Swarm of Eyes Play Jeff’s Birthday Bonanza in Beverly
On January 30, 2016, Swarm of Eyes celebrated the birthday of bassist Jeff Grossman — that fretboard lighting, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighting, heart-igniting son of a gun — in grand style at the Spotlight Tavern in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Playing to a packed house, Swarm of Eyes played a memorable set, prancing around the stage looking like Steel Panther’s Care Bear Cousins. The ’80s themed event saw Swarm of Eyes doing something special for one of their own, as well as the fans who turned out for the show. It also saw them decked out in enough spandex and Aqua Net spray-mounted wigs to make a revival of Rock of Ages look like Law and Order: SVU by comparison.
The Eyes guys played a mixed bag of original songs and a few classic punk, rock, and metal covers. New songs “Left to Burn,” “Tell Your God To Ready For Blood,” and “Cursed in Blood” were trotted out to the approval (they hope) of the live crowd in preparation for the band’s upcoming EP. Old favorites like “Endless Ashes,” “The Day That God Went Mad,” and “Humanemic” rounded out Swarm of Eyes’ original offerings for the night.
On their cover of Motley Crue’s “Looks That Kill,” Swarm of Eyes were joined onstage by Chris Harvey, lead singer for Guns N’ Roses tribute band Cocaine Tongue, who provided a wicked nasty (and awesome) contrast to Randy’s growling vocals. Misfits’ tribute band 138 put in an appearance with the group’s lead singer chiming in on Swarm of Eyes’ rendition of “Where Eagles Dare.” Rounding out the covers were The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop,” and Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” which brought the show to its fist-pumping conclusion.
You only turn 30-something-ish once, and the Swarm of Eyes guys and their fans made damn sure it was a fun and memorable night for Jeff, as well as their fans. Thanks for coming out!
This Christmas, You’ll Get “Nuttin'” and Like It!
Happy Festivus! In case you’re burned out on Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, and are ready to go postal at the mere mention of “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime,” the jolly (not that) old elves in Swarm of Eyes have slapped together a holiday track, covering “Nuttin For Christmas” – featuring guest vocals on the intro by The O.G. L.O.G.A.N., a young metal lad. Consider this our gift to you… and the world! You’re welcome.
You can check out “Nuttin’ For Christmas” on Bandcamp, if you’d like a little something stronger with your eggnog (or soy nog, if eggs and dairy ain’t your thing). The guitars crunch. The vocals growl. And they even manage to sneak in a covert F-bomb or two. #SoMetal
And if you’re so inclined to give the gift of music to someone on your list or just kick over some coin to us because your heart grew three sizes today, please feel free to name your price. Or just listen to it for free. That’s okay. Really. It’s okay.
The song is just a taste of (non-holiday themed) things to come from Swarm of Eyes. They’re currently recording their second album, an EP, for release in 2016.
Thanks again and from the Swarm of Eyes family to yours, here’s hoping you all have a Happy Holiday and a great 2016!
Coming to a Table Near You: Swarm of Fries – The Menu
Inspired by Derrik’s recent pilgrimage to Richmond’s GWARbar (Pour a little out for Oderus Urungus. Rest in power, Dave Brockie!), the Swarm of Eyes guys had the brilliant idea to totally rip off the concept open an eatery of their own.
They considered it.
But then they lost the motivation to do so — especially since they’re going to be too busy playing a series of three gigs on their Octoburnt Tour and are preparing to record a brand new EP in November.
Before reality (and apathy) set in, the Eyes guys put together a menu of potentially palatable entrees, appetizers, and deserts, named after songs on their debut album, Designing the Dystopia, (that you can buy here!) . Take a peek at what could have been and just be grateful these guys are sticking to playing music. Bon appetite!
Amazeballz Appetizerz (with a “z”)
Punish the Artichoke Dipper
Behold a golden brown baked bread bowl fashioned into the shape of a bull and crammed with creamy spinach and artichoke dip. So good you’ll bellow for more!
Soup of My Last Salvation
Sometimes, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of soup. Let our seasonal selection of soups be the salvation for your dark, doomy, metal soul.
Nothing More I Can Eat: All-You-Can-Eat Options
Endless Ashes Smokey BBQ Spare Ribs
Meaty, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs, slathered in a rich, smokey honey BBQ sauce. Keep going back for more.
Journey to the Endless End of the Salad Bar
Stick to your diet with an endless array delectable of salad fixin’s. Except for celery. Celery is bullshit. And so is bleu cheese.
Til Death for Gravy Pasta Bar
Some people think gravy is brown. But if you’re a Swarm of Eye-talian, you know that “gravy” means a rich tomato sauce that perfectly clings to your pasta. Choose from Metal Marinara, Bad Ass Bolognese, or Ass-Kicking Alfredo sauces over your favorite variety of pasta. Load it onto your plate and go back for seconds or thirds!
Bitchin’ Big Bites
Beef of the Serpent
Sink your teeth into a half-pound burger covered with melted extra sharp cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, serpentine crispy French onions, and a garlic-aoli mayo. You’ll have sworn you sold your soul to eat something this damn good.
Served with your choice Swarm of Fries: curly fries, steak fries, shoestring fries, waffle fries, or crinkle-cut fries. Make it a real swarm of fries and just ask for us to put all the types of fries on your plate while you shovel this beastly burger into your gaping maw.
Humanemic Halibut
Caught fresh from the shores of New England, this flaky fish is served with a light, buttery dill sauce with sides of roasted potatoes and asparagus. It’s delicious. And brutal. Really brutal. We can’t stress that enough.
The Day the Chef Went Mad
Even we don’t know what the hell this is! Could it be Veal Marsala? Paella? Chicken Florentine? Meatloaf? Ask your server what our chef decided to throw together and take your chances on whether or not you want to eat it.
Tell Your Gob to Ready for More… Desert!
Warscone
An onslaught of a desert, this dense, buttery pastry is packed with blood-red raspberries and sprinkled with sugar — like the sweet, sweet spoils of war. We recommend pairing this with teas from our Warm of Eyes collection, featuring Metal Mint, Cataclysmic Chamomile. and Earl Grim black tea.
Enter the Circle Chocolate Lava Cake
Enter the circle. It’s made of chocolate and filled with even more chocolate — a deep, dark chocolate truffle filling that’s still warm. A beatdown for your belly, we suggest enjoying this culinary metal masterpiece with coffee from our Warm of Eyes assortment, featuring Humanemic Hazelnut (Yes. We know we’ve used “Humanemic” for our halibut. But it’s our record label, too. Deal with it.), Irish Irecreamable, and Shadows at Dusk Dark Roast.
Disappointed Swarm of Fries will not be sucking up space in a strip mall near you? Buck up, cupcake! The boys are cooking up a mess of tasty tracks for you to enjoy in 2016 (or sooner!) and will be serving up metal with a side of thrash and doom at an East Coast venue near you this October. Stay tuned for more!