This December stint starting in Florida and working its way north follows the Midwestern July tour that Boozewa undertook, hitting Chicago and Minneapolis and so on. This time around, the Pennsylvania dirt-rocker/heavy-punk three-piece are teaming with Rhode Island riffdriver duo Coma Hole and Husband Lost at Sea, which is the solo-project of All Else Failed‘s Patrick Shannon; of course Boozewa‘s own Michael Rudolph Cummings has a connection to that band as well.

And speaking of Cummings, his own solo-project under his own name will tour in parts of Europe next month, hitting France, Switzerland and Luxembourg as a poet might. His last release, 2024’s Money EP (review here), was preceded by the Boozewa full-length, Bon Vivant, which you’ll find streaming below.

Bon Vivant puts Boozewa in kind of a curious place musically. They’ve never sounded quite so expressive, but at the same time, a lot of what carries across the dynamic of the band is the surges of tonal heft and volume that a song like “Last Splash” put to such rad use. Willfully knuckedragging on “IMO,” by then they’ve already presented the progressive heavy grunge of “Maybe I’m a Bird.” It goes like that down the line. They’re not as punk as when they started, or as raw, but they’re a better band for the growth they’ve undertaken. My two cents on a record I’ll probably feel guilty for having whiffed on reviewing until I eventually close out the week with it.

This came in a Bandcamp update. I take my news where I can get it:

We are going on tour this December and it’s all southern and it’s FLORIDA for the first time and it’s with Coma Hole and Husband Lost At Sea and we can’t waaaaaaaaaait!!!

12/4 Jacksonville FL @shantytownpub
12/5 Gainesville FL @looseyspub
12/6 Tampa FL @deviantlibation
12/7 Atlanta GA @529_eav
12/9 Wilmington NC @reggies42ndstreet
12/10 Winston Salem NC @thedenshows
12/11 Elkton MD @elktonmusichall
12/12 Lancaster PA @abag1

Boozewa:
Jessica Baker / bass, hollering
Rylan Caspar / guitar, hollering
Mike Cummings (mRc) / drums, hollering

https://www.BOOZEWA.com
https://boozewa.bandcamp.com/
http://instagram.com/boozewa
https://www.facebook.com/boozewa

Boozewa, Bon Vivant (2024)

West Chester, Pennsylvania’s Michael Rudolph Cummings — whom you might Troy-McClure-remember from such heavy rock acts as the ongoing Boozewa or the much-less-so Backwoods Payback, not to mention that whole double-life-in-hardcore thing he’s got in the pocket of his troubadour dungarees — will head back to Europe for solo touring this November, playing in Switzerland, France and Luxembourg on a tour that looks like it’ll be hard to go home from. It’s 12 days, 11 shows, and the lone day off is a drive from Paris to Belval, Luxembourg, which isn’t actually that bad at four hours. Being mostly in France, it seems like a decent travel adventure, as well as a stretch of gigs.

Cummings goes in support of his Sept. 2024 EP, Money (review here), which demonstrated both his maturity as a singer-songwriter and the punker spirit there underlying, and took a decidedly Gen-X view of selling out, where I’m told the Millennials care less about that, let alone Gen Z or whatever they’re called now. Maybe if integrity mattered people would still believe truth had value and was a thing preserving and the world would be a that much better place.

Maybe that’s delusional. I don’t know. But being of similar demographic, I relate to Cummings‘ point of view in addition to digging the tunes, and if you get the chance to see him, I know from past experience that it is not a chance to let slip.

Here’s where he’ll be, as posted on socials with the dates dutifully typed out by long-suffering me:

Hey Europe. Been a minute.

I told you I’d see you this year 😉

Got a couple more little jawns up my sleeve for this year still too

11.11 Urgence Disk Records Geneva CH
12.11 Gemmi Taverne Kanderstag CH
13.11 V and B Auxerre FR
14.11 O’Point Cardinal Brains-sur-les-Marches FR
15.11 Synthi Bar a Bers Rennes FR
16.11 Greedy Gus Caen FR
17.11 Culture Rapide Paris FR
19.11 MK Bar Belval LU
20.11 Bar au Petit Paris Saint-Dizier FR
21.11 Hiboux ey le Chien Blanc Hyemondans FR
22.11 Le Chanfrein Brunstatt FR

https://michaelrudolphcummings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/backwoodspayback/
https://www.facebook.com/backwoodspayback/

Michael Rudolph Cummings, Money EP (2024)

Last summer, Boozewa released their most albumy album to-date, Bon Vivant. I whiffed on reviewing it. Why? I have no idea. A lot of travel last year, some shit just gets by. I don’t know. The record is at the bottom of this post and it sounds great. By all means, partake, though I’m sure you already have, because you’re better at this and cooler than I am.

