SHINY TOY GUNS
Live @ The Middle East in Cambridge, MA April 2009
Live review and photos by Lena Lamoray
SHINY TOY GUNS headlined The Middle East and I have to say what a dream show, SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS and SHINY TOY GUNS. Even if you think you are not familiar with SHINY TOY GUNS trust me you are. You can’t watch anything on television without hearing their music and for good reason, these guys and gal are the epitome of what music should be catchy, danceable and enslaving. I don’t know about you but after seeing them live only a couple of times I can’t get enough. SHINY TOY GUNS is the brain child of JEREMY DAWSON and CHAD PETREE. Talent like this doesn’t come along often and when it does it’s miraculous. The chiseled chin heartthrob, JEREMY DAWSON was my favorite member to watch as he played keyboards and switched to bass and even sang. He reminds me of TRENT REZNOR with his endless outpouring of inventiveness. CHAD PETREE has one of the most lucid voices I have ever heard. He rivals the likes of my all time favorite singers JARED LETO and GEORGE MICHAEL. He performed so hard that he won the wet t-shirt contest of the evening. I still can’t get over how amazing his voice was and how well it complimented Sisely’s. Chad is not only an accomplished singer but also the guitarist of the band so it’s no easy feat. SISELY TREASURE shared the vocal duties with Chad and did an amazing job as well. She is definitely the best female singer that the group has worked with. MIKEY MARTIN did his share of performing behind the drums and had some pretty funky make-up. I am also declaring him the winner of the spitting contest he was having with Chad and luckily I was not hit with any of the RICOCHET.
Everyone on and off the stage was having a grand time and that is essentially all that matters. SHINY TOY GUNS performed without their signature light show and fog and as a photographer I love a good light show but to be honest with you they don’t need it. Their music and stage performance is stand alone and they are one band that does not need any fluff. If I had to pick a favorite song it would be LE DISKO but I loved everything they played like RICOCHET, GHOST TOWN, YOU ARE THE ONE and DON’T CRY OUT. Honestly, SHINY TOY GUNS with SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS is the best show I have seen this year. I hope they come back to my area again real soon because I will never miss another SHINY TOY GUNS show. I would love to interview them and find out just what is going on in the heads of such visionaries. Check out their new album, SEASON OF POISON and pick up their previous one, WE ARE PILOTS and let the musical odyssey begin. They are still on tour with THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS so catch them on that tour.
