By Dusty Henry

Guitar shredding and manners aren’t necessarily synonymous. Neither are catchy pop melodies and head banging. Mikal Cronin is hard pressed to be stereotyped. Between every hard rocking song he played at the Tractor Tavern last Friday night, he’d either say “Thank you” or “Sorry” for some sort of technical mistake.

Cronin is not one to be pigeonholed or to fulfill a stereotype. He has garnered a following over the years associating himself with other California lo-fi garage rock acts like Ty Segall (for whom he plays bass) and Thee Oh Sees. But there’s almost nothing lo-fi about Cronin’s music, except for maybe his “just hanging out like the rest of you” attire. His latest record MCII is polished, hard-hitting, radio-ready rock music with big guitar hooks and infectious vocal melodies.

It was a stark contrast to see Cronin step on the stage after Shannon and the Clams –- a rockabilly group with flowing silk shirts, rainbow suspenders, and short skirts. Cronin and his band looked like they could have been anyone else there, as evidenced by most of the band hanging out on the floor during the opening acts. He seemed mild mannered, brushing his long hair from his face as he addressed the crowd. But within the first few minutes of the first song, Cronin was on his knees throwing his long locks in every direction while thrashing at his 12-string electric guitar.

Much of the set centered on his older material from his 2011 self-titled release. That album veered more toward the lo-fi garage sound of his contemporaries but fared much better in the live setting. The energy was much more palpable live. Songs like “Is It Alright” and “Apathy” were rambunctious and worthy of much fist-pounding in the air.

Save for a couple breakdowns, the band only played Cronin’s upbeat material (disregarding ballads like “Piano Mantra” and “Don’t Let Me Go”). Though they did play a fair amount of the new album. “Shout It Out” and “Weight” from MCII got the crowd into a frenzy. Even though a group of denim-clad men kept throwing themselves into everyone around them (obnoxious and inescapable) while spouting a YOLO-esque mantra, fans were still eager to stick it out.

The keys and strings that are present throughout the new record were missing in the live performance. Though likely absent for logistical purposes, the two instruments would have added another layer of texture to the vibrant performance. Nonetheless, the band proved themselves to be a powerhouse. As a pop band cleverly disguised as a garage act, they were able to effortlessly harness a groove and turn it into a blistering guitar assault.

Opening band Dude York also captured the same catchy-but-electric tone as Cronin’s band. Playing menacing sounding tracks with sweet, accessible melodies, the group got the crowd warmed up. Vocalist and guitarist Peter Richard’s crooning was reminiscent of The Exploding Hearts while drummer Andrew Hall’s shirt harkened back to George Michael Bluth of Arrested Development.

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