Boats! Taking sail and making waves

by Laura Winn


Boats! live at R5 Records on May 2, 2009, Photo by Laura Winn

Boats! are taking sail and making waves with their catchy power pop punk sound and steady time on the road.  Matt Leonardo (vocals/guitar), David Hayden (bass), and Jeff Melendez (drums) play punk that has influences of everything from 70s bands like Buzzcocks to more current bands like The Briefs. Boats! keep it short, simple and snappy with most songs clocking in at around two minutes.

Boats! have toured relentlessly since their first show in August 2007.  They played nearly 100 shows in 2008 alone.  The band’s strong work ethic seems to be paying off this year with a 2009 SAMMIE nomination for "Outsanding Punk/Hardcore Band" and an upcoming release on No Front Teeth Records/May Cause Dizziness. The band hopes to release their 10 inch album in June.

I caught Boats! live in action at R5 Records on Saturday, May 2. Although Saturday’s lineup centered on Pansy Division singer Jon Ginoli’s book read and acoustic set,  Boats! held their own following Ginoli’s performance.  

As Boats! sailed through their set, the band’s popularity was plain to see as fans shouted out song requests and sang along to songs like “Motorcycle Weekend,” “Heart of Gold,” and “My Mother was Right.” (My mother was right/I shoulda stayed with you/Well now my boat has gone to sea/I wish you still want to be with me.)