The Bollard Bulletin: October 14, 2024
Local Music Monday: Trawl hits rock bottom
LOCAL MUSIC MONDAY
The hybrid genre “funk metal” materialized in the latter 1980s with the emergence of bands like Primus, Fishbone and Infectious Grooves. Those mish-mashing the styles early on generally mixed metal’s dour heaviness with funk’s anarchic fun in proportions that kept the material light on emotion, if not straight-up comic.
Trawl, a funk-metal foursome from Portland formed in 2018, did likewise on its first few EPs, like 2021’s Shark Piñata and last year’s Cosmic Aquatic, and it worked, making the band one of the top local artists moving units at Bull Moose locations in this corner of the country. Much respect to Trawl, by the way, for prioritizing local record-store sales over streaming; their next release, the five-song Tempest, hits Bull Moose this Friday and won’t be available on the apps until mid-November.
But, my dudes, what the hell happened? On Tempest, the darkness of the music is equaled by the sadness and anger of the lyrics. “I’m feeling alone!” Sean Matthews wails on the chorus of opener “SOS” — “I feel so empty / I’m needing some help.” “Cell” bitterly trudges through the wreckage of a failed domesticated romance, “Braggadocio” is about pompous assholes (news flash: they still suck), and on the ponderous closer, “Nova,” Matthews sounds on the verge of tears during spoken-word sections plumbing the icy cold depths of fresh heartbreak.
His mates — bassist Seth McClennen, drummer Adam Nichols and guitarist Justin Patry — gamely try to achieve some uplift with a strummy emo bridge on this last track, but it only leads to another pounding chorus of despair. It’s like running into Sarsippius at the poolside bar and expecting a hilarious, wise-cracking good time, only to have the goofy green character collapse into your arms and start sobbing. Tempest is no one’s idea of fun.
This being our unofficial “scary local music” month, I’ll direct you to Trawl’s back catalogue for an enjoyable Halloween funk-metal experience full of cartoonish monsters partying at the “Ghost Pepper Cantina” and sharks from outer space who think you “smell of crab Rangoon” (“Omega Rock Six: [Intergalactic S.H.A.R.K. Invasion]”). Here’s hoping Trawl spots that silver lining and lightens up again next time around.
Music
Flask Lounge
“Monday of the Minds” CommUNITY Hip Hop Showcase
8 p.m., no cover (21+)
Hi-Fidelity
Open mic feat. Skip Bailey
8:20 p.m., no cover (21+)
Portland House of Music
Bane, Stick to Your Guns, Silent Drive, Infernal Diatribe, Peace Breaker (hardcore punk)
6 p.m., SOLD OUT (21+)
Portland Lobster Co.
Ryan Halliburton (noon), Dapper Gents (pop covers w/ cello, 5:30 p.m.)
no cover (all ages)
Three Dollar Deweys
Andi Fawcett (soul, rock)
6 p.m., no cover (all ages)
club guide
Performing Arts
SAW The Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of SAW sneaks inside The Hill Arts (76 Congress St., Portland) at 7 p.m. Tix: $35-$135. 347-7177. thehillarts.me.