HIGH KICKS AND RIFFS Vertical Twin. |
Not so fast, Rocktober — the month of September boasts two outstanding festivals on the next two Saturdays. And it's not just the capital city having all the fun (Foo Fest, Sound Session, WBRU's Summer Concert Series, etc.), as two neighboring towns get in on the festival action, with Fusion Fest ready to rock the Warren waterfront this weekend and the fourth annual Rocktucket block party raging smack-dab in the middle of Pawtucket. The humidity may be dipping (finally), but the block remains hot. Let's go!
The sonic misfits comprising the mighty 75orLess Records roster come out in full force for a hometown throwdown in Warren as part of the 4th Annual Fusion Fest at the Blount Clam Shack, with free entry all day long! Live music kicks off around 11 am with PAUL ROCHA & THE ROCHETTES, followed by 30-minute sets from PAPER VESSELS (11:45 am), THE SENTIMENTAL FAVORITES (12:30 pm), back-to-back Best Music Poll singer/songwriter champ SUICIDE BILL (1:15 pm), and the return of THE PROPELLERS (2:10 pm). The BOB KENDALL BAND will take the stage at 3; we recently saluted his latest disc, which features Dave Narcizo of Throwing Muses and was produced by Kraig Jordan, a go-to studio guru for the 75orLess family. Jordan and Bruce Moravec (Medicine Ball) have teamed up as LLOYD'S LLAMAS (3:45 pm), and their debut record ($6.99 at 75orlessrecords.com) is a fun romp with vintage, '70s-soaked riffs and gangland choruses tailor-made for the local saloon. A solo performance from MARK CUTLER follows (4:30 pm), hopefully including a few from his sharp new Sweet Pain disc, before the Fusion Fest goes out with a bang (or "Sonic Boom") when 75orLess flagship trio SIX STAR GENERAL holds forth (5:15 pm). Kyle, Dan, and Slick MacDougall will soon hit the studio (with Jordan) and crank out the follow-up to Splinter, the trio's eighth (!) studio album. SSG remain one of the best indie/college/stoner-rock bands on the live circuit. VERTICAL TWIN will close the show with an hour-long set starting around 6 pm; these three dudes shred, delivering high-kicks and chugging riffs aplenty (look up "One with the Asphalt" and "Rainbow Unicorn" from 2011's Geezer Wheelie). Of course there will be plenty of mobile eateries on the premises (including Plouf Plouf — yes!) as well as a beer garden with offerings from Narragansett, Union Station, Trinity, and Harpoon; food and drink proceeds will benefit the non-profit Fusionworks Dance Company, Rhode Island's only modern dance rep company, currently celebrating its 25th season. Fusion Fest is easy to reach just off the East Bay Bike Path, too.
FUSION FEST | Saturday, September 8, 11 am-7 pm | Blount Clam Shack, 335 Water St, Warren | Free admission + parking
