OSEES PSYCHEDELIC PUNK MAYHEM: LOUD, WILD AND UNFORGETTABLE
Story and Photography by JD Cohen
On Wednesday night, October 23, 2024, the Royale in Boston came alive in a way that’s quickly becoming an annual tradition. Each year, The Osees fill the 1,300-capacity Bowery Presents venue with both a dedicated following of long-time fans and a steady influx of new listeners eager to experience the unmatched energy of John Dwyer and his band.
Under the leadership of Dwyer, The Osees have become one of the most consistent, hardworking, and boundary-pushing rock bands in the industry. Over the past two decades, Dwyer’s relentless drive, creativity, and devotion to exploring musical frontiers have made him an icon in the underground music scene. With an unparalleled output and fearless commitment to reinvention, he’s led The Osees (also known as Thee Oh Sees and Oh Sees) to define the forefront of modern garage rock, seamlessly blending elements of punk, psychedelic rock, krautrock, and noise. Their unique sound — equal parts aggression and experimentation — has solidified the band's role as a pillar of the contemporary underground music community.
Dwyer, born in 1974 in Providence, Rhode Island, began his journey into music in his teenage years, drawn to punk and hardcore. He found inspiration in the raw sounds of bands like Black Flag, The Stooges, and Sonic Youth. A DIY ethos shaped his perspective and influenced his early ventures as a musician, including bands like Pink and Brown and The Hospitals. By the time he moved to San Francisco in the late 1990s, Dwyer was experimenting with noise and lo-fi punk, ultimately laying the groundwork for what would become the Osees.
The Osees started as a side project, initially called OCS, which Dwyer used for exploring ambient, psychedelic tones in a lo-fi format. However, as he dove deeper into the project, the band evolved, transforming into a louder, more intense musical force that quickly earned a reputation for frenetic energy and a signature, fuzzed-out guitar style. Albums like The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In (2008) and Help (2009) showcased the band's evolving sound and solidified its identity, merging garage rock’s raw power with a touch of psychedelia and punk.
The evolution continued with releases like Carrion Crawler/The Dream (2011) and Floating Coffin (2013), which leaned into darker textures, krautrock influences, and hypnotic grooves, propelling The Osees to cult status. Fast-forward to recent years, with albums like Face Stabber (2019) and Protean Threat (2020), where Dwyer and the band explored an even broader range of influences, incorporating elements of prog rock, jazz, and post-punk. Throughout these and some lineup changes, The Osees maintained an unwavering dedication to high-energy, chaotic live shows.
Dwyer has refused to slow down over the years and The band’s performance at the Royale was yet another testament to the Osees electrifying live reputation. Dwyer’s stage presence alone is magnetic; as he set up his equipment and plugged himself in, the energy in the room was palpable, building in anticipation like the moments before an athletic competition. When The Osees launched into the wild and driving “Plastic Planet” from their 2016 release, A Weird Exits, the crowd’s energy erupted, transforming the venue into a visceral experience of sound and movement. What followed was a near-unrelenting onslaught, each song driving forward with the precision of a machine and the power of a juggernaut, the band’s tight instrumentation blurring into a single, relentless organism of sound.
Two drum kits, manned by Dan Rincon and Paul Quattrone, anchored the band’s performance, as they always do, creating a hypnotic, primal energy that set the tone for the night. The visual of both drummers at the front and center of the stage pounding out synchronized rhythms is mesmerizing, a constant force that propelled each song forward. As the set progressed, Dwyer spat, snarled, and howled his way through each song, taking every extended jam and wild riff to a fever pitch. His manic energy spread through the crowd, creating an intensity that few live bands manage to achieve.
By the fourth song, the crowd on the floor had transformed into a seething mass, bodies pushing, shoving, and lifting off the ground in a frenzy. Dwyer encouraged the chaos, and soon fans began making their way onto the stage — often with his assistance — only to leap back into the crowd. The interplay between the band and the audience reached its peak when Dwyer himself joined the crowd for a dive, declaring to all that “crowd surfing is still fun.” It was a spontaneous, electric moment that spoke to the heart of the band’s DIY spirit and commitment to shared musical experiences.
The energy in the room was so intense that Dwyer even advised the crowd to pace themselves, noting that they were only halfway through the set. Yet the brief respite was short-lived, and before long, the band launched into another song, reigniting the chaos.
While Osees’ shows are known for their consistency in intensity, what varies from night to night is the audience’s response — and this crowd at the Royale was especially charged. With the physicality of a mosh pit in full swing, it was clear that this was no ordinary show. In spite of some overly aggresive fans, There was an exhilaration in the chaos, a collective release that fans of the band have come to expect.
As the show wound down, the Osees’ relentless pace never faltered. The crowd, though physically spent, seemed unwilling to let go. The Osees weren’t there to simply play a setlist; they were there to create a visceral, immersive experience. For Dwyer, the boundary between band and audience is blurred; each show is a moment of collective catharsis, a celebration of musical freedom and ferocity.
The Osees’ performance at the Royale encapsulated everything that has made the band legendary in the underground scene. From Dwyer’s guitar work to the thunderous drumming and the unrestrained energy of the crowd, it was a show that could only come from a band committed to living and breathing rock in its rawest form. After all these years, the Osees continue to deliver with the same ferocity as ever, their music both familiar and unpredictable.
Walking away from the Royale with bruises, a sore throat, and a black eye, I felt the lingering thrill of a night that was unforgettable. The Osees don’t just play shows; they create a visceral experience that transcends the ordinary concert. The frenzy of the night and the unhinged joy of live music reminded everyone there why they came out in the first place. After witnessing the band in their element, one thing is clear: I can’t wait to do this again with the Osees.
Band Members
John Dwyer - Guitar
Tim Hellman _ Bass
Dan Rincon - Drume
Paul Quattrone - Drums
Tomas Dolas - Keyboard
Setlist
Plastic Plant
The Static God
Funeral Solution
A Foul Form
Rogue Planet
Tidal Wave
Withered Hand
Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster
Animated Violence
The Dream / The Daily Heavy
Blank Chems
Sticky Hulks
I Come From the Mountain
Chem-Farmer / Nite Expo
Drug City
Encrypted Bounce
Poor Queen
Web
Warm Slime
Scramble Suit II
C
Minotaur
