by Kate Hoos | Oct 22, 2021
Venus Twins at The Broadway 10/19/21 (photo by Kate Hoos)
Venus Twins (yes the name is literal, they are in fact identical twins, Jake and Matt Derting, drummer and bassist respectively) are a band I discovered near the end of 2019 when I was working sound for one of their gigs at Cobra Club. I had been totally unfamiliar with them at the start of the night but became a firm fan by the end of my shift. A two piece bass and drums noise band that sounds like Death From Above 1979 and Hella had a baby?! SIGN ME RIGHT UP! Soon after that, I had the good fortune to play a few shows with them in the band I was in at the time, right before the world shut down. In the ensuing months of the Covid landscape, the band returned to their home state of Texas (Denton to be exact) so I wasn’t sure if or when I’d be seeing them again.
Flash forward to the waning days of 2021 and I was STOKED to see that they had announced they’d be on tour and coming back through Brooklyn. As if that wasn’t enough, I saw BoscoMujo was also on the bill (who I also discovered through working at Cobra Club) so I was completely sold and made sure I had the night off work. BoscoMujo is a complete all out frenzy on stage. Picture Sabbath meets noise meets punk and you’ll have a good idea of what one of their shows is like. It was so good to see these guys in action again and they did not disappoint. Venus Twins absolutely shredded and I was so happy to see them again as well as to hear the new stuff they are working on for their upcoming full length. After the show Matt gave me some details on it and what to expect:
We wanted to keep a non-traditional song writing form (like our first record) where nothing really repeats for most part when we started writing, but somewhere along the way we started stretching everything slowly. We wrote this entirely off of jams we did, and if we tripped the [fuck] out while jamming we made that the part! But we really got into reading during quarantine, and started doing lyrics together and just came up with lots of weird shit that had to do with different stories of our past or BS we’ve had to go through together. The lyric writing is pretty personal and close to us both.
I loved their 2020 release Eat Your Dogs and had been already very much anticipating what they have coming next. And now after this show and my conversation with Matt, I am doubly so and can’t wait to hear the album.
As for the rest of the show, rounding out the bill were openers Threesome, a darkwave synth group that sounded like they had just stepped out of a video game in 1984 (I mean in that in a good way) and high concept art rock noise band Bug Fight who closed the show. They had the dual distinction of being the first noise band I’ve ever seen with a banjo (with a pedal board bigger than my guitar own setup) and the first band I’ve seen hold an insect birth on stage as part of their show. I unfortunately couldn’t stay for all of their set but did enjoy what I heard, the distinct tones of a banjo running through a lot of effects is definitely something I can dig and would like to hear more of.
I’m for sure glad I decided to skip work for this one. Once a punk kid always trying to get to the good shows, always a punk kid trying to get to the good shows no matter what.
Scroll down to see pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
THREESOME
BOSCOMUJO
VENUS TWINS
BUG FIGHT
by Kate Hoos | Oct 20, 2021
IDLES at Terminal 5, Saturday 10/16/21 (photo by Kate Hoos)
What is better than seeing IDLES deliver an insane set at a packed venue? Getting to do it two nights in a row of course! After the show on Friday night, I was on such a high and would have been satisfied with just that, but I definitely was not going to say no to seeing/shooting them again the next night. It’s a special band that floors you with a performance and doesn’t make you feel like “oh I saw that already, I can wait til next tour to do it again.” Not only was that the case for IDLES, but also openers Gustaf, who I had stuck in my head all the next day as I was shooting a private event, anxious to get back to the gig to see them again. I can say I was just as hyped when I walked into the venue on Night Two as I was on Night One. (See pics/write up from Night One here)
Both bands again absolutely dominated in their sets, not even showing the slightest bit of fatigue from having done it just 24 hours earlier. The crowd was again in fairly early so many people got to see and experience Gustaf (presumably) for the first time and if the line at their merch table after the show was any indication, they absolutely made a slew of new fans. When IDLES took to the stage, the crowd was already buzzing excitedly and as the opening bass chords of “Colossus” hit, things began to build in increasing intensity until the break in the song. As the “ONE! TWO!” was yelled and the fast portion of it set in, the energy in the room just absolutely shattered and exploded into a brilliant burst of jubilation that did not abate the entire time the band was on stage.