Nonetheless, I’m happy to put up word of Boozewa taking the road on the show or some such as they head out on tour this summer. They tour anyhow, but the impetus here would seem to be a stop through the Asheville Doomed & Stoned fest, which looks rad, and after that, they’ve got club shows with Godzillionaire (I seem to recall Mike Cummings is a big Paw fan, so that should be a moment), Husband Lost at Sea and a slew of others. It starts the 9th, ends the 26th, and they’ve got three days off. Imagine my relief to see that, in fact, some of us are getting younger.

I’m gonna go listen to that record. Here’s dates from social media:

All these random show announcements we guess it’s time to show the BIG LEAGUE CHEW!

Summer tour kicks off July 9th and it’s LOADED with bangers in amazing cities with even more amazing bands and some NEW BALLPARKS we haven’t seen yet!

JULY
9 – Pie Shop – Washington DC w/ GUHTS
10 – Monstercade – Winston Salem NC w/ GUHTS
11 – Asheville NC – Doomed and Stoned Festival
12 – Blackstrap – Gainesville GA w/ Armazilla, Husband Lost At Sea
13 – Cobra – Nashville TN w/ Serrotonin
14 – MagBar – Louisville KY w/ Mound Builders
16 – Heavy Anchor – St Louis MO w/ ComaHawk, Nothing People
17 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence KS w/ Godzillionaire
18 – Leftys – De Moines IA w/ Worst Impressions, Look At Me
19 – Zhora – Minneapolis MN w/ Husband Lost At Sea
21 – Reggies – Chiago IL w/ Displacer, Jesus Coyote
22 – Lucky Fox – Paw Paw MI w/ RTRN, Archaea
24 – Spacebar – Columbus OH w/ Server, Disnerver, Husband Lost at Sea
25 – 123 Pleasant St – Morgantown WV w/ Grey Harbinger, Hovel, Husband Lost At Sea
26 – Gem Speakeasy – Spring City PA w/ Hover, Oven, Husband Lost At Sea

Boozewa:
Jessica Baker / bass, hollering
Rylan Caspar / guitar, hollering
Mike Cummings (mRc) / drums, hollering

https://www.facebook.com/boozewa
http://instagram.com/boozewa
https://boozewa.bandcamp.com/
https://www.BOOZEWA.com

Boozewa, Bon Vivant (2024)

Some news from raw heavy punkers Boozewa, who’ve been kicking around the last couple years even as drummer/vocalist Michael Rudolph Cummings put out a solo record and toured for it, etc., in that a new offering, Bon Vivant, will see release on July 9. No audio yet, but if you caught the Pennsylvania-based Backwoods Payback-offshoot’s 2021 EP, Developing Good Health (discussed here) or last year’s single “Maybe I’m a Bird” (video posted here), you should know to expect an elbow or two thrown in your direction. The three-piece of Cummings, bassist/vocalist Jessica Baker and guitarist/vocalist Rylan Caspar — whose mother I believe drew the picture above, while the cover art below/on the tour poster is by Tony Trease — are reliably brash, and if you don’t believe me, they’ve got A/V to demonstrate same at the bottom of this post.

Shows? Of course shows. They apparently just played with CKY — still a thing; good for them — and have dates lined up concurrent to Bon Vivant coming out and a couple weeks after, so yes, shows. Before I turn it over to what I culled from socials, I’ll just note that I have no idea whether Bon Vivant is an EP or a full-length. Based on what they’ve done to this point and since they don’t mention it, I’d guess an EP, but you never know for sure until you get there. If it’s a whole album, it would be their first, is the only reason I even bring it up. Any newswa is welcome newswa as far as I’m concerned.

Information for perusing:

It’s finally time! Our brand new record BON VIVANT will be released on Tuesday July 9th 2024!

Recorded/mixed/mastered once again at the always inspiring @noisylittlecritter by Mike Bardzik, with INCREDIBLE cover art done by our dear friend @tony_rocknroll

What ya say we jam a record release show for celebrate?

What ya say we hit a little tour to mark the occasion?

All the news that’s fit to hear coming today…and it’s only the beginning of what we have in store for the rest of 2024!

