The Beatings didn't need the pouring rain outside the doors of Great Scott to keep everyone from heading home early: the music would do that just fine on its own.
After being in Portland, Oregon for a couple of years, I was anxious to get my return-to-Boston show under my belt, and it seems I chose wisely with this one. Opener (and label mates) Hands and Knees ripped through a fast-paced set of irresistible pop that left everyone within earshot with a sore neck from nodding their heads. And while the crowd at the front of the stage changed guard in between acts, it seemed no one left the establishment before the night's main course, a performance from The Beatings marking the release of their latest recording Late Season Kids.
The album, and the performance, seemed to ring true to the band's own proclamation that their newest tracks had taken a "decidedly poppy turn." However, that shouldn't be mistaken for a statement of drastic change. It seems more like The Beatings have continued to do what they've been hailed for doing so many times before: making something their own. While the set wandered through songs from the new album and from previous ones, there was never a time where you felt that any of the songs were out of place with the others. The noise was still there, the screaming was still there, they'd just found a new home amongst moments of slightly calmer chaos.
