You couldn’t have assembled a more diverse lineup for the finals of this year’s WBRU Rock Hunt. With three bands using vastly different approaches, it felt like one of those “free-form” bookings, after the term used to describe the bygone days of FM radio, where anything went and little attention was paid to compatibility. Not only was the diversity a throwback to the more naïve days of rock, it was also, in this fragmented era of local music, a refreshing change of pace.
Resin, a Fall River clan with wonderfully transparent dreams of mainstream rock and roll superstardom, opened with all the right moves. Singer Ron Dallaire began the set standing on the bar while the band pumped out a well-paced set of straight-up hard rock. Dallaire proved to be a pretty competent frontman, with his Axl kerchief and macho M.O. The quintet played songs from their new disc, Truth Be Told (they have a CD release party on Saturday at the New Eagle inFall River; see www.resinrocks.com for more info), and their throng of fans, loyal to the core and out in force, frequently broke out into “Resin! Resin!” chants, which kept the band engaged. Though the lion’s share of their material was hard rock, it was change-of-pace lighter-wavers such as “In the End” and ”All My Life” that went over best. Maybe that’s because the guitars were mixed too far down on the board all night, stealing what should have been potent punctuations of their tougher tunes.
The classic punk quartet the Sleazies were next, and they dished out a punishing set that stood in sharp contrast to Resin’s more conventional rock sounds. Looking like they stepped out of the Sex Pistols doc The Filth and the Fury, they blasted through their 30 minutes at 90 mph. Their approach was relentless, sending the disinclined to the back wall and the rest of us back to early ’80s, when their sound dominated the scene. In fact, it sounded good on this night too, with lots of tight, chugging tempos, frantic chord changes, and shout-along choruses.
Street Credit, the Marley-meets-Clapton reggae-boogie band from South County, put a bow on the evening’s battle with its closing set. In the semi-finals they unleashed a blast of high-energy reggae — a term some would consider an oxymoron — that distinguished the band from its competition and truly earned their victory. But in the Finals their usually spirited presentation sagged a bit. These guys can play — their shtick was tangy and polished, especially when drummer Eric Milano had a chance to flex. But their energy, closely tied to frontman Jon Mulshenock’s lead (reports were that Mulshenok had been ailing all week), didn’t hold up on this night and their set didn’t generate the same adrenaline.
