Pastiche

Pastiche was the brainchild of one Curtis Naihersey (aka “Mr. Curt”), a guitarist and songwriter who put the first version of his band together around 1976. Beloved on the Boston rock scene, Pastiche existed in a variety of lineups but coalesced into its most memorable one when frontman Ken Scales, with his shaved head and quirky onstage mannerisms, appeared on the B-side of a Mr. Curt single called “I’m Going Blind.” That ode to puberty became a local hit and Pastiche grew into its tight, five-piece performing unit.

In the summer of 1980, within a year of forming, that lineup performed at the second annual WBCN Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble, getting all the way to the finals. In the last night of competition, Pastiche bested the trio France in a battle widely reported in local headlines as a “new wave vs. heavy metal showdown.” Now crowned as victors of the local scene, the band’s profile rose considerably and Pastiche began performing up and down the East Coast. In 1981, using money and studio time won at the Rumble, they recorded the reggae-flavored single “Lock it Up,” which became one of the defining regional hits of the era. Some of their other songs were included on compilations.

With the single “Psycho Blonde,” Pastiche returned to straight-ahead rock and the tune saw solid airplay in and around Boston. Everything seemed on target for the group to find broader success with a larger audience, but in early 1982 they debuted a new seven-piece lineup which quickly fragmented. in April of that year, the highly-creative and promising young band played its last show. Vocalist Scales and bassist Brad Hallen assembled Adventure Set with other musicians and Pastiche was history – but a good history, nonetheless.

(by Carter Alan)

Carter Alan is a former WBCN deejay now heard on WZLX-FM in Boston. He’s the author of Radio Free Boston: The Rise and Fall of WBCN (University Press of New England, 2013).