THE MONIKERS . . . MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES

So last night I was out on a hot date . . . with my middle daughter. On her recommendation, we took in an evening of music at All Asia in Central Square in Cambridge that included—for us, featured—a rockin’ four-person band called The Monikers. A great name for a band! I had seen this foursome before—many times before . . . mostly sitting in our kitchen or in our family room, sometimes strumming guitars and singing Beatles tunes (one night the entirety of Abbey Road, word for word, chord for chord, note for note . . . until 2:00 in the morning). But I had never heard them perform under their official moniker . . .

Well now I have, and they are well worth catching “live and in person.” Not only do these self-styled “hipsters” look the part with their skinny-legged jeans and their moppish haircuts—they live up to their appearance with their playing and singing. And with their songwriting. And with their onstage performing. Hey, they’re not just making a name for themselves—they make a spectacle of themselves . . . led by Francis Anderson on guitar, keyboard, and lead vocal: he really creates a scene all by himself! And he’s backed up with real finesse by Peter Chinman on lead guitar and supporting vocal, by Tim Marchetta-Wood on room-thumpin’ bass, and by Erica Warner holding them all together with impressive work on the drum kit. They threw a few covers into their set—most notably a show-stopping arrangement of the Beatles’ iconic “Let It Be”—but mainly played catchy original tunes with titles like “Dressed Up in Yellow,” “That’s What She Said,” and “Catch a Little Rainbow.” (A nice touch: the band provided takeaway lyric sheets.)

I hear that The Monikers have a few more gigs lined up for the summer. Check out their website. And catch them if you can!