Review: In the Pines at Somerville Auditorium
In The Pines at Somerville Auditorium
Sunday, April 13, 2025
RTRFM’s 32nd consecutive In The Pines event went off with nary a hitch on Sunday. A few very late, very light sprinkles of rain were unable to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd or the performers—although they did cause the sound crew some tarp-related chaos.
In The Pines has a simple, practiced, and well-executed format: two stages, A & B, side by side, with 20 bands with half an hour each, which is not quite long enough for bands you really like but not too long if the music isn’t so much to your taste. With setup for the next band happening on one stage while the current band plays on the other, we were served unbelievably great music, uninterrupted (except for the quality MC-ing from RTR’s breakfast host, Pamela Boland), for ten straight hours.
After a Welcome to Country ceremony, the first band was Front Yard Horse, a sweet, folky five-piece with a charismatic flautist, their vibe matching the dappled morning sunshine.
Keeping with the folk theme, next came Lloyd and the Leftovers, a four-piece who somehow managed to be upbeat, even in their sadder songs. One song, about the grief of losing a friend, was beautiful and buoyant despite the loss.
A change of pace came next, with Bigardoo, featuring Cozza Emcee, who belted out an awesome array of hip hop/old-skool style rap songs with powerful lyrics in a range of emotions/themes over amazing backbeats, melodies and samples. Lots of fun.
They were followed by the endearingly whimsical Outcome Unknown presents The Definitives, a highly experimental five-piece band laying spoken-word beatnik-esque poetry over freewheeling and fluctuating post-rock riffs and tempos.
The jazziest band of the day was Holli Scott, with a keyboardist, trumpet player, and double bassist, who together turned out alluring songs with thoughtful, moving lyrics. Standout songs included Unravelling, asking for “solace and peace of mind,” and the gorgeous Orwell’s Wife, an ode to all the other forgotten women behind famous men of history.
Gloam, an up-and-coming shoegaze band, fresh from supporting Trentemøller on the Wednesday just prior, sent their powerful walls of reverby guitar and strong bass, driven by drums, over the growing crowd, who swayed and gently headbanged in appreciation in a set that was both introspective and high-energy.
But if anyone had drifted into a reverie on their picnic blanket, Ghoulies then gave us all a shot of adrenaline with their hectic, fast-paced, post-punk thrash set, leavened with a touch of ska and some video-game synth riffs. High-energy, high-volume, and high amusement, their song Self-Help offers an unapologetic two fingers (maybe even just one) to anyone daring to offer unsolicited advice on how they can better themselves!
Next, Gap Year took us on a very Aussie-sounding journey, their sweet indie-pop channelling The Church with a touch of The Oils. They played a brand-new song for the first time live, In Light, which is always a treat, and finished with Where I Came From. This is another band managing to pull off the unusual opposites of melancholy/uplifting.
Helen Townsend brought some boot-scooting action, to which some of the crowd obliged! Looking and sounding pretty country, they tip their hats to Americana but kept it real Aussie, with an ode to the Indian Ocean Drive, another to being hungover, and a quip that it’s not just Paul Kelly that can write about Australian suburban life. They played a beautiful love ballad from Helen to her partner (who is in the band) to tell him she loves him in the best—and only—way she can. God Knows called for some audience participation and had a nice swing chorus.
Airline Food, a four-piece in business attire (perhaps in homage to their album, called The Deal, and/or their song Wall Street Man?!), counted down how many songs they had left like it was torture for them to play their gorgeous slow rock with funky bass riffs and Aussie 80s vibes. Fortunately, it was not torture for the crowd, who lapped up their set.
Next to indie-pop-rock Lonesome Dove, who smashed out some great tracks, giving Garbage/The Pixies vibes, with lead vocalist and guitarist Nici Ward looking very schoolgirl pixie herself, with a voice that seemed too big for her body, and stage presence galore. Ben showed off his “Living la Vida Loca” tattoo on his bare foot and wore a bit of a love heart theme (sunnies & pants), which thematically matched their music.
Another change of gear came next with Kankawa Nagarra, a Gooniyandi and Walmatjarri elder, singing the Desert Blues. On Sunday it was just her and her guitar, although when she supported Hugh Jackman in New York, she was backed with a full orchestra and got limousined everywhere, which she said was a hoot! Preaching love, unity, and keeping our beautiful country pristine, including a frack-free Kimberley, she sang in English and in language. Simple, pure, desert blues.
Scratching, next, aka Grace Sanders & Ezekiel Padmanabham, brought up-tempo electro goodness to the crowd. Grace’s glorious, clear vocals soared their devastating lyrics over Zeke’s funkalicious beats, bass playing, and samples. “Always scared, but not to die,” from Diagnosis. Stunning.
As the evening started to draw in, Noah Dillon, fronting a four-piece and wearing the tightest, rock’n’rolliest black tee-shirt ever, sang a bunch of amazing and adorable pop/rock songs, including I Still Adore You, Let It Out, and I Can’t, among others, each one a winner. Some bonus retro-style whistling and maracas too.
Next came Nika Mo, an alt-folk band with a viola and a violin, playing music so pretty and ethereal and yet somehow with guts.
King Ibis followed with their up-tempo, strong, happy, poppy songs, each beautifully crafted and delivered with gusto and great stage presence too.
Properly dark by now, Jacob Diamond played with a three-piece, except for his last song, Miracle, which he performed alone. Accompanied by slow, washy guitars, his crooning had the crowd swaying in appreciation.
Then Mali Jo$e blasted us with his urban hip-hop rap, the deepest of deep bass rumbles, and hurrah! Visuals on the Somerville screen projector! Rain at this point threatened the Moog and Prophet on stage and caused the sound tent to tarp up, but the show continued!
Yomi Ship, as the penultimate band, won the prize for the most merch shirts spotted on punters in the crowd (other than RTRFM/In The Pines ones, of course) and wowed everyone with their intricate instrumental long-form pieces, which flowed through emotionally charged and changing atmospheres using incredibly complex and tight time changes. Their thrilling and refreshingly unusual sounds were conjured out of only three people—plus drums, a bass, and a guitar—playing separately, yet as one.
And last, but definitely not least, The Bures Band wrapped up the evening with their super smooth and cruisy “cosmic folk rock,” a tight and jangly 70s guitary way to round off a truly spectacular event.
The talent, musicality, and creativity of each of the 20 bands were all off the charts. Everyone should all be so proud of their performances. To have such a range and depth of homegrown WA talent is beyond wonderful. Words alone do not do any of them justice; they are all worth checking out IRL, ASAP.
Props to CCA Sound Production, especially for balancing all the different drum setups! Everyone attending deserves some love too, for being a simply awesome crowd. Respectful, chill, friendly, attentive, and giving lots of love to the performers, they helped make the day. Shout-out to the guy handing out Chupa Chups!
Massive congratulations to RTR for putting on such a spectacular event and for supporting—and being supported by—WA musicians. Thanks to the volunteers who made the day run so smoothly. An accessible, enjoyable, family-friendly, community-building event with food trucks and drinks, an awesome recycling project, AND great music? See you there next year!
Hope everyone got home before the rain really came down…
EMMA SIMPER
Photos by Linda Dunjey and Anthony Jackson