They kept the setlist close to what they played the first night, though re-arranged the order slightly and omitted “Danke.” And for those lucky enough to be there on Saturday, in addition to getting a taste of new single “The Beachland Ballroom,” and the song they debuted live the night before, “Car Crash,” fans also got to hear “The Wheel,” another as-of-yet unreleased song from the upcoming album, Crawler (due out 11/12). “Car Crash” has a definite hip hop flair to it while “The Wheel” has a lot of that early IDLES feel to it, the pounding presence of drummer Jon Beavis and bassist Adam “Dev” Devonshire on full display (AKA one of the best rhythm sections in the game, period).
Listen to the new songs below:
I often wax on and on about DIY in this blog a lot and how important it is to me, as regular readers are well aware. IDLES are for sure well beyond that stage of things, but they did indeed emerge from this world in the UK. I unfortunately was unaware of them until 2018 so I completely missed that stage of their career including some of their earlier smaller shows in NYC which were in 200 cap rooms. (Our webmistress, Jenifun, lives in the UK and was very lucky to have experienced much more of the early shows in and around Bristol.) And yet even with the band now regularly selling out larger venues in major markets, including back to back nights at Terminal 5 (which is a 2800 cap venue so hardly small or intimate), they make you FEEL like you are in a small and intimate setting. If you just read things based on the energy in the room and the very tangible mutual love from artist to audience, you could close your eyes and be fooled into thinking you are in a 100 cap room or even someone’s basement for a true DIY show experience.
That really is such a rare feat for a band to be able to play on bigger stages, yet still engage so strongly with their fans as they move up through the industry. It always means a lot to me as a fan and as someone so deeply invested in DIY/punk/independent rock culture (whatever words you want to ascribe to it really) to see bands still trying and making these connections a part of their regular practices. It can’t be easy as you are playing to bigger and bigger crowds — which of course comes with bigger and bigger expectations — but it can be felt and seen by those who know what to look for.
So yes, IDLES may be playing huge shows now, but it is crystal clear they haven’t turned their back on their roots and care very deeply about the people who come to see them play. They again invited a fan up to sing on “I’m Scum,” and while this fan didn’t nail every lyric like the person on night one did, it was no matter, singer Joe Talbot jumped in to help and the enthusiasm was for sure felt. Talbot again thanked the fans (this is something he does multiple times per show in my experience and it really feels genuine and not at all like lip service) and said that being in New York felt like home, continuing “We dance like idiots because it makes us feel free and beautiful” and thanked the fans for allowing them to have that, “This is the best job in the world. I feel like a prick calling it a job to be honest.”
IDLES at Terminal 5
In keeping with their closing tradition, they finished the night again with “Rottweiler,” Talbot saying “THIS IS AN ANTI FASCIST SONG!” as the members of Gustaf came back to the stage and an all out frenzy ensued. Strobes flashed, instruments pounded, fans screamed, and the roof almost seemed like it would shoot right off the building, barely able to contain the beautiful mayhem below it. I didn’t just want to be at these shows because I love seeing/shooting live bands and love the particular bands that were playing these shows, which I surely do. No, after a tough year and a half for us all and a hard month for me on a personal level, I needed these shows for my soul. Thank you IDLES and Gustaf for that healing salve to my heart.
See photos from Night One
Scroll down to see pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
Setlist:
Colossus
Car Crash
Mr. Motivator
Grounds
Mother
Beachland Ballroom
Never Fight A Man With Perm
Anxiety
Samaritans
Divide & Conquer
War
1049 Gotho
The Wheel
I’m Scum
Reigns
Love Song
Danny Nedelko
Rottweiler (with Gustaf)
GUSTAF
IDLES
by Kate Hoos | Oct 19, 2021
IDLES at Terminal 5 10/15/21 (photo by Kate Hoos)
IDLES truly are one of the most explosive live bands currently touring today; anyone who has experienced one of their shows knows this. The first time I saw them in 2019 (I admit I was a little late to the game with them, so missed their earlier NYC shows, but caught up quickly. See pics I shot for Brooklyn Vegan at the time) I was knocked right off my axis, I had never seen anything like them before and I’ve seen A LOT of shows in my life. It really took me months to get over what I had seen and experienced that night (I mean that in the best way possible) and I immediately knew this was a band I was never going to miss a New York show of ever again.
So when they announced they were coming back to the US for a fall tour earlier this year, I was cautiously optimistic but didn’t get my hopes too far up in case a sudden uptick in Covid cases thwarted things or some other issue would cause snags in them getting here. Right up until their first show of the tour I kept checking social media for any bad news of a cancellation which fortunately never came. It was with great excitement I made my way to Terminal 5 on Friday 10/15 for the first of two nights they’d be in New York with hometown greats, Gustaf.