07.12 The Crown Wilmington DE (Release Show)
07.23 The Cave Chapel Hill NC
07.24 Sly Grog Asheville NC
07.25 Magbar Louisville KY
07.26 Westside Bowl Youngstown OH
07.27 Comedy House State College PA
07.28 Alkemy Flemington NJ

Boozewa:
Jessica Baker / bass, hollering
Rylan Caspar / guitar, hollering
Mike Cummings (mRc) / drums, hollering

https://www.facebook.com/boozewa
http://instagram.com/boozewa
https://boozewa.bandcamp.com/
https://www.BOOZEWA.com

Boozewa, “Maybe I’m a Bird” official video

Boozewa, Developing Good Health (2021)

Shit, man. Maybe you are a fucking bird. I don’t know.

Also: Ha. You wish it was that easy to explain.

In a bit of fun coincidence, I actually decided the other night that in a former life I was some kind of dopey, prehistoric flying creature. Proto-bird, maybe, like an archaeopteryx only nowhere near cool enough to have that name. Ever. It’s the best name. Seriously. Say “archaeopteryx” out loud. You won’t regret it.

By the way, this is my review of the single. How do you like it so far? Well, next time I write about Boozewa, I’m probably going to link back to it. You know, the ol’ “(review here).” I like the thought that someone might click that link in that post and see this.

I also like the fact that “Maybe I’m a Bird” is three minutes long and that around the point when it’s spent the first 90 seconds establishing its verse and chorus with genetically-punk drive and denser fuzz than you’re imagining it throws off its cowl and reveals it was grunge all along. Without giving up its purpose in tone or rawness, “Maybe I’m a Bird” is the most realized work yet from the still-raw-but-recorded-in-a-studio trio, who turn it back to another verse before the repetitions of “Maybe I’m a…” start to build before the more declarative “…bird” stops the song with a bit of done-now noise after.

Boozewa growing as a band, almost in spite of themselves. They keep it up and someone’s gonna start wondering about an album. I kind of already was.

Enjoy the clip. Mike made it:

Boozewa, “Maybe I’m a Bird” official video

BOOZEWA is back and BOOZEWA-ier than ever! The basement dwelling sludgy punk outfit have crawled up from the underground to reveal their first single as the fully realized vision of BOOZEWA. Done in a studio, not the basement! “Maybe I’m A Bird” retains the low-fi vibes BOOZEWA is known for and is a chantable, danceable, fuzzy good ol’ time!

BOOZEWA comments on the single: “Every day you have to go to work and there’s that one person there. That one person that’s always giving you a hard time. Always with the stink eye, always checking their watch to see if you were a minute late. We all know them. They are everywhere. When you see them tomorrow, make eye contact with them. Don’t break it. And let them know ‘HEY! You don’t know me. Maybe I’m A Bird!'”

Bringing a distinctive sound, BOOZEWA draws passionately from the heaviest of the heavy through to the mellowest of the mellow. Emphasized by their unusual recording method, the vintage touch produces a unique tone with a dynamic, atmospheric quality.

Boozewa:
Jessica Baker / bass, hollering
Rylan Caspar / guitar, hollering
Mike Cummings (mRc) / drums, hollering

Boozewa on Facebook

Boozewa on Instagram

Boozewa on Bandcamp

Boozewa on the internet

As it was like three days ago, the memory of Boozewa announcing their new single “Maybe I’m a Bird” is pretty fresh. Not complaining though. It’s a good memory, and at this point I’ve heard the track and it’s easily the highest fidelity and most atmospheric recording they’ve yet had. The trade for that is the rawness of those basement tapes — which definitely have their place and their specific appeal — but here’s the thing: the one doesn’t at all preclude the other. If Boozewa want to follow the pro-shop sound of “Maybe I’m a Bird” with something they tracked vigilante style in a Costco parking lot, that’s allowed — artistically, anyhow.

They’re touring though, and that’s cool. Maybe this is when they decide they’re a real band after all. Maybe not. They were almost willfully casual about their formation, and I’m pretty sure these aren’t the first not-in-PA dates they’ve done, but it’s a tour either way and given the parties involved it likely won’t be the last.

Maybe three days from now they’ll post all the venues and whatnot, and I can’t promise I won’t do a follow-up to this at that time — can’t promise I will either; you’re perfectly capable of finding that information — but front-drummer-except-he’s-in-back Michael Rudolph Cummings (who also put out a solo record last year on Ripple) posted the following on socials with the poster and I happened to have a little time to think about how the band are cool. That time has now ended. On to the next thing.

Till then:

When Backwoods Payback went to hibernate, I don’t think Jess and I really knew what to do. We just wanted to play and have fun. Bionic Rylan deciding to pick up a guitar again around the same time just seemed to make this make sense.

I’m not a drummer, I just fill the gaps where needed.

A lot of these towns were Backwoods Payback mainstays. Can’t wait to see them again from a different part of the stage.

Full details next week, but for now, for this weekend… check your hands and study the lines.

