A Night at Boston Punk Venue Trendy Shit Town

Flyer by @ninetynine1ratio

Trendy Shit Town is a primarily punk venue in Western Boston. While I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about this city’s house show-DIY scene through my work at Five Cent Sound, TST was a complete blank spot. Wanting to explore different genres of music beyond Downtown Boston’s typical indie, I attended their Wednesday, March 22 show, hoping to find a new favorite local band. 

TST was started in 2008 by the band Ofthesun as a communal living space. It has since evolved into a venue for live performances, currently run by Andrew. Andrew has been involved in this scene for a while, becoming friends with Ofthesun through going to shows, and having moved into TST the moment a spot opened up, due to their friendship and his belief in the mission. “TST represents the real DIY culture,” he explained. “Many of Boston's DIY scenes are extremely white-dominated and, in my view, almost lorded over by students and out-of-towners blessed with money and access. The aim of TST is to turn that on its head and cultivate an environment that is specifically catered to the people who are sick and tired of that sad reality.” 

Arriving at the venue, this mission was immediately apparent. At some other house shows, you never know when the other bands are going to show up, staggered throughout the night. The audience feels split, and while community is certainly capable of forming, it isn't a guarantee. At TST, community felt integral. The expansive backyard hosted a lively firepit, tended to by anyone and everyone. While many people had clear connections to the bands and the space, allowing me to observe heartfelt reunions throughout the night; people were more than willing to make new connections as well. 

The group of bands set to perform that night were Letters of Marque, godfuck, Party Hats, and Catalyst. These groups were touring the East Coast, minus Letters of Marque, as another band, Bulletproof Backpack, were originally part of the lineup and couldn’t make it to the Boston date.  

The first to perform was Letters of Marque. The openers created an electrifying first act, and whatever nerves I had toward this new space dissipated as the mosh pit formed, pressing me up against the guitar pedals. Their single, “I lost a part of myself on mustafar,” which can be found on their Spotify, was a highlight of the night and clearly a crowd-pleaser from the shouts in response to its announcement. The song bursts into existence, forgoing an introduction and whipping the crowd into a frenzy with its melodramatic vocals. 

By the end, I realized my typical Wednesday energy levels were not enough for this type of show. I clutched onto my friend’s arm as the pit pulsed around us. I maintained that position during godfuck’s setlist, the second performance, but was swallowed up by their third song, “End of Everything (EOE).” 

The pit is always an exhilarating experience, and these bands only heightened that thrill. The relationships between the music and the crowd was palpable. When talking to godfuck, I found out that their drummer, JC, is shared with Letters of Marque. Catalyst, the final band on the lineup, had also invited them to play a show together in the future, and they agreed immediately because as one of the members, Pat, eloquently put it, “Catalyst fucks.” 

By the third band, I was exhausted. The energy of a hardcore show can take a lot of you. I stuck to the wall for most of the performance, but Party Hats’ setlist certainly did not disappoint. Party Hats is less punk than the other groups, more focused on screamo with a midwest emo flair. Their newest EP, Autobiographic Autopsy, was heavily featured in their performance. “My Big Fucking Head,” a song off the EP, got the crowd the most hyped, building up to its angsty climax and leading us in anticipation. Once the pit finally let loose, myself and a girl next to me were both splashed with cheap beer, excitedly and neglectfully tossed around. We shared a moment of sympathy that only this type of night could create. 

In between Party Hats and the much anticipated Catalyst, I headed to the merch room – my pit of temptation. I am bound to spend at least $15 at every show I go to, a sucker for band t-shirts. The four bands hosted a wide selection of merch, from classic t-shirts to more unique cassettes, stickers, and pins galore. 

Nothing can beat live music for me, so Catalyst’s opening chords drew me back to the brim of the stage. The whole night felt like it was leading up to their performance, with Catalyst seemingly the factor that had brought everyone here in the first place. While I was dead-tired at this point, Catalyst made my exhaustion worth it. Finally getting to see this Providence, Rhode Island-based band that I have known for months, performing so close to Boston, yet so far this whole time, was a gift fully worth the show’s cover charge. I floated towards the back of the venue, barely even able to see the performance, but feeling the screaming in my bones. 

By the time the show ended, I was barely awake. The show was well worth it, though, and that was only exacerbated by the specific venue this experience was held. Trendy Shit Town has managed to cultivate a welcoming, fun environment for anyone, no matter their level of involvement. As Andrew said to me at the end of our interview, “TST is a safe space for everyone and that's something I always want to emphasize… I always want to make sure it's memorable.”