And speaking of Gustaf, what a truly compelling and innovative band they are. I love their low brow, high concept take on post punk and was thrilled to see them on such a big stage. They’ve worked relentlessly on their live show the last few years and all that work has paid off as they absolutely made a seamless transition from the smaller/DIY setting to being a presence on a larger stage. I caught an early show in 2018 and I admit at first I was confused as to what was happening because there’s a lot going on — it’s not every day you see a band with a coffee can and a rubber chicken as part of it’s instrumentation after all — but I quickly settled in for the ride and fell in love with their weirdly wonderful brand of art punk.
Having just released their much awaited debut album, Audio Drag for Ego Slobs, they played a good portion of the album, which I absolutely loved. But even more so, I loved seeing/hearing those songs in the live setting. I think this is their greatest strength, as a live band, because their live show not only showcases them as rock solid musicians, but as natural performers. Being the opening band is a lot harder than people give credit for, you have to really bring it and bring it hard to warm up a crowd that you know isn’t necessarily there to see you and may not even be paying attention to you. Having been in the opening band many times myself, I know this is not an easy role in general and then when you add in opening for a band like IDLES… it becomes even more of a hurdle. But Gustaf effortlessly rose to that challenge and immediately won the crowd over, taking command of the stage and wowing the audience. Out of all the other bands I’ve seen open for IDLES before, Gustaf was hands down the best of the bunch.
Gustaf at Terminal 5
They have a distinct sound of course, peppered by dual vocals (one of which is heavily distorted to sound comically deep) and are held together by a locked in rhythm section, but they also bring a wonderful playfulness to things, all of which adds up to their own brand of rock n roll weirdness on stage and off. Forceful yet controlled, driving with a measured intensity which they push out and pull back on on a dime. I can’t think of another band doing what they are doing right now and I am again, so happy to see one of Brooklyn’s own taking it as far as they have already. They are sure to keep that trajectory going as they make more and more fans along the route of this tour.
By the time IDLES came to the stage, the anticipation was thick in the room. Thanks to Covid, it had been two years (almost to the day) since their last show in New York (also at Terminal 5, which I shot for Brooklyn Vegan), and the band had not been able to tour here (or much at all even in the UK) in support of 2020’s superb Ultra Mono. Even with Terminal 5 (in)famously not really being a favorite place to see a show among rock fans, it was obvious the fans were hungry for IDLES and they didn’t care what venue it was in as long as they got to be there for it. As the opening bass chords of “Colossus” thundered throughout the room, the intensity crackled in the air and it set the stage for the next 90minutes of raw fucking power.
Singer Joe Talbot brings a dominating presence to the stage, his voice booming and snarling at the helm of the ship while the impenetrable fortress of a rhythm section — bassist Adam “Dev” Devonshire and powerhouse drummer Jon Beavis — anchor the whole thing (seriously name a tighter rhythm section in the game today, I’ll wait). Guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan bring a dual high end assault to things, flitting around wildly, floating on top of it all, throwing themselves and their guitars seemingly everywhere at once, all while never missing a note. For song after song after song after song, the band never let up, they never seemed to get tired or show any sign of fatigue.
Clearly time away from the road hasn’t slowed them down a bit and you could tell they were just as hyped to be in New York as the fans were to have them here. Lead guitarist Bowen told me after the show that New York is “the best place to play” and that the band loves being here (we also talked about teeth and his past career as a dentist, which thank you sir for indulging my nerdiness in that way!). That love was palpable every moment the band was on stage — or in/on top of the crowd as was the case for Bowen and rhythm guitarist Kiernan who both spent considerable time in the audience; Kiernan getting there by the second song of the set and diving back several more times. The audience returned the love by shouting along to every song and holding up Bowen and Kiernan (and every other of the dozens of crowd surfers), everyone, band member and audience member alike, converging to bring the room to a fever pitch.
IDLES at Terminal 5
The set absolutely was a nod to the fans, and appreciation for the fans was something Talbot mentioned several times throughout the night, thanking everyone for being there with them and allowing them to be vulnerable on stage. He also said again (I’ve heard him say this at past shows) that the band could not do what it does or be in the place they are without the fans holding them up. It was obvious they put together this set as a thank you for that.
