The Pauses revive 1994 at Will's Pub (photo by Michael Lothrop)
Themed events continue to be this year’s local motif, and the Pauses pulled off the latest homerun: 1994 (Aug. 2, Will’s Pub). Even though the ‘90s were the beginning of the end in some ways with alternative becoming mainstream, there’s much to celebrate. And this show, besides being an occasional reminder of bad pop-cultural decisions, was a great nostalgia trip.
Wet Nurse at Will's Pub (photo by Michael Lothrop)
Seeing prestige bands perform live mixtapes like this was pure entertainment and constant surprise. Songs ranged from the cognoscenti-approved (The New Lows covering Jawbreaker) to guilty radio pleasures (Wet Nurse covering Ace of Base). Probably because they were all too young to be cool in 1994, Wet Nurse really exploited the zeitgeist for a fun, excellent set. They completely hotwired the Offspring’s “Self Esteem” and turned the aforementioned Swedish scourge of the ‘90s airwaves into a vehicle to certify the gold of their own pure pop ability.
The Pauses at Will's Pub (photo by Michael Lothrop)
But besides having the genius to tackle Portishead, the Pauses also showed what Dinosaur Jr. would sound like with a good singer. And just when I wasn’t entirely buying their take on NIN’s “Closer,” frontwoman Tierney Tough hurls stuffed animals into the crowd, yelling “I wanna fuck you like an animal.” Classic Pauses humor.
I wanna stuff you like an animal (photo by Michael Lothrop)
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