Mission of Burma - Office of Future Plans -- Black Cat - Feb 20 2010

Office of Future Plans - The band lines up with guitar, bass, cello and drums. A couple guys sing and things start out nicely. After a couple of songs, I was getting a little disinterested as the songs weren't really connecting. The style was in a Fugazi post-punk mode, lively, pounded, jagged guitar, etc. Then, they did a slow number which varied things nicely. The next up-tempo number connected a lot better and I was enjoying it. The cello switched to guitar and the sound did not change much actually. But the songs continued to get better or grow on me. I ended up enjoying a good band in the end. They are from Baltimore so I will likely catch them again some time.

 Mission of Burma - Three of the biggest and best post-punk bands out of the Boston area have all reunited in recent years to much acclaim. There are the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., and Mission of Burma. Only the last two have actually made it an enjoyable full-time operation with new releases and extensive touring. Nothing wrong with just doing it for the one-time bit of fun (and of course, just a bit of $$), but it has been more enjoyable for me to see the latter two bands on multiple tours and hear lots of good exciting music. Burma has a great style of loud somewhat clashing sounds pulled together in an almost garage-band style of post punk attack. Very tuneful they are, and lots of sound coming from just the three guys on stage. The soundman is their fourth member who did play bass on one cut and worked a magic box plugged into the mixing board. He has been a key member of Burma which is fair as their sound is the key to their success. But without the songs, they would fall back into obscurity. And they delivered again to a very full Black Cat crowd. Still plenty of life in this band as long as their guitarist's ears hold out (their initial breakup was due to severe tinnitus).

Quote of the Night: "The dog said 'I don't deserve this.'"