They ripped through many crowd favorites from the first two albums, Brutalism and Joy As An Act of Resistance, highlights being “Mother,” “Never Fight A Man With A Perm,” “1049 Gotho,” “Danny Nedelko,” and “I’m Scum” which also saw them inviting a fan up to sing lead on (said fan nailed every single word of it too). They hit a healthy dose of songs from Ultra Mono as well and included their brand new single from their upcoming fourth album, Crawler, the soul inspired “The Beachland Ballroom,” as well as an as-of-yet unreleased new song “Car Crash,” which had a heavy hip hop vibe to it. I loved the flow of what they played and my only real complaint is that I’d have loved to have heard another ten songs at least, but alas venue curfews and a finite energy level of a live band are real, so maybe next time I’ll get to hear some of what I was hoping for that didn’t get played.
IDLES at Terminal 5
This show was everything I had thought about when we were in the worst of the throws of the Covid lockdowns and couldn’t go anywhere, couldn’t see live music like this, and didn’t know if or when we’d be back to doing things like this. The visceral energy of a band firing on all cylinders and a crowd raging for them is something that can’t be replicated by watching videos (though yes, that is at least somewhat of a nice substitute when you’re not able to actually be there). The drive for me too as a photographer running and diving to get the shots I want, there’s no other feeling like being fully “in it,” with a band; it’s everything I love and want from life. There really are very few live bands I love photographing as much as IDLES because they make me work for those shots; I love every single moment of it, every instant I am “in it.” Because that’s the only way to experience an IDLES show really, to be “in it,” fully immersed in things from start to finish. I got all of that and more at this show, and left a sweaty happy mess, ready to do it all over again the next night.
Stay tuned for pics and set list from night two coming soon.
Scroll down to see pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
Setlist:
Colossus
Car Crash
Mr. Motivator
Grounds
Mother
Anxiety
Samaritans
Divide & Conquer
War
Danny Nedelko
1049 Gotho
I’m Scum
Reigns
Love Song
Danke
Beachland Ballroom
Never Fight A Man With A Perm
Rottweiler (with Gustaf)
GUSTAF
IDLES
by Kate Hoos | Oct 8, 2021
Activity at Mercury Lounge (photo by Kate Hoos)
Like a wonderful mid-week oasis, I stepped into the Mercury Lounge on Wednesday 10/6 for a much needed respite from the chaos of life which somehow only seeing a live band with a camera in my hands can make right for me. On the bill were no wave art punks, Parlor Walls, and experimental indie rockers, Activity, neither of whom I had actually seen before, but both of whom I was highly anticipating and looking forward to.
I had been a fan of singer/guitarist Alyse Lamb’s earlier project, Eula, for some time but had yet to see Parlor Walls play because life somehow always got in the way (working nights will do that for you). I was very happy to break the missing streak and finally get to see them because Lamb is a powerhouse performer. She never stays still and translates the emotion of the songs into the movements of her body and in the way she plays guitar which is anything but “traditional.” Her guitar style is experimental through and through, and is perfectly augmented with drummer Chris Mulligan who adds not just percussion but also synths. All of these elements meld for compelling discordant and atmospheric dips into noise and controlled chaos, their no wave influences serving them well and their self descriptor of “trash jazz” a very apt one. They are a two piece but for this show added live bassist, Andy Kinsey, who brought a nice depth to the sound.
Their latest release Heavy Tongue came out in 2020 just prior to the pandemic and catches this range of musical feels. I have enjoyed it a lot, and now that I have seen them, I think an even better way to experience those songs is to see them performed live so I absolutely will be making it a priority to get out to more of their shows.
Parlor Walls at Mercury Lounge
Fresh off the release of their new single “Text the Dead,” Activity headlined the evening, which also served as a belated release event for their 2020 album, Unmask Whoever. The show was additionally a tour kickoff for a two week run they will be embarking on (with touring bassist, Bri DiGioia, filling in for regular bassist Zoë Browne on this run) and was their first show back since all hell broke loose with Covid, unfortunately right around the time they released their record last year (a story that happened to far too many great records by great bands).
According to their Bandcamp: Activity are an avant four-piece featuring Travis Johnson, and drummer Steve Levine, both from the band Grooms, bassist Zoë Browne from Field Mouse and guitarist Jess Rees from Russian Baths. Produced by engineer Jeff Berner of Psychic TV, their debut forms a casually menacing framework for lyrical themes of paranoia, exposed character flaws, and the broader human capacity for growth when an ugly truth is laid bare.
