UTEC Goes Punk; Courtyard Does Funk

As the UTEC center filled with electric guitars, punk fans, and an overstock of energy drinks, the crowd's excitement filled the air awaiting local bands A Wilhelm Scream, Energy, Smoke or Fire, Rebels of Art, and L'Antietam.

A change of pace from the usual high school crowd that fills the halls of Lowell's UTEC center, college radio station, WUML, brought a taste of punk music, along with a large group of college kids to the teen center last Friday (April 2) for an intense show. The energy of the crowd intensified with acts like Smoke or Fire and and A Wilhelm Scream. More local acts--Energy, Rebels of Art, and L'Antietam--equally held their ground. As I thought of the usual crowd that hangs around the center--a good percentage of Lowell High's student body along with their love for hip hop--I found it interesting to see such a different group of music lovers.

Energy drinks were passed around, T-shirts were on sale, mosh pits opened up, and everyone screamed along with the bands to every lyric. As the crowd rushed towards the bands, they continued to play on as they were surrounded by energetic fans and crowd surfing music lovers.

All hailing from the Massachusetts area, the bands greeted fans with their hardcore sounds and energy. A Wilhelm Scream and Smoke or Fire have been touring the country recently, but they still make time to come back to their roots for a local show. Tickets were $10 dollars at the door.

After leaving the show, feeling slightly deafened yet pumped with musical energy, we headed down to the next show at The Courtyard. Coming from Dracut, MA, The Jelley Fund has been playing together for over 10 years. Their influences include bands like Weezer, Sublime, and 311. With their funky sounds and more laid back tunes, the show was a nice cool off after the previous show at UTEC. Fans of the local band grooved to their mellow sounds as they sipped drinks and cooled off at the Courtyard's outdoor area. Opening up for The Jelley Fund was duo, Bobby Shortsleeves--an acoustic act.

It's merely another weekend in Lowell. The downtown area is always crawling with local bands and live music. There's always someone new to see or another favorite band to stumble upon.