Boston Manor Sell Out Cambridge’s Sinclair

Boston Manor kicked off their latest tour with a bang this past Wednesday night in Massachusetts.

The band’s Winter 2019 headlining tour kicked off at Cambridge’s The Sinclair with a sold out show and a killer lineup- making it a night to remember.

Opening things up for the night was Toronto based Selfish Things, a four piece band made up of singer Alex Biro, guitarists Cam Snooks and Mike Ticar, and joined by touring drummer Michael Cisterna.

Starting with their single “Blood,” Selfish Things immediately spiked the crowd’s energy levels, and enticed even those who had never heard of their band to bop along to their music.

“We’re a band called Selfish Things. How the fuck are you guys?” Biro asked. “Before we go on, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Boston Manor for having us out on this tour.”

Following “Blood,” the band played a mix of older and newer songs- most of which came from their September release, and debut album, “Logos.”

While most of the tracks, including “Rowen” and “Flood” featured heavier drums and darker guitar and vocals, the band did take a moment to slow things down with “Synaptic.”

“We released an album a few months ago, and this is my favorite song from it. It doesn’t fit the vibe of the tour but I’m a piece of shit so,” Biro laughed before playing the emotional ballad.

This show marked the fourth time Second Society has ended up at a Selfish Things set this year and each time they appear to grow in confidence and number of fans.

With more members of the crowd singing along, and an apparent growth stage presence, Selfish Things continue to remind us why they are one of our favorites of 2019.

And though their set lasted just over half an hour, the Canadian band left a lasting impression on the audience as they prepared themselves for the next bands of the night.

Then, just ten short minutes after Selfish Things’ set ended, Heart Attack Man jumped on stage and got the crowd moving once again.

“Everybody shut up!” Frontman Eric Egan yelled to announce their arrival.

Heart Attack Man, who hail from Cleveland, Ohio, is a four piece rock band consisting of Egan, drummer Paduc, guitarist Tyler Sickels, and bassist Seamus Grosman.

Starting their set off strong with their song “Sugar Coated,” the band’s heavier basslines and drums immediately started a circle pit and had the crowd surfers going wild- both of which continued into their next songs “Low Hanging Fruit” and “Blood Blister.”

“We put out an album called ‘Fake Blood’ recently,” Egan announced before playing their single “Out for Blood” from their latest album. “This song is based on a movie called ‘Falling Down.’”

Throughout their set, Heart Attack Man stayed energetic, and though this was the first time Second Society Report had ever attended a HAM show, it was a set to remember. With crowd surfers constantly making their way over the audience, and fans of all ages scream-singing the lyrics, everyone in The Sinclair seemed to be grooving with the music and genuinely enjoying the band’s set. Very few audience members strayed from the music hall during their thirty minutes, and we remained captivated as well.

“This next song, we want everyone off their feet. Actually just start jumping right now! This one’s called 100 milligrams.”

The band then ended their set on their album’s titular track, “Fake Blood” before they cleared out and made way for the third act of the night: Microwave.

“What’s up guys, we’re Microwave from Atlanta, Georgia,” vocalist Nathan Hardy announced to the crowd.

Kicking their set off with their track “Vomit” followed by “Float to the Top,” Microwave posed a great contrast to the two previous bands. With much grittier vocals and guitar, Microwave introduced themselves as the heaviest band on the bill- something fans who had not heard of the band before did not expect.

Hardy was joined on stage by fellow band members guitarist Travis Hill, bassist Tyler Hill and drummer Timothy Pittard.

As the third band on the night’s bill, Microwave played a slightly longer set, which allowed them to play a variety of tracks from all three of their previously released albums, including this year’s “Death is a Warm Blanket.”

Their set included crowd favorites “Lighterless,” “Stovall,” and “Roaches,” which all had most of the crowd screaming along.

Much like Heart Attack Man, this was the first time Second Society Report had seen Microwave- but the band did not disappoint. While their sound was not what was expected by some of the crowd or us, they brought a unique style to the show that helped keep it fresh and adequately prepare our vocal chords for the night’s headliners: Boston Manor.

Taking the stage around 9:45 pm, Boston Manor were greeted by a roar of screaming applause.

“Boston, your boys are back. Let’s fucking go!”

Boston Manor, who despite their name are not from beantown, took the stage with incredible confidence. Frontman Henry Cox, followed by guitarists Mike Cunniff and Ash Wilson, bassist Dan Cunniff and drummer Jordan Pugh each brought their own energy to the room and immediately got the audience off their feet and moving along to the beat.

First playing their song “Liquid,” followed by “Lead Feet” and beginning crowd favorite “England’s Dreaming,” Boston Manor had the entire venue shaking with excitement and adrenaline.

“Boston, Massachusetts you do not disappoint. Open this pit up and put your dancing shoes on!” Cox yelled.

The band’s fourteen song setlist included a mix of releases, including “Flowers in Your Dustbin,” “Digital Ghost,” “Bad Machine” and “Burn You Up.”

“This city has always taken us under their wing.The first show we ever played here was down the street at an art gallery called Out of the Blue, and that show, as tiny as it was, kinda went off for us. There’s something about this city,” Cox told the audience. “Thank you.”

This show marked the second time this year that Second Society has caught Boston Manor, but is the first time we have gotten to see them in their full element. With electrifying musicianship and captivating stage presence, Boston Manor have proven to us as well as the fans in the crowd Wednesday night that they are meant to headline larger rooms- and hopefully will be doing so soon.

And while their set flew by too quickly, they had everyone singing every last word, even through their final songs “Laika” and the crowd’s absolute favorite song, “Halo.”

You can check out our full photo gallery from the show below, along with all four band’s setlists. And be sure to catch Selfish Things, Heart Attack Man, Microwave, and Boston Manor when they hit a city near you this winter.