Boston Rox!
The Roxy Nightclub Plays (Temporary)
Host to the City's Live Music Scene
by Scott Kearnan

The Roxy Nightclub, the Theatre District’s crown jewel of clubbing, is a familiar venue to any frequent partier in Boston’s nightlife scene. Technically, the venue is a clubbing complex composed of four separate rooms (Roxy, PURE, Caprice and Encore). It’s also, much to the delight of Boston bachelorettes, home to the city’s resident Chippendales dancers. But that, dear reader, is another story, for another night, for another publication; one that comes wrapped in cellophane and requires an ID for purchase.

Regardless, The Roxy remains one of Boston’s biggest clubbing destinations. After the various venues packing the Lansdowne strip, it’s probably the most popular party spot for tourists, college kids, and suburbanites who trek down the Pike to experience “that place I heard about on Kiss 108!”

In all honesty, the club has earned its reputation on word of mouth, not necessarily quality. The music heart at Roxy and PURE have grown stale… though in fairness, that’s pretty much what you’re going to get at any other venue. As I’ve bemoaned in nightlife columns for the past year and a half, there’s nowhere left to hear non-hip-hop on weekends, anyway. (Even PURE, originally conceived as an all-House-music alternative to this problem, gave up after only a few weeks. Apparently they assumed lack of interest, not the atrocious DJs, was responsible.) And The Roxy’s website is about as poorly designed – and frequently nonfunctional – as anything I’ve ever seen. Still, the sound, the sights (a laser show pulsing overhead is, well, pretty cool) and the vibe consistently pack ‘em in.

What surprised this writer, though, was how the right event, planned by the right business, can make a mediocre venue look damn good; Anthem Entertainment recently proved that The Roxy can be a great venue to catch live music. If the club continues to put its efforts behind supporting the live music scene, it may continue to do an admirable job of hosting Boston rockers and the fans who love them.

In its most recent music showcase, Anthem hosted Music @ PURE, a showcase of the city’s best local bands. Music fans had the opportunity to catch some of Boston’s burgeoning talent, enjoy raffle prizes, and pick up plenty of INsite issues while they were at it. Here’s a roundup of the best bands that kept PURE’s speakers shattering until the early morning:

September Twilight – One of the concertgoers described their sound as “somewhere between Incubus and 311.” In fact, ST’s lead vocalist Bill Bloom does sound a lot like Brandon Boyd. At the same time, songs like “Inferno” and “Where the Path Divides” showcase their unique sound and stage presence. Plus, frankly, it’s nice to hear a male-fronted band with good vocals.

KID:NAP:KIN - Aside from a name with highly unnecessary, convoluted punctuation that makes certain journalists want to write a bad review just because (tremble in fear of The Power of the Press!), these guys weren’t half bad, either. The band, which describes itself as playing “Agro Indie Rock Assault,” (maybe I’m jeopardizing my indie cred, but I would describe them as “screamo”) combines an ear for melody with vocal chords of steel. No matter what your mom says, a song like “Introduction” isn’t noise; it requires a certain enviable style to go from introspective, lilting vocals to angst-like, thunderous shouts. These guys pulled it off with considerable style.

Dave Crespo - One of the night’s biggest revelations might have been the quietest. Armed with an acoustic guitar and lyrics that pay tribute to his Beantown home, Crespo commanded the center stage while allowing the music to take the spotlight. Of course, it didn’t hurt that lyrics about the overpriced MBTA and the underperforming Red Sox (from his song “Across the Charles”) were bound to resonate with a Boston audience. Still, there’s something to be said for an artist that can make strong storytelling shout as loudly as any wailing guitar riff.

To be fair, there wasn’t a weak link in the chain of artists: Alexis Babini, Trans Cardia, The Press and John Paul all deserve their devout fan followings.

Lucky for rockers, House-heads (okay, they’re still homeless) and hip hoppers all over the city, The Roxy continues unabated in its quest for nightlife glory. If they continue to cooperate with the live music scene, they have the potential to host nightlife entertainment that’s worth a cover charge, a hangover, and – sorry, Mr. Crespo – even a ride on the MBTA.

(The Roxy is located at 279 Tremont Street in Boston. For more info visit www.roxyplex.com or call 617-288-ROXY.)