“We are Beach Slang and we came to punch you right in the heart!”
Any time a show starts in that manner you start to understand the type of show you are going to see.
A young man whom was intensely hyped and immensely knowledgeable of all things James Alex gave me the skinny about the singer’s newest band Beach Slang. Beach Slang is a punk rock band based out of the city of brotherly love Philadelphia, Pennsylvania consisting of drummer JP Flexner, guitarist Ruben Gallego and the aforementioned lead singer/guitarist/producer James Alex. Singer James is a seasoned veteran in the rock circuit, having been a part of multiple rock groups (most noticeably Weston under the moniker James Snyder) whom as of 2013 has put his energy into the youthful movement known as Beach Slang.
WEDNESDAY 04/20/16 – BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Alex has seen a well-deserved resurgence due to his quality musical content, command of the stage, infectious energy and very strong indie following that was represented that night in Williamsburg. Mr. Alex as he prefers to go by nowadays had just performed an acoustic set a few hours prior at Samsung 837 (Alex self-dubbed the “quiet” show), though his energy and enthusiasm showed no signs of fatigue, rocking into the late night in impressive fashion at Music Hall of Williamsburg (dubbed the “loud” show). A loud show it definitely was, I believe the ringing in my ears has not ceased, either that or it’s my house phone, which i’ve also learned to ignore. Snyder has a youthful exuberance about him, a spirit that is undeniably strong, a young heart often expressed through his lyrics, all of this musical prowess emanating from the slender framed 40 year old rocker in tight clothing.
Beach Slang weren’t the only acts that night on 4/20/16, along with tour mates Pottymouth, Dyke Drama and band Constant Companion, they collectively rocked the Music Hall, with Beach Slang as their headliners.
“There are many reasons I love being alive… two of them are American girls and French kisses.”
The Beach Slang band had tons of fun in Brooklyn, often engaging with the many fans screaming suggestions of what songs to play, this 4/20 show being their first stop on their brand new tour that sees them travel the entire country with little to no space in between shows. Beach Slang performed many songs from their EP work, from their debut album The Things We Do To Find People Like Us as well as some Weston songs and covers to keep the mood up. Bleach Slang if nothing else, aims to please their crowd. Their music resonates with their fans and speaks to many young-hearted individuals, being sometimes described as ‘teen movie-esque’ and ‘soundtrack of my life’ music which is a tremendous honor for any artist/group.
“I’ve been called a lot of things, but never been called ‘professional’.” said James, often going off the rails, taking a few sips out of his never-ending cup and performing anything and everything he and his bandmates wished to play. They continued to playing a variety of their music, as well as a few session type tune-ups, to the delight of the many moshers in attendance, a small representation of their cult-like following that will only grow overtime. They ended their set strong, leaving after James hinted that the band would be willing to play a series of encores if provoked, and with much unnecessary provocation the band came back out onto the stage, refreshing the crowd with peppermint (you had to be there) and continued to rock out until they had enough.
“There are many reasons I love being alive… two of them are American girls and French kisses.” Then they proceeded to play their song “American Girls and French Kisses.” Ingenious. Knowing that this is the first of many stops for this band, they are a band to look out for.
High energy, fun, loud, everything you would look for in a show. Catch Beach Slang on tour along with Pottymouth and Dyke Drama.
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