When I heard that one of the best local bands, Those Mockingbirds, were playing at one of the coolest venues, The Meatlocker, how could I possibly refuse? It was night of firsts that I will not soon forget.
The Meatlocker is an awesome punk venue in Montclair, NJ that looks like the world's coolest basement. It is a small venue with stickers and graffetti plastered on the walls. If you are waiting for the show start, you can take a nice comfy seat on the couches or backseat cars located in the lobby. All of this is behind a single unlabeled, black door situated between two restaurants. If you don't know where The Meatlocker is, you are unlikely to find it on your own and don't even bother with Google Maps, however with the amount of kids who gather outside to smoke cigarettes and to get fresh air you'll be able to find it.
Now time to talk about the bands.
The night was also a benefit show for Michael Rubinstein, a young man who recently passed away in the area. The first band was clearly a brand new band. It was three piece rock band that mostly played instrumental music. However, as far as I and the rest of the audience knew, they had no name and neither did their songs. They were decent and they have a lot of potential. Overtime this band could very well make a splash in the NJ scene.
Next, was a band that I never heard of but instantly started to love. Dubbed Le Le Low they were a four piece band that featured an alternative/punk sound. Everyone should look forward to possibly seeing them on The Dive in the future. They ended their set with an impressive cover of Peter Bjork, and John's "Young Folks."
Coming all the way form Scranton, Pennsylvania was an enormous band called A Fire With Friends. This seven piece band took up the entire stage with their various instruments. There was a lead singer/guitar player, synthesizer player/snare drummer, female pianist, another guitar player, bass player, percussionist on drum set, and another percussionist who played tambourine, floor tom, and another snare. While they were good and I appreciated their pop/folk sound, their instrumentation just seems to excessive. Seriously, do you really need three snare durms on one stage?!
Finally, the band that Rozzey Roz and I came to see: Those Mockingbirds. I was temporarily deaf afterwards, but it was totally worth it to hear one of my favorite local bands. With a set list comprised of songs from their EP No Symmetry and new songs, they blew me away. Their unique sound that really has now official genre is incredible. If you can ever get the chance to see Those Mockingbirds, I'd say do it.
All in all, it was an amazing concert that was completely worth the $5 entry fee.
Check out photos from the set!
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