describe anything related to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones according to Nate Albert, guitarist of the band.
The Bosstones are on tour to support their latest release, Question the Answers.
The best example of this diversity is the band's style. The Bosstones have a sound, created by joining guita rs and drums with a horn section, that blurs the lines between hardcore, punk, reggae, jazz, and ska. Nate attributes their style to the Boston, Mass. music scene, which the Bosstones are still considered a part of.
"When we were growing up, college r adio in Boston had so many different radio shows going so you could hear a ska show and then a punk rock show and then metal from [colleges like] Emerson, Harvard and BU. There was just tons of great radio. Also, Boston gets so many great shows. So, inste ad of having a band with just one particular type of music, we decided to have a band that reflected everything we listen to."
The Bosstones, without question, have a sound that provokes mass-moshing and stage diving at shows but, unlike other bands, because of the tinges of reggae and the sounds of the horn section included in the music, the overall mood is surprisingly positive. Picture "festive" moshing in a party atmosphere.
"Eclectic" is the word that Nate also used to describe the band's fan s. Since, at any show, it is common to meet Bosstones fans who have followed them throughout their tour, their fans are often compared to "Deadheads" (fans of the Grateful Dead).
"They're super faithful," explains Nate, "so I guess in that way they' re similar but they don't have long hair."
A reason for their fans' super-faithfulness and drive to attend each show is the uniqueness of each individual show. A Bosstones energy-filled performance is the ultimate audience-interactive concert experien ce.
For example, at the Tipatina's show that I saw, fans were encouraged to jump onto the stage and sing with the band then dive off. At other shows that I've been to, Dicky Barrett rode around on the hands of the audience members throughout the whol e concert.
Fans have also been known on occasion to be asked to go up onstage and play the band's instruments.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are currently on tour to support their latest release, Question the Answers, which has a more hardcore soun d then their earlier releases. They will be appearing at the Edge in Orlando, a club that I dislike because a giant barrier separates the band onstage from the audience by more than four feet, which, although not as bad as in an arena concert, creates an impersonal feeling.
When asked how the band plans to overcome this barrier to give Orlando fans the full Bosstones concert experience, Nate replied, "Sometimes we have clubs take them down but we've had problems with fans being crushed against the s tage, so its good for them to have an escape. What we usually do is put a platform between the barrier and the stage so kids can get on the platform and get onstage and Dicky can get from the stage to the kids."
No matter how much I praised their New Orleans show, Nate assured me that the Mighty Mighty Bosstones show in Orlando will be better.
Opening guests for the show will be Face to Face and Wax - two bands that Nate strongly suggests to arrive early for.
As at any show, the band will be walking around the audience, meeting fans and enjoying the music, before they take to the stage.
"No one really knows who we are," adds Nate, "except Dicky. Dicky has trouble walking around the audience without people jumping on him."
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones show is definitely worth checking out for the ultimate, audience-interactive, concert experience.