Mission of Burma Fires Up Boston With Two-Night Stint

Mission of Burma kicked off their winter double dates with two hometown performances at Boston's Paradise Club Jan. 16 and 17, but on night two, the post punk originals' best-known song, 'That's When I Reach For My Revolver,' was notably absent.

There were plenty of other hard-hitting classics dating back to the early '80s -- 'Trem Two,' 'Academy Fight Song,' and 'This Is Not A Photograph' -- each vigorous and relevant. But the majority of the songs fell from this past decade and particular attention was paid to Burma's fall release, 'The Sound the Speed the Light.'

Since Mission of Burma reunited at this same club in January 2002, the quartet -- guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley, drummer Peter Prescott, and behind-the-scenes sonic manipulator Bob Weston of Shellac fame -- have created as many songs as during their original rise to underground and critical glory. That original early '80s output comprised of one album and one EP and has now been matched by three full-lengths, albeit with some bleed-through.

On Saturday night, an old Taang! Records-era number 'Hunt Again,' which was revived for 2004's comeback set, 'OnOffOn,' bridged the 20-year gap between records, while new angular anthems like the dervish-paced, catchy '1-2-3-Party!' and '2wice,' a lovely song from a band that's never traded in cute, eradicated time altogether. Both new and old numbers merged to form a dense wall of pert, prickly art punk etched with dramatic prog-y arrangements, be-bop time signature shifts, psychedelic guitar wailing and intellectualized chaos.

Finishing off with a weighty 'Donna Sumeria,' where pseudo soul vocal harmonies underpinned a torrent of riffs, as well as a bristling 'That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate,' Burma wasn't taking the easy route and going for the populist jugular. No need to rely on the old 'Revolver' when they're armed with plenty of new ammo.

Mission of Burma has several more tour dates lined up for January and February, including two nights in New York City at the end of this month.