Flemington DIY hosted an all-around kick-ass lineup of bands on Saturday, March 16th. FYI, if you’re unfamiliar with Flemington DIY, please do check it out – now coming up on its 5-year anniversary, it’s a non-profit/volunteer-run community art space that hosts a variety of events in small-town/semi-rural Central Jersey.
Aptly described “grungey pop trio with cello”, Algebra II played first. I recently saw them when they opened for Charly Bliss at the Wonder Bar (check out that post here) and was psyched to catch them again. While their sound is already 100% my jam, as an admirer of classical instruments, I totally geek out to a cello being skillfully played through a Big Muff pedal (and other effects). Algebra II will be releasing new music “soon”, but you can listen to their excellent 2017 debut EP Milkshake Summer here (NOTE: for fans of Great Grandpa, Speedy Ortiz, early-Weezer). Their next show is on May 4th in Long Branch, NJ – keep an eye out for more upcoming shows here.
The rest of the bands that played (Mean Siders, So Over It, and The Hums) were all completely new to me, but no less impressive. Playing as a duo, I was blown away by the vocals/harmonies of Jersey-based The Hums – DIY or otherwise, it was a rare live vocal performance that I won’t soon forget. Kudos on their merch game which included hand sewn shirts and pickles for all occasions. While the crowd was relatively sparse, it wasn’t lost on me to be able to see such a diverse lineup of awesome bands without having to drive an hour away (and for a measly $5). Check out the Flemington DIY FB page for more upcoming shows/events and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