See you all soon

Boozewa:
Jessica Baker / bass, hollering
Rylan Caspar / guitar, hollering
Mike Cummings (mRc) / drums, hollering

http://instagram.com/boozewa
https://boozewa.bandcamp.com/
https://www.BOOZEWA.com

Boozewa, Developing Good Health (2021)

A Boozewa recording? From a studio? Ohh, my medication… [faints].

That’s actually the story here. Boozewa recording in a studio. What studio? I don’t know. That studio could also be a living room for all I know, but even that would be up from the basement — stylistically if not literally speaking — which I’m pretty sure is where most of Boozewa‘s to-date output has been taped. Like, on a four-track. The will toward lo-fi sounds was part of the initial mission as Boozewa splintered off from the (presumed) (for-now at least) end of Backwoods Payback, in which the trio were all members, two of them founders, but if you’re thinking they’ve gone high-gloss for the new single “Maybe I’m a Bird” — it’s already printed on trucker hats; also, I invite you to take this moment to assess if, perhaps, you indeed are a bird — slow down.

While the fidelity of the three-minute song is a definite uptick from even 2021’s Developing Good Health EP (review here), we’re still well within the realm of rough-on-purpose. They’ve just given themselves more space in the mix for shenanigans, and they’ve got the shenanigans to fill it. It’s not streaming yet, but it’s a July 5 release, so I think we’ve got enough lead time, and until then, the PR wire has the background on the song. Thinking debut album, maybe? Does Boozewa put out records?

We’ll find out:

BOOZEWA Will Release New Single “Maybe I’m A Bird”

BOOZEWA is back and BOOZEWA-ier than ever! The basement dwelling sludgy punk outfit have crawled up from the underground to reveal their first single as the fully realized vision of BOOZEWA. Done in a studio, not the basement! “Maybe I’m A Bird” retains the low-fi vibes BOOZEWA is known for and is a chantable, danceable, fuzzy good ol’ time! The song will be released on July 5th 2023 on all streaming platforms.

BOOZEWA comments on the single: “Every day you have to go to work and there’s that one person there. That one person that’s always giving you a hard time. Always with the stink eye, always checking their watch to see if you were a minute late. We all know them. They are everywhere. When you see them tomorrow, make eye contact with them. Don’t break it. And let them know ‘HEY! You don’t know me. Maybe I’m A Bird!’”

Bringing a distinctive sound, BOOZEWA draws passionately from the heaviest of the heavy through to the mellowest of the mellow. Emphasized by their unusual recording method, the vintage touch produces a unique tone with a dynamic, atmospheric quality.

Boozewa:
Jessica Baker / bass, hollering
Rylan Caspar / guitar, hollering
Mike Cummings (mRc) / drums, hollering

http://instagram.com/boozewa
https://boozewa.bandcamp.com/
https://www.BOOZEWA.com

Boozewa, Developing Good Health (2021)

It’s a pretty common experience for an artist or a band to record a cover for a tribute album in progress and then not have that release actually happen. Happened to me, anyway. Happened apparently to Mike Cummings, then of Backwoods Payback, now of Boozewa (think ‘bourgeois’ but with the demon alcohol) circa 2012 for a Neil Young tribute for which he took on no less than “Cortez the Killer” from 1975’s Zuma, self-recording for a bedroom-folk intimacy and carrying the sweetly infectious melody of the original over to his own expressive modus. I’ll cop to not being nearly the Neil Young fan that Cummings or any number of other people are, up to and including Pearl Jam, of whom Cummings might just also have a cover or two laying around, but it’s a cool take, raw of course but the song suits that.

Giving ear won’t take but a few minutes — the player is at the bottom where the players go in hopes that you’ll read the words between here and there — and as always, I hope you enjoy.

From Bandcamp:

mRc – Cortez the Killer

Roughly a decade ago I was asked to be a part of a cassette only Neil Young tribute record. It was a small label based out of Virginia or DC from what I recall and I was excited to contribute to it. The band I was in at the time was of course in a state of flux and we were not able to get our shit together to make what I wanted to happen happen.

Instead, I decided to do this on my own, live with two mics taped to my Tascam 4 track tape machine.

The label never responded once the song was sent (in the mail mind you!) and honestly I don’t think the record ever ended up coming out.

This has sat on the shelf for a long time…and it felt like the right time to set it free.

mRc – vocal/guitar/harmonica

words/music – Neil Young

photograph – Jared Castaldi

https://michaelrudolphcummings.bandcamp.com/

https://instagram.com/boozewa
https://boozewa.bandcamp.com
https://www.BOOZEWA.com

mRc, “Cortez the Killer”