Activity at Mercury Lounge
Their music is very much in the indie range though with a definite and prominent experimental edge. The songs range from quiet, more serene finger picked passages and/or synth explorations, to louder more forceful turns with heavier guitar work and booming drums for straight ahead rock outs. But no matter the feel, everything was approached with a cool headed control, never reaching the point of frenzy or disarray. As someone who is used to being at a lot of punk shows and who listens to a fair amount of what amounts to musical pandemonium that very much does tip over the edge before it can pull itself back, Activity’s music is a change for me in terms of my norm, but absolutely a welcome one. I was impressed by this dynamic and their ability to be intense without ever spiraling away into unruliness.
I always love watching great drummers play and locking in with them and Activity’s set was a real treat for me in that regard. Levine’s drumming was of particular interest to me and I really loved his sensibilities, which had a firm rock undertone but for sure touched on a jazz feel, every fill a calculated addition rather than just something to insert at a more dramatic turn of the music.
Coming from mostly punk shows (in terms of watching tons of bands and playing in punk bands for years), it is very nice to take a look into a different way of making music, a place were complex and layered things are going on and it’s not just shouting over three chords (though there is certainly nothing wrong with that either!). Both of these bands have their own distinct sounds, but what I loved from each is that there is space for each instrument and feel to operate independently of each other to then weave back around together, creating a lush tapestry of sounds. I am going to need to explore this path more because I had a wonderful time watching these bands and studying the significant depth they had to offer.
Scroll down for more pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
PARLOR WALLS
ACTIVITY
by Kate Hoos | Oct 5, 2021
Frida Kill at Putnam Palace 10/2/21 (photo by Kate Hoos)
I talk a lot in this blog about how much DIY means to me and that I will never walk away from it no matter what else happens in my life or the world; that is a 100% true statement that I fully stand behind. Through my work as a “venue grouch” and as a photographer, I get to be at shows in pretty decent sized venues regularly and I do love it, I really do and am always grateful to be able to shoot/work in those environments. I have also been fortunate in my time to play a few really nice bigger places too. But while all of that is cool and for sure definitely validating in it’s own way, there is nothing like being in a DIY spot- a basement, a warehouse, a backyard- and surrounding yourself with that energy.
Given a lot of the pressure in New York City in general with people being on top of each other all the time, plus the ever tightening grip of gentrification, PLUS fallout from the Ghost Ship fire in 2016 causing more scrutiny by authorities, PLUS a global pandemic, A LOT has challenged the survival of DIY spots in New York in recent years. To be clear, I don’t mean the spirit of DIY or the culture itself because despite those things and other issues, it still finds ways to survive and adapt, it always does.
Fortunately there is a steady dive bar ecosystem here too that helps sustain us when actual DIY spaces can not and that has proven to be a godsend too. But despite every other challenge mentioned above (and many more), DIY spaces do still crop up that can last for varying lengths of time. Right now, as the pandemic is still here but life has returned to a new normal, there has appeared to be a unique period of more goodwill by neighbors and less enforcement by the NYPD which has loosened the stranglehold around DIY events a bit so more folks are taking advantage of that and DIY spots are becoming a viable thing again here. (For the moment at least, I sadly can’t trust that it will last long term so I’ll take whatever I can get now.)
One of those spots is Putnam Palace, a backyard space run by friends who are all involved in DIY either through being in bands or through other creative ventures closely aligned to the music scene. I’ve been to a few shows there in the past and this was their first show after a little bit of a break from the dog days of summer, and dare I say, one of the very first “hoodie weather” shows of the season. It was also an early Halloween party as well as a birthday celebration for Michelle LoBianco, a Brooklyn photographer and one of the hosts of the Putnam Palace shows. And as it turned out, several other people attending as well. Libra season was in full effect at this show!
