by Kate Hoos | Sep 1, 2021
Jawbreaker at Starland Ballroom, 3/30/19 (photo by Kate Hoos)
I have a considerable archive of images of live shows that have for one reason or another never been published before, so I have decided to start sharing some of those because why let them just sit on a hard drive or in a box of 35mm negatives? I will share photo sets as I have time and as I sort through things (as some of the older parts of my archive are very disorganized) and write up any details I may remember from the particular show. Stay tuned for more…
For this first throwback, I wanted to share my images of Jawbreaker from March 30th 2019. I shot two shows back then, one of which was published in Dying Scene, the other didn’t have a home (which I don’t remember why now), so they’ve kind of just been hiding out orphaned on my external hard drive for two and a half years. I always felt this was the stronger of the two sets, and did include a few of the images in a print show I did in 2019, but this is the first time the whole set is being published.
This was the last show of that particular tour and just my second time seeing Jawbreaker and Pohgoh, the first having been just a week before, though I’d seen War On Women several times prior. I am just a shade too young to have seen Jawbreaker in their first run and to quote myself from my recent International Lefthanders Day post:
I don’t have a cool story about how I got into Jawbreaker, I found them on MTV, that’s it. Not going to lie and say I magically saw them at Gilman in 92 when visiting a fake older cousin who snuck me in or anything, it was definitely on MTV. And while I never got to see them play during their first run and was aware of them for about five minutes before they broke up, I did discover them in the 90s at least. Back then, my world was smaller since I was a kid who didn’t have internet access (the web was also a much smaller place at that time anyway and there was no digital social media), and I had a limited amount of places I could go in the early to mid 90s; I couldn’t go to shows (and didn’t really know where any where happening anyway) but I did have a portal into the world and that was through music magazines and late night MTV.
It was watching 120 Minutes one night late in 1995 that I came across Jawbreaker and seeing a lefty guitarist on screen definitely made me perk up. I ended up really enjoying the song and wrote down the name of the band, song, and album as one did in those days. I had never heard anything quite like them at the time so I saved up my extra lunch money and made my way to a cd store (probably in the mall) and bought a copy of ‘Dear You’. I immediately loved the album and became obsessed with it for several years to come. I had no idea til much later that there was any drama surrounding the band or the album or them signing to DGC or opening for Nirvana, none of it really. I just knew I had a cool cd by a mysterious (at least they were to me) and awesome sounding band that none of my friends knew about that ended up breaking up not long after I got the album. I used to write a little piece about them in every issue of my high school zine too; I was in deep for a few years there!
Over the years I did get to see Blake play in both Jets To Brazil (need to dig out those 35mm negatives) and forgetters, but nothing was really going to do it for me until I saw Jawbreaker. I really never thought I’d get that chance until all of a sudden they re-united in 2017 and 2018. Those tickets sold out in a flash and I was really bummed to miss out, but figured I’d eventually get to a show at some point, I was definitely not ready to lose hope. And it worked out because a year later I did get to see them and I was able to much more easily get tickets. Honestly looking back now too, I’m glad I missed the insane rush for the initial shows because it was a lot less crowded and intense so more enjoyable overall because I could fully engage with the songs in my own way. I was able to see them twice on that 2019 tour and shot both shows which was an absolute dream come true for me as a fan and as a photographer. It has been unclear ever since if they will write and record new music, but here’s hoping that they do.
This really was a dream come true as Jawbreaker was, and still is, such a crucial band to me. I learned so much about playing drums by playing along to their songs and just trying my best to mimic what I was hearing. I spent so many hours listening to them and memorizing lyrics and wishing I could go see them, but never thought I’d have the chance. To finally have it happen at 38 was sure a long wait, but better late than never and totally alright by me. Nothing can compare to seeing a band you’ve loved for so long live and it was everything I’d hoped for and expected.
I used to stare at the pictures in their records wishing I could have taken some of those pics, so it was really important and special to me to get to make my own images of them finally; those earlier images were part of what inspired me to pick up a camera in the first place. To get to do/experience all of this and also have it paired with Pohgoh, another indie/emo band that I had been marginally aware of in the same era of the late 90s (via the Deep Elm Records Emo Diaries comp series) but never got to see, and the spitfire hardcore of War On Women, one of my favorite bands, just made it even more incredible of a time.
Scroll down for more pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
POHGOH
WAR ON WOMEN
JAWBREAKER
ETC
by Kate Hoos | Aug 31, 2021
Ali of Control Top on the Williamsburg Bridge (photo by Kate Hoos)
I love seeing music any time, any place, and I will never not love going to DIY events. I very much stand by these statements and put them to the true test as I walked up the pedestrian ramp of the Williamsburg Bridge at 4:30am this past Sunday 8/29. This was a show that absolutely takes the cake in earning the title “DIY as fuck,” and was in one of the most interesting locations I’ve ever seen a show. It was booked by Jordan Michael Iannucci, who has been doing a regular series of outdoor shows in Joseph F. Mafera Park, as well as a few of these pop up style shows in various locations.
Before the show a lot of helpful info was posted, and there was a meetup about an hour prior at a bar near the bridge where a guide would meet folks to lead them to the event (I opted to skip this and just got to the site on my own). I really love the bands playing so wanted to go anyway and also I was just supremely intrigued at how a show was going to go down in the middle of a fucking bridge that early in the morning. Was it going to be acoustic? Amplied with drums? I knew I would very much regret not going so I made sure I was there, regardless of time or level of exhaustion.
The bridge is a little spooky at night.
I was in fact pretty exhausted as I’d just come from spending the day in Rockaway Beach where I saw two other shows (see pics here) and I probably should have napped before going to this one but I stubbornly refused. While that definitely would have helped me feel physically more comfortable, I had a great time regardless, even if my knees were killing me by the end and I was a little loopy with tiredness. It had been quite some time since I’d walked across the bridge so that was fun too, the adventure of getting there, “there,” being the exact middle of the bridge where the crossover between the pedestrian and bike paths meet.
As I walked up, a group of about twenty or so people had already gathered as minimal political post punks Privacy Issues were getting set up and more people joined as the time got closer to start. They were one of the very last bands I saw about a week before NYC shut down when they played at Union Pool, also with Control Top (I covered that night for Brooklyn Vegan), and I really love that their first show back was on the bridge at five in the morning. Turns out this show was fully amplified with drums and a PA, and was powered by a very small and quiet generator (I would love to get one of these myself in fact), so it was full on show essentially floating above the middle of the East River. At 5:02am they began their set and played much of the material from their self titled 2020 EP. They were due to tour behind the release when the pandemic hit so they unfortunately never got to do that. While one show can’t take the place of a tour, or make up for everything being on hold for a year and a half, this really is one hell of a way to come back to playing again.
Between sets Mandy Brownholtz did a reading from her novel, Rotten, which is about surviving sexual assault in the D.C. DIY scene.
Ali from Control Top played next and did a set of re-interpreted songs from her band, slowed down new wavey synth versions of a handful of songs from their catalog. While I would have loved to have seen the whole band giving one of their explosive performances on the bridge, this was a really interesting and unexpected treat to get to hear these songs I know so well in a radically different way. My favorite was the reworking of “Covert Contracts,” (the original version is also my favorite from their 2020 album also called Covert Contracts) which went from fiery with an intense urgency on the record, to a more contemplative, introspective slowcore jam. She said this was likely to be the only time the songs would be performed this way so I’m really glad that I made it out for this.
Steven happened to be biking by and saw the show so stopped to watch. He is a poet and asked if he could read a poem which he did after Control Top’s set.
The sun rose during Control Top’s set and by time she was done and Steven had given his reading, it was 6:22am. The attendees hung back chatting and catching up with friends for a little bit before one by one starting to shuffle home, myself in a half zombie state and ready to finally get in bed. DIY spaces and events have been in a real chokehold the last several years as gentrification continues to tighten its grip around our cities. Venues and DIY spaces have closed in droves not even related to the pandemic, and yet the culture still survives. No matter what life throws at it, DIY culture does always find ways to survive and thrive so I knew the pandemic would not affect things as drastically as some others feared.
As things have started turning the corner, this has been one of the few good aspects of all of this, seeing the ways people are taking advantage of a time of lower enforcement by the NYPD and more good will from neighbors who have been starved for music and culture too. I have loved seeing shows on rooftops and in backyards, on front stoops and out in the middle of the sidewalk on a slow day in commercial areas. This is a prime example that when life hands you lemons, you make some damn lemonade. Sure shows in venues are harder right now, but there is always another way, even if that way is on a bridge at the crack of dawn.
Scroll down for more pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
PRIVACY ISSUES
CONTROL TOP
by Kate Hoos | Aug 30, 2021
TVOD at Rippers (photo by Kate Hoos)
I’m not one to really ever go to the beach…the sand, the heat, all the rigamarole with getting there…it’s just not for me (many have tried to convince me to change my ways over the years, but trust me, I’m a grouch at the beach, you don’t want me there!). I do have one exception however, and that is good bands playing at the beach; throw that into the equation and I’m there. Such was the case Saturday 8/28 when I found myself with an entirely free day after the event I was supposed to work was canceled. I poked around for what was going on and learned that there was not one, but two shows I wanted to see on or near the waterfront in Rockaway Beach. A lot of friends were on both, as well as some bands I’d been wanting to see but hadn’t yet, and some I’d not yet heard of. Fortunately the nasty heatwave that had been enveloping NYC broke during the night preceding and when I awoke on Saturday it was cool and overcast. I don’t know about anyone else, but in my opinion, a cool hoodie weather day is the only way to go to the beach.
Flyer for the first event, which took place at Rockaway Brewing Company, a large and open space to see bands, eat, drink, play pool or perhaps buy a record.
I haven’t had a two show day in a while (this was actually a three show day, stay tuned for the third show in a separate post), and it was a doozy packed full of great artists. The first show started in the early afternoon and was organized by Jamie Frey of No Ice as part of No Cover New York. He did an excellent job curating a killer lineup and I thanked him later for also including women in almost every act (one band was all men), and he said that he had “just booked who I wanted to see.” This is also my approach to booking, I book who I love and want to hear, but really it’s an example of how supremely easy it is to make bills that are not all white cis men and that the excuses I often hear about there “not being enough women in bands,” are totally bogus; the people making them are just lazy. It’s so easy in fact, you really don’t even have to make an effort if you just open your eyes to all the talent around you. Either way, I very much appreciated it and I wish more men would step it up in this regard.
The second show served as a single release/tour kickoff event for members of TVOD who will soon be embarking on tour with another project. My only wish is that I had been able to see all of the bands that played both shows. I was particularly bummed with having to miss Shilpa Ray (who we recently featured) and No Ice, but the two shows overlapped, so I saw as many bands on the first event as I could before scooting over to the second show for a total of eight bands for the day. That’s a lot of bands so I decided to combine everything into one post; I’m not going to write a ton about each one, just a little mention, and share the pictures I took. I urge everyone to check out all of these artists though, because I enjoyed all of them and they are all doing interesting and unique stuff. This was for sure my idea of a killer day at the beach!
Flyer for show two, which took place at Rippers, a fun burger bar right on the water.
The day started with Lily Gist of Frida Kill playing a solo set which encompassed some experimental compositions and Frida Kill songs that she sings lead on when they play as a full band. The performance was also punctuated with voice over from Joe Rogan’s podcast that Gist altered, warping and layering passages for repetitive effect. The excerpts featured some of the darkest and most exceptionally cruel of Rogan’s disgusting transphobia, with Gist’s songs serving as counter point to his hateful rhetoric and speaking truth to her trans experience. It was a powerful statement and performance, but absolutely very difficult to listen to at times when some of the worst of Rogan’s vile sentiments were playing. Why that man gets any air time is beyond me, he is an awful person who should make the world a much better place for everyone by shutting his mouth.
Lily Gist at Rockaway Brewing Company
Acrylic Gesso was playing their very first show and they put on an energetic set- synthy at times, guitar based punky pop with fuzzy bass at others- and I am excited to see more from them. They also had a furry fan poke their head out during the middle of a song, a very confused cat who wandered out from a storage area to near the front of the stage. Amy Klein came up next and brought a hard rock mood to the day. A little Sabbath, a lot PJ Harvey, she and her band- which features the powerhouse rhythm section of drummer Colin Brooks and bassist Will Chang- rocked the fuck out and looked like they were having the time of their lives; I really, really enjoyed their high octane performance. Two bands I had previously been unfamiliar with came up next, first was MPHO with a synth power pop groove for a fun and bouncy set, and who also featured Blaze Bateh of Bambara on drums. They were followed by Leathered who had a dark indie vibe that I really loved and featured wonderful guitar work from frontwoman Amanda B. I was disappointed to see that they only have one track available to listen to currently on their Bandcamp, the lyrically incendiary (but entirely true/relatable) “There There,” but hopefully they will release more very soon because they were a great discovery and I’m anxious to hear more of what they played at the show.
Leathered at Rockaway Brewing Company
DJ Maria Lina (also of Frida Kill)
I managed to get five bands in before heading down the road to Rippers and made it just in time as Cumgirl8 was starting their first song. When I walked up, a small group of cops was watching from the back to which I immediately scoffed and rolled my eyes; I was so tempted to say “you lost?!” but I ignored them and kept it moving. Cumgirl8 is a band I’ve tried to see a few times before but work or something else always came up, and then well…the obvious made it impossible to see them for the last year and a half, so I’m glad I finally broke the just missing them streak. A tad gothy, a healthy dash experimental post punk, and a bit bratty, they were worth the wait. I felt the snark crackling in the air and very much dug their set which was made up of songs off of their self titled 2020 full length. They played their set and immediately dashed off to another show not far away (it was a very busy day for live music in Rockaway apparently) so I did not get a chance to talk with any of them, but I most definitely will make sure I don’t go so long without seeing them again.
Smile Machine hit the middle spot, and this is the (essentially) solo project of Jordyn Blakely, who I knew from her work as a drummer for several bands (including Bartees Strange and Maneka), so this was the first time I’d seen her in the front person role. They just released a debut full length, Bye for Now, which saw Blakely performing almost every instrument. The sound is fuzzy, power poppish indie with hazy vocals, firmly in the vein of Bully or a slightly more amped up, less polished Snail Mail. Most of the set was made up of these songs and I’ve been rocking the infectious album in FTA headquarters during editing the photos. Blakely is due to tour with Bartees Strange throughout fall, but hopefully Smile Machine will have time to fit in some gigs between all of that because I’m for sure ready to see them again ASAP.
Smile Machine at Rippers
TVOD closed out the show, which served as a release show for the new single they just put out, “Ex Boyfriend Beat,” a cover of early 90s UK riot grrrl band, Skinned Teen. The show was also a send off for guitarist/singer Nikki Sisti and synth player Kate Black; Both are also members of Thick, who is about to embark on a lengthy fall touring schedule. Thick will be opening for Flogging Molly and Violent Femmes, so this was Black and Sisti’s last show with TVOD for a bit. Both will be back after their touring obligations with Thick are met though, and TVOD is absolutely not going to be inactive in their absence either, they have Brooklyn shows planned as well as a short tour themselves (fill in players will take Black and Sisti’s places temporarily). Like all TVOD shows, this one was a wild and hyper affair top to bottom; they are seriously one of the most fun bands in all of NYC.
Previously, lead singer Tyler Wright also played guitar on several songs, though would put the guitar aside for some songs too so he could jump around and run into the crowd while singing. Now the band has added Jason Wornoff on second guitar (who also plays in Vacant Company, one of my favorite discoveries of 2021) to play those songs, which has freed Wright up to not have to worry about guitar at all. Which means now he can go full force on the mic for every song, turning an already exciting live show up several notches. Wornoff is also an explosive performer so this really is the perfect melding of talents. It’s really pretty impossible not to get caught up in the excitement at a TVOD show and shout along to every song, so I am really glad I ended up not having to work so I could be there for this.
TVOD at Rippers
Mark it on the calendar, Hoos went to the beach and had an amazing time! Maybe I cheated a bit since I didn’t actually set foot on the beach itself, but “beach adjacent day” sounds too cumbersome. Whatever you want to call it, give me more days like this full of incredible live music before winter sets in, I am READY.
Scroll down for more pics of the day (photos by Kate Hoos)
LILY GIST
ACRYLIC GESSO
AMY KLEIN
MPHO
LEATHERED
CUMGIRL8
SMILE MACHINE
TVOD
by Kate Hoos | Aug 28, 2021
The Wilful Boys at Our Wicked Lady (photo by Kate Hoos)
Another humid summer night, another banger on the rooftop of OWL. This was a five band bill, which I have recently said can either be awesome or a bummer depending, but this night fortunate was firmly in the “awesome” category and there was not one band that I didn’t thoroughly love. With this lineup, I felt like I was magically transported to Gilman circa 1992, which really, dream freaking come true! Any of these bands would have fit in perfectly there in that era, and as it turns out, some of the members of the bands that played WERE at Gilman in and around that era.
The night encompassed that special raw, classic late 80s/early 90s Lookout! punk, and even headed into what I called the “Neurosis portion of the evening.” I meant it more figuratively than literally, mainly because the last two bands were sonically heavier and out of the straight up buzzy punk/pop punk realm, heading into some math and noise territory and into garage n roll. So not exactly as heavy as Neurosis in sound, but certainly in sentiment as far as this show was concerned.
Penny started out the night and had a riot grrrl esque rawness to their sound, complete with shrill shouted vocals and buzzsaw bass courtesy of lead signer Liz, which I absolutely loved. Musically, they reminded me of Raooul, who put out a few songs in the early 90s before then splitting up (a few members went on to form Tourettes before dropping off the face of the earth). While they have the same musical spirit, Penny is definitely very different lyrically than the lovable bratty scenester subject matter of Raooul’s songs, and have a far more mature output in that regard, addressing vulnerability and alienation among other subjects. I’m glad I discovered this band and I look forward to seeing them again.
Sub Rosa hit the stage next and brought a crunchy Crimpshrine vibe to the night, which given that they share a member with Crimpshrine, drummer Aaron Cometbus, is a fair assessment. This was also their last show with Cometbus so I was very happy to be able to catch them for that reason. I’ve long been a fan of his zine, the seminal Cometbus (which turns 40 this year), and his music. I’ve listened to him in Pinhead Gunpowder, the aforementioned Crimpshrine, Thorns of Life (which also featured Blake Schwarzenbach and Daniela Sea), and several others over the years, but sadly had never managed to get to see him play before this show. It also turns out they share singer/bassist Jacques with Hekla, who are friends of mine for the last few years. Sub Rosa has yet to release any of their music, but singer/guitarist Jessi Jetpack told me a tape and 7inch are forthcoming; I am anxiously awaiting getting those in my hands.
Choked Up was up third and this was their first show back as a full band. I’ve seen them many times over the last few years and they really encapsulate the early 90s Lookout! sound that I love so much. They hit so many high points with their energetic “pop punk Telenovela about crushing in the dystopia,” and bring a urgent realness to their sound. Singer/guitarist Cristy Road has