Middle East Upstairs with Perhaps, Phantasm, The Shills, and Strange Changes
Photography By: Chris Anderson (including featured photo) and Anne Cook
“Every time I do another project with someone else I am reminded how much I love you guys and how lucky I am.” – Bryan Murphy, lead singer of The Shills
It was Friday night in Cambridge as music lovers braved the bitter cold to see Perhaps, Phantasm, The Shills, and Strange Changes at the Middle East Upstairs. Multifaceted would be the perfect word to describe the night, with every band pleasantly surprising the crowd with many different sides to their sound. Little did they know when they arrived that this would be a night they would never forget.
As the venue started to fill up Perhaps, an electric instrumental rock trio from Boston, took fans on a mix of psychedelic and ambient rock blended with an indie/alternative feel towards the end of their set. They definitely grabbed the attention of those who arrived during their set, and built up anticipation and excitement for the other bands on the bill to build upon.
Phantasm was definitely the hidden gem of the night with their explosive sound. With Steven Rosplock’s entrancing vocals, dynamic guitar riffs from Aaron White, and Jay Yachetta’s drums fans turned into bobble heads, swaying side to side and even moshing at times.
The Shills had performed this past year in studio on Stephanie Rose’s show, Alternative Rock Radio. This would be the first time she would be seeing them in concert and if it was anything like in studio she knew she’d be in for quite a night. It was truly breathtaking to see Bryan perform as he puts his heart and soul into every note he plays and in every lyric he sings. The most unforgettable moment of the night would have to be during Move a Mountain, which closed out their set. As they reached the climax of the song Stephanie got goose bumps and was frozen in that moment. As she looked around the room she noticed fans singing along with smiles on their faces. It’s a remarkable feeling when you look around a room at a show and can tell just with a look that someone is “in it” with you and feeling what you’re feeling and tonight there was no exception.
Strange Changes, an eclectic eight piece rock band from Boston, didn’t disappoint, closing out the night with an explosive finish. Unfortunately some had to leave after The Shills, and if you were one of them you’ll definitely want to catch a Strange Changes’ show soon!
This is just one of many articles Stephanie Rose has written on local music here in Boston, she also covers on national bands, and check out her radio show below, Alternative Rock Radio, where she features local, new, and old alternative rock!
Stephanie Rose
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