BLAKE BABIES/THE GO-TEAM/HONEYBUNCH - LIVE
September 22, 1989
Adams House, Harvard University

The vast hall was nearly empty when I arrived for Honeybunch, the opening act, but that was okay. I grabbed a seat right near the front and sat back ready to hear them strum their stuff. However, due to some unforeseen problem, the band's drummer never showed up. The remaining two (the singer/guitarist and the bassist) apologized for the inconvenience and braved it along. Not only that, but they were filling in for the recently-signed (to Rough Trade) Galaxie 500, who were busy recording in England. Figures.

What Honeybunch delivers is elementary strum pop, and in a decidedly British vein. I could envision them fitting nicely between the likes of the Field Mice and the Orchids, two bands on the British indie record label, Sarah. (And maybe not-so-coincidentally, the organiser of the event was Tim Alborn, editor of the Cambridge-based Incite! fanzine, who is know to feature and praise Sarah bands in the 'zine's pages.) Not having heard the fleshed-out versions of their songs with drums, I can't pass judgement on them quite yet. However, I will at least say: not bad guys, not bad. Besides, they even handed out Honeybunch stickers to the sparse crowd after their set.

More people began to arrive in anticipation of the Go-Team's set and chairs were abandoned in favor of crowding the makeshift performance area. Then they came on: three people with two electric guitars and a drumkit. The famed Calvin Johnson (of the infamous Beat Happening) introduced himself and fellow bandmates 'Tobi' and 'Bill,' before ripping into an electrifying bunch of songs. Yeah, it was minimalist, it was primal, and it was fun. Every few songs they'd change instruments, too, until all three had played every instrument on stage. Piercing guitar feedback carried each song into yet another pounding, jagged whirl of guitars and drums. By the end of it all Calvin was completely possessed, wreaking havoc with his guitar and amp. More screeching feedback filled the air and the crowd ate it up. The closest (and most well known) comparison I can make to the band is Sonic Youth - the feedback and energy were absolutely there that night.

People crowded up to the band to buy records and find out about K Records (their label) after that. And Calvin gave me the thoroughly unspectacular Mecca Normal lp. I knew I should have bought a Go-Team 45.

The Blake Babies took the stage to a pretty packed crowd (after all, they are from Boston) while traces of Hurricane Hugo swirled about outside. The band had been recently pared down to a trio after the departure of bassist Evan Dando who left to become a full-time Lemonhead (John, the guitarist, made his committment to the Blakes). But they were in fine form, nonetheless. Lead singer, Juliana Hatfield, now plays bass as well, while Freda Boner drums and John Strohm plays guitar. Dressed in tattered jogging shorts, an old t-shirt and sneakers, Juliana sang some of the bands older tunes from their first record, Nicely Nicely, while introducing newer ones from their new album, Earwig, on Mammoth Records. And of course the band played their big local-radio hit, 'Lament.' I still can't believe they failed to make it past the preliminaries in the WBCN Rock 'N Roll Rumble earlier this June. It's probably because they've just begun to pull their act together.

What a show. And I'll tell you, I didn't mind missing the Cure that night at Great Woods one bit.

-JM