Live Music Review //
Mr Fang and the Dark Tones / The Slick Tones
October 19th, 2023
at Oh Momma, Middletown CT
Additional photos can be found in an album on Facebook here :::
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1344595106270707&type=3
We were once again back at Oh Momma for a Thursday night show. What better way to spend an October night than with Mr Fang and the Dark Tones, and The Slick Tones as well, as this is just the perfect time of year for this type of sound. I pay close attention to what's happening in Connecticut and for the entire month of October I truly do believe this is the most Halloween type of feel you're going to get with live music in this state. There are some good upcoming shows, sure, but none quite as spooky as this.
This show opened with Connecticut's own The Slick Tones, who played what was mostly a rockabilly set. When I was growing up and went to my first Warped Tour, I was sort of first introduced to rockabilly. So I always think of this genre as being closely related to punk, surf, rock n roll (like the 1950s style) and even ska and swing. It's just a lot of fun and The Slick Tones proved that, even playing a straight up surf song.
While it might feel like there is a very specific twang or other sound which makes this more rockabilly and not just punk rock, the one thing all these genres share is the energy. It's something which fits in with punk rock (and especially bands like Rancid) as it can get you moving but also get you dancing. And The Slick Tones were just exceptional at this. One of the big things about The Slick Tones is that their sound is just so technical and it has those guitar solos I just love.
Mr Fang and the Dark Tones were up second and they were on tour here, coming from Virginia. It's fun to think about a touring band coming through Middletown, but this also just felt like a big deal as we were eleven days away from Halloween. This should have really been the focal point of a Halloween party for many but often times people don't really seem to know what they're missing until after the show.
A power punk trio, self described as psychobilly, Mr Fang and the Dark Tones tore through what felt like thirty songs in ten minutes. Though, in reality the set wasn't quite that many songs but it also went almost a full hour in length. From covering the Dead Kennedys and Misfits to playing songs about hot rod cars and slower ballads, there was a little bit of something for everyone in this set.
And that isn't to say that Mr Fang and the Dark Tones didn't play songs about monsters either, as their latest EP is titled "I Want to be a Movie Monster!", from which they played the titular track. They also played "Burn!", "I'm Zombified!", "Evil!" and a song which they said had no recording but was still a lot of fun to hear. Compared with The Slick Tones, Mr Fang and the Dark Tones felt a little bit heavier but they still had those sweet rock n roll guitar solos.
Whether you're in CT or not, if you have the chance to see either Mr Fang and the Dark Tones or The Slick Tones and you are a fan of music that can go both loud and fast, then this is a show you certainly should check out. The true spirit of the music is how it hits you. And if you're looking for music which is going to hit you hard, then these are artists not to be missed.
The Slick Tones can be found on Bandcamp here :::
https://theslicktones.bandcamp.com/
Mr Fang and the Dark Tones can be found on Bandcamp here :::
https://mrfangandthedarktones.bandcamp.com/album/movie-monster
Oh Momma can be found on the web here :::
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