An original rock venue, Ralph’s Diner has a stage in it upstairs room that faces a dance floor and a bar. The funky room has graffiti and murals on its walls and many curios decorations, like an old fashioned barber shop tubular sign with undulating red stripes inside. Last Saturday night was coup for the club. They lined up four bands that rocked the house .
The first band, Only At Night, played a strange combo of keyboard and synth melodies over slamming bass and edgy guitar with the lead singer having a throat approach. This four-piece band is keyboardist-vocalist Stefano Trafecante, guitarist Danielle Leveille, drummer Jeremy Carnrike, and bassist Rilla Bailey.
They were overwhelming when the synth sound and the bass were both playing heavy at the same time, yet the powerful sound was what they were going for. The bass player has a lot of control and that provides the anchor for this keyboardist’s otherworldly excursions, as he knows how to bend sounds. The guitarist took many flights of fancy with clever melodic phrases. This young band might surprise many with how advanced they are for their ages.
Only At Night played an interesting and exciting original called “Berkshires” that started with washy synth sounds over full drum fills. The synth then went into a heavy low end sound that when combined with the bass created a throbbing pulse. The guitarist stole the show with some snappy notes on “Liquid Planet.” This band could best be described as young and unafraid. The keyboardist isn’t afraid to go crazy on his keys in any of these songs and his band mates are unafraid to follow.
The long time Worcester band Huck came on next and banged out their blend of driving rock and punk. Guitarist-lead singer Scott Ricciuti made a lot of feedback sound with his guitar in the second song while the rhythm section kept slamming it. Their third tune “That’s Love” featured the Ricciuti playing some hard driving punk chords on his guitar to make a big fat rock and roll sound. Bass player Paul Dagnello is also very aggressive and heavy in his playing. He keeps the sound brisk. Huck do not seem sophisticated in their song structures and much as in how much they can do within basic rock formats. “Knew This” was a slow build up to solid thump and “Wave” was rock and roll with a purpose. There is an undeniable, urgent mission in these songs. A song called “My Enemy” was about nuns and here the band drew five girls to the front of stage to dance consistently for the remainder of their set. Drummer Danny Lucas is the most important member. It is impossible to picture this band keeping all their energies together without his timing and smacks. Huck has catchy choruses within their aggression and their music just comes rushing out of them like a fire hose.
Boston band The Lights Out came up to do their thing and they went over big with the Worcester audience. They moved from one successful song to another with the smooth skill of a stone skimming across the surface of a lake after it was tossed by a skilled hand. Vocalist Rishava Green has the perfect voice to deliver these infectious, feisty gems. “Only On The Outside” had a propulsive bass and drums vibe that yanked everyone’s attention and “Can’t Buy A Hero” featured a high energy lead guitar playing over a frenetic beat. “Red Letter Day” was a twisty story song with a bopping rhythm and a precise guitar phrase that snakes its way through the groove. “Gottagetoutahere” featured monster riffing and maniac guitar with punk influences in their modern sound. There’s a Ramones influence in the chorus and backing vocals, and it doesn’t hurt that The Lights Out gets its energy from the late 1970s less is more approach. Green gave more hints of his potential on “Interstellar Valentine,” his voice reaching into the high-pitched, ethereal quality. Their tune “Liquid” had a narrative arc for the guitars and voice to glide over that made The Lights Out sound like they could become a big deal on modern rock radio.
The final band, Hey Now Morris Fader, will always be easy to find on the internet. There isn’t any other band with a name quite like that. This four piece started off as a duo of Brooks Milgate on keyboards and Alex Sacco on drums. Since then, the band has added bass player Justin Day and guitarist Pete Kitchener. At times, their songs sounded like they were intended for a duo with guitar and bass playing anything they could muster up to lay on top of the original arrangement. Aside from that, Hey Now Morris Fader is a very strong local band with a sound all their own. They opened their set with “We Don’t Need This Getting Back To Her” a keyboard driven tune and Milgate’s sandpaper, rootsie voice fit right in with the rugged rhythm section. The drums were tastefully delivered on “Vanishing” and the beat did so much to drive the rollicking piano that the energy became almost rowdy. “Nice Guy” poured forth with a blistering guitar line melody that interwove sweetly and with depth with the keys.
www.ralphsrockdiner.com
www.myspace.com/onlyatnightmusic
