By MATTHEW WOODS
Contributing Writer
Californian jammers the Dirty Heads, known for their unique “beachy” vibes, performed a fantastic set at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY on April 9. The group, led by singer Jared “Dirty J” Watson and guitar/singer Dustin “Duddy B” Bushnell, performed a long 18-song set that included hits such as “Lay Me Down” and “Cabin by the Sea,” along with fan favorites “Your Love” and “Sloth’s Revenge.” Needless to say, expectations were not only met, but they were well exceeded.
Opening act and Albany-made Mirk warmed up the crowd with their “Alt-Hip-Hop” tunes, including an unreleased track “Let It Go,” that really got the crowd to their feet.
Mirk was followed by a very unique band featuring a look-a-like Cheech Marin wearing a uniquely patterned and obscenely tight-fitting “onesie” on guitar. Needless to say, it was quite gross. However, The Burning of Rome, as the band is called, displayed some interesting songs combining punk-pop with more of a modern alternative style music. Even though the first two acts seemed to get the crowed riled up, nothing would compare to what the Dirty Heads were about to do.
Having put out 2 studio albums, along with one acoustic album, over the past 5 years, the Dirty Heads wanted to make sure they did each one justice. They performed 7 songs off of their debut album Any Port in a Storm, 8 songs from their second studio album Cabin by the Sea, along with 3 songs from the acoustic album Home – Phantoms of Summer.
They opened up with a song that set the crowd up for the rest of the night. “Dance All Night” was sure to have everyone grooving from the opening strums from Duddy B’s guitar, and it did just that.
Every song was bursting with energy. “Stand Tall” and “Your Love” stood out among many other songs as they were very engaging with the crowd. “Your Love” features beautiful melodies paired with Dirty J’s smooth vocals, which in my mind was the best song they performed all night. “Cabin by the Sea,” the title track from their second album, also featured a very unexpected ending to the song, making you feel as though you were relaxing on a beach around a bright campfire with friends, something only done during the live performances of this song.
As they were finishing up, they performed “Sloth’s Revenge,” which for any of you movie buffs out there, references the movie “The Goonies” in the chorus with the lyrics, “…like Goonies never say die.” Overall, the performance was nothing short of fantastic.
Many concerts that you attend nowadays tend to have a moment that really makes you appreciate how great of a band you are seeing. One of those moments occurred on that night. During their performance of “Hip Hop Misfits,” Dirty J, out of laughter for the lyrics he was rapping, stopped the song. Unable to continue on, he called up a young fan from the crowd who said that he knew the two verses that were left. Dirty J handed over the microphone and the stage to the fan, who unexpectedly delivered the verses almost un-phased, sending the crowd into a frenzy of surprise excitement as they cheered the fan on. After finishing up the song, Dirty J and Duddy B congratulated the fan with hugs and handshakes as the crowd became extremely loud. The Dirty Heads definitely made this young fan’s night, while also showing us what having fun at a concert is really all about.
College of Saint Rose student, Katie Bouchard, thoroughly enjoyed the concert that night. “They were fantastic!” she said. “I’m so happy I came to see them, I would totally see them again if they came anywhere near here again. They performed plenty of my favorites and overall put on a great show. I would definitely see them again.”
This concert will go down in my memory bank as one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and there is no doubt in my mind that if they were to come back, I too would see them again in a heartbeat.