Putnam Palace
First up, shadow monster started us out and got the party started in this spooky DIY oasis, hitting the stage with the best eye makeup of the day. I don’t know about anyone else, but I really found their signature brand of grunge angst perfect for the start of fall hoodie weather and the spooky season because all the dissonance of the guitar and mournful longing of the lyrics fit in so well with the cooling weather. I was also very happy to hear them debut a brand new song “Long Distance Runner.” This was apparently also their last full band show for a bit, so it appears the upcoming show on 10/19 (at Our Wicked Lady with Castle Black, Nuclear Family Fantasy, and Vangelism) will be a solo set from singer/guitarist Gillian Visco. Solo or not though, it is sure to be a powerhouse performance (one I will be sad to miss as I am committed to another event already that night).
shadow monster at Putnam Palace
Gal Fieri probably has gotten some of the most coverage in FTA lately because they have been playing out a lot as a brand new band. And as luck would have it, my schedule has unwittingly aligned with theirs and I’ve been able to be at their shows a lot. They were up second for this show and it was probably better they played earlier in the event since they were defintely the loudest band, especially when the distorted and huge riffs would kick in and blast out of the 4×10 bass cabinet; they surely had to be shaking the neighbor’s walls. I have mentioned before that I have bugged them about recording a few times now and this time I took matters into my own hands and made a voice recording of their set so I can at least have something to hold me over. I joked to them and said “I secretly bootlegged your set and now I’m telling you to your face” and also informed them I’d be putting the files on Limewire (ha!) so be on the lookout for those (again, ha!). They have several more shows left this month (check their Instagram linked above for details) and told me they plan to slow down a bit in November to work on more songs which is exciting news.
Gal Fieri at Putnam Palace
Frida Kill are another band I’ve seen play (or played with) a lot since shows have come back and I always have a great time at their shows. They took to the stage with the best costumes of the day (see pics below) and blasted through a set of their fun bouncy motorik garage tunes. And while I was a little bummed they didn’t play one of my favorites “Mujeres Con Mangos,” that was quickly soothed by the end of their set when they ripped into a cover of the Beastie Boys classic “Fight For Your Right” which featured rhythm guitarist Jeanette Moses (and FTA contributor) on lead vocals (after her other turn on the mic for “Dancing With My Demons”). The crowd cheered and sang along particularly to the most famous of the lyrics (about porno mags, obviously) and it was such a fun way to end the set. I admittedly am a little indifferent to Halloween (a pumpkin t shirt is the max level of effort I put in every year), but one thing I do really love about this season is all the rad covers/cover bands that happen so this was an awesome treat for me even if it was only one song (hint hint, do a full Beastie Boys set please).
Frida Kill at Putnam Palace
The last time I saw Nevva play had been exactly one year to the day prior to this show. In the throws of the pandemic while live music was still very much thwarted and limited in the ways we could experience it, I saw them play an acoustic set on the sidewalk outside of OWL (there’s that DIY spirit for you again finding ways to survive). Sure that had been a fun way to see them, but really the best way to experience them is plugged in, “live and loud,” for the full level of their snark to really sink in. I had really missed them and was so glad to end the dry spell.
Their set was infectious and energetic, with some new songs in the mix along with most of the material from their stellar 2020 EP, Fer Sher. They also got into the covers game and wrapped things up with their rendition of “Dammit” by Blink 182 (which they sent out to Mark Hoppus who recently announced he is now cancer free). I may be grouchy and not really love pop punk, but even I couldn’t help but sing along to the “I guess this is growing up” line (the song and the album, Dude Ranch, came out in 1997 when I was still in high school so I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for it).
Nevva at Putnam Palace
And while we’re on the subject of Nevva, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that they put out one of my favorite songs of the last five years, their ridiculous (and ridiculously accurate) sneer fest “Boyfriend’s Band,” and I took great delight in yelling along “NO ONE GIVES A FUCK ABOUT YOUR BOYFRIEND’S BAND” as the song hit it’s crescendo. I also was equally delighted when they sent out their particularly sassy ode to (aka making playful fun of) sober vegans, “Sober Vegan” to me (full disclosure, yes I’m sober, but alas only a dairy free pescatarian at the moment. Maybe I’ll get back on track now after this though) because I certainly love a sarcastic song and poking fun lovingly at myself (once again, ha!).
“Boyfriend’s Band” official video
Was this a punk show in a backyard? Sure was and a damn good one at that. But above all, it had that special thing too that DIY events have in spades- a bond amongst friends and a chosen misfit family. Big shows are great, but they don’t have that feeling and how could they really? It is exactly that feeling of belonging and togetherness why I’m now a middle aged punk and still keep coming to these DIY shows after all these years, long after many other friends I’ve had along the way have “aged out” of it and moved on to other things. I’m glad that has worked fore them but it never could for me. I really feel there is no end in sight for me with engaging with this culture, and not a chance in hell of me even wanting there to be an end in sight either.
Scroll down to see pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
shadow monster
GAL FIERI
FRIDA KILL
NEVVA
