by Mary Hamilton

Within the walls of the Abbey Lounge, 3 Beacon St., the Scrimshanders, The Kickbacks, *AM Stereo, and The Dirty Truckers gathered to celebrate the 40^th birthday of one of their own––guitarist for the Scrimshaders and guitarist/vocalist for the Dirty Truckers, Tom Baker.

The sound of the night’s bands, with the exception of *AM Stereo, had definitely been influenced by the lovelorn Midwestern sound made popular by Paul Westerberg, Wilco and the Jayhawks. It wasn’t that sincerest form of flattery called imitation, but a new understanding of a still indefinable form of music. Is it alt-country? Is it countrified rock? None of the above, actually.

Blending the lonesome chords of country music with the fast rhythms of rock ‘n’ roll has created a homogeneous sound that has been embraced throughout music circles.             The music doesn’t blow the listener away. Instead, it causes the audience to nod along with the melodies. It makes sense, this combination of country and rock, this show with four bands, each bringing a different style to the floor: each band explored the realms of country and rock, and each band exposed the audience to the wonderful results of the melding of the two genres.

The Scrimshanders started the night with a short set of comforting vocals and a light melody that floated over the strong chords of the band. Their sound is solid, but at times uninspired. Still, they managed to maintain a balance of whispered confessions and strong instrumentation throughout their abbreviated set.

The Kickbacks followed with a set of songs that were more alt than country. Tad Overbaugh’s vocals embraced the rock-tinged melodies while the guitars around him twanged and moaned the familiar country sob stories of love gone wrong. The Kickbacks were obviously having fun on the stage, their energy filled the set and their good moods permeated the Abbey Lounges walls. They played a few new songs that let the group shed the country cloak completely and bathe in the sunlight of a more poppy sound.

In the Abbey Lounge, both the performance room and the bar shiver with the music from the stage. The music intrudes into every corner and conversation. Members of the various bands and their friends mingle with the crowd creating a cozy atmosphere.             In venues like this the music is the center of attention. Even the audience is part of the show, each face relating to the stories in the songs. Smiling faces and tapping feet are as much a part of the night as the drummers’ beats or the singers’ vocals. It feels as though we are all among friends here. The Abbey Lounge proves that it’s not about looks, but attitude.

*AM Stereo charged the stage ready for some rock ‘n’ roll. Dressed in leather and cheeky snarls the vocals were loud and a welcome kick to the warmed up crowd. This music, dirty, loud, and without a trace of melancholy is exactly what nights like this and bars like this were made for. The first sign of fun was when one of the Lounge’s employees wound his way through the crowd offering free earplugs to those inside. *AM Stereo is youthful in spirit, if not in looks. Their sound breaking into the hearts of listeners with Steve Crotty’s bass acting as the crowbar. Call it tough love.

The Dirty Truckers finally took the stage with an eager joy. They are Boston/Providence based, but their sound has pieces of San Diego’s boppy rhythms, Minneapolis’s countrified common sense, and Omaha’s new experimentations. All these elements melded on stage, in Somerville, with the Dirty Truckers. Their set acted as the culmination of what had preceded them on stage; from the light simplicity of the Scrimshanders to the genre straddling Kickbacks to the in-your-face mischievousness of *AM Stereo.

The night started as a birthday party for one of the guys on stage, but the outcome was a present for the audience. A timeline of inspirations and interpretations. A night of countrified-punk, and souled-out rock-n-roll. A celebration.