Video Premiere: Kind, “Faster Number Two” From ONCE Sound Stage Session
ONCE Ballroom, like far too many venues in this wretched country that does far too little to support its own arts and culture — #saveourstages — has had to close its doors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike many others, however, the tenacity and raw passion of venuerunner JJ Gonson (yes, another JJ; they are rare but not unheard of) and those around her has resulted in the ONCE Virtual Venue, which has to this point used the space to put on COVID-safe streaming gigs and played host to a series of shows and interviews, including one recently with myself.
On Saturday at 8PM — remember when shows started at night? — the ONCE Sound Stage Sessions series filmed at the venue will present a “gig” with Kind, Set Fire, Friendship Commanders and Inhalement. Four bands, each offering a streamed set, and Kind are giving a preview of what’s to come in their three-song-set-the-audio-of-which-they-should-probably-release-as-a-live-EP-for-Bandcamp-Friday with the video below for “Faster Number Two.” I know it was 2020 and that was 15 lifetimes ago, but you might recall their second album, Mental Nudge (review here), came out back in September on Ripple and was frickin’ great.
I’ll keep this short because there are links below worth clicking, but hell, if you don’t want to see more after watching the mostly-masked performance below — Craig Riggs pulls his down to sing, drummer Matt Couto‘s swinging style results in his falling below his nose, while Tom Corino and Darryl Shepard stay masked on the flanks, playing bass and guitar, respectively — I don’t know what to tell you. But just to lay on an appropriate guilt trip, ONCE is worth supporting with a donation. Because fuck rent.
Enjoy the video:
Kind, “Faster Number Two” ONCE Sound Stage Session premiere
In May of 2020 ONCE Somerville, an independent venue in the Boston Metro area, decided to launch a “virtual venue”. The venue was started in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the massive amount of cancellations that occurred in the wake of stay at home order. ONCE VV is a place for audiences to interact and enjoy performances that range to suit all sorts of palates.
In June, the ONCE VV team began filming live sessions on the venue’s ballroom stage. Dubbed the ONCE Sound Stage Sessions, these sessions provided artists with a rare opportunity to play on a stage again for the first time since music venues shut down. Between June and December of 2020, over 25 performances were filmed on the ONCE ballroom and lounge stages.
In December, ONCE had to leave its physical space due to financial realities of the ongoing pandemic. But the ONCE VV team remains committed to producing original content and virtual events throughout 2021, made possible by a generous NIVA grant.
Show Youtube link (anyone can watch live):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UIffE2MHLo&ab_channel=ONCEVirtualVenue
Ticket Link (allows attendees to donate, and the option to join the Zoom event):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/134906375601
Show details:
KIND, Set Fire, Friendship Commanders (Nashville, TN), Inhalement
Presented by Grayskull Booking, Treebeard Media, Dead Moon Audio, and ONCE Sound Stage
Hosted by Laura from Metal Night
Saturday, January 16, 8pm
Kind, Mental Nudge (2020)
Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks
Tags: Boston, Kind, Kind Mental Nudge, Massachusetts, Mental Nudge, Ripple Music
