Concert Review: Letters to Cleo

The night started with local band Midatlantic (formerly The Bleedin' Bleedins), who released their newest album back in September. Their sound is full and beat-driven, with a little bit of an Arctic Monkeys vibe to it. They got the crowd warmed up with no problem, and were a pretty damn hilarious when dealing with people at the merch table after the show.

When Letters to Cleo took the stage, though, the crowd went from loud to ear-splitting. Kay Hanley (vocals), Michael Eisenstein and Greg McKenna (guitars), Stacy Jones (drums) and Joe Klompus (replacing the band's original bassist) used their time to show off why they were such a pivotal part of the Boston music scene in the '90s. They wasted no time, jumping right into "Demon Rock," and the crowd sang along with every tune. Their set was 20 songs strong, with a good mix between all three of their albums, plus a previously unreleased Christmas song and their fantastic cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me." The band seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves onstage, and hopefully they'll realize just how much they've been missed around Boston.

In conjunction with the mini-tour, Letters to Cleo has just released a compilation of rarities, titled "When Did We Do That?" The album features their work on various soundtracks (most famously 10 Things I Hate About You, but also The Craft and Jawbreaker), as well as demos of a few songs, and a couple of unreleased tracks (including their Christmas song "WTFAMP.") The album is available at tonight's concert and will soon be available on the band's website.