After several days of gray clouds and rain, more than 1,000 people flocked to the Hatch Shell Saturday afternoon to soak up the sun and take in a free performance by ska band Less Than Jake.
The park was packed with an assortment of punk concert-goers mostly college students and a few middle-aged enthusiasts. The crowds began to swell as Less Than Jake took the stage at about 2:30 p.m.
A large gap between the stage and the audience severed what some fans considered a vital concert vein. Even veteran Less Than Jake fans said they were slightly disappointed.
‘It’s kind of different seeing [Less Than Jake] in such a large outdoor environment they’re better in a smaller, more intimate setting,’ said Mike Addeo, a Bentley College student who claimed to have been to 20 Less Than Jake concerts in the last year.
As Less Than Jake progressed though their 80-minute set, band members made
repeated digs at local law enforcement officers.
‘I haven’t seen this many park rangers since the last Yogi Bear convention,’ one band member said.
Band members also jokingly referred to Boston’s law enforcement officers as ‘the enemy’ and accused them of having bad taste in music.
The band continued a pumping performance for the afternoon to the cheers of the few hundred fans in the front rows.
Less Than Jake’s latest album, ‘Anthem,’ was released in May 2003. Saturday was their first appearance in Boston since the album’s release.
The concert began with the energetic power chords of Big D ‘ the Kids Table, the opening act for the show.
Despite fans’ slight disappointment with some aspects of the show, most still said they enjoyed the performance and appreciated its nonexistent price tag. Hardcore fans Allison and Andrea, both 11 and clad in Less Than Jake T-shirts, dragged their mothers along for the show.
Vendors at the show also did a booming business, and many companies displayed products. Nantucket Nectars had a table set up with free samples of their new aerated juices, and Mini had a display of the new Cooper models.