Black Bananas & Shockwave Riderz played the Seaport (pics)

August 11, 2014

photos by Amanda Hatfield; words by Bill Pearis

Black Bananas / Shockwave Riderz @ Seaport Music Fest 8/8/2014

Well, this was definitely the weirdest Seaport Music Festival show since Suicide and The DeathSet in 2007. The current project of Jennifer Herrema (Royal Trux and RTX), Black Bananas have added electro elements to the garage/Stones/whatever rock that’s been her bread and butter. Her new album, Electric Brick Wall, is kind of a mess but one with discernable songs and hooks. Live, at least on Friday (8/8), it was just a mess. I think they were having equipment problems, it was definitely not loud enough, or maybe an off night. Also, while the astroturf on Fulton St is nice for sitting, people seem happy to sit through the entire performance — even right up front — which isn’t exactly rock n’ roll. But it was a freak scene for sure, and subjecting the Wall St. TGIF happy hour crowd to its own perverse pleasure.

Pittsburgh’s Shockwave Riderz, on the other hand, were pretty great. They’re definitely a band you can’t easily sum up. There are garagey elements, but its entirely played on samplers and keyboards but with a live drummer (onetime Modey Lemon singer Phil Boyd) to give it oomph. Shockwave Riderz would be better someone smaller and more in-your-face, like Cake Shop (or Baby’s All Right where they played on Saturday), but they definitely made it work.

This week’s Seaport Music Fest show is a good one, with Brazil’s Boogarins and the Netherlands’ Jacco Gardner. It’s free. More pics from Black Bananas and Shockwave Riderz, below…

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