Photo by Wes Knoll<\/p>\n
Review by Miguel Gonzales<\/p>\n
Hotline TNT playing at the obtuse-shaped, very artisanal Arts at the Armory is too on-brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Indie kids decked out in band tees, dad hats, mustaches and mullets, fleece jackets, and Soloman hiking shoes gathered at the historic Somerville arts venue on Thursday evening to see the New York outfit. The crimson red drapery contrasted with the fun, do-it-yourself punk weirdos, making for a unique experience and electrifying night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Embarking on a North American tour, Hotline TNT stopped by Boston on April 11th, one of their last stops. The band is coming off their critically acclaimed 2023 album \u201cCartwheel,\u201d released on Jack White\u2019s Third Man Records \u2013 one of my favorites from last year.<\/span><\/p>\n Will Anderson, the vocalist of Hotline TNT\u2019s ferocious and slacker finesse, ruptures throughout the record. The effortless combination of noisy, blown-out guitar work and pop-influenced touches in the album\u2019s runtime makes for one of the year\u2019s most exciting listens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Their performance in Somerville is just as thrilling, too.<\/span><\/p>\n Before Hotline TNT\u2019s performance, two hardcore bands opened the show. The Massachusetts trio Rabid Few and Richmond, Virginia, four-piece outfit Cicada got some energy from the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n Rabid Few\u2019s set was aggressively chill \u2013 the crowd standing still for the most part. The vocalist\u2019s witty presence and the members’ fast-paced, intense playing were some of my favorite bits from their brief, less than 10-minute set. Paolo\u2019s cheeky comment referring to the venue\u2019s on-speaker introduction as their intro song to his love for Italian hardcore was pretty funny.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is for all you Pisanos,\u201d Paolo said before the band jumped into playing a song.<\/span><\/p>\n Compared to Rabid Few, Cicada’s set was the aggression I needed to start the night. The Richmond band had a fiery set, the vocalist\u2019s grunting and low-pitch growls complementing the killer, high-tempo percussion and distorted, noisy acoustics. The vocalist\u2019s stage presence was pivotal, too\u2014the frenetic hopping, clenching, and swinging of his fists in the air had me engaged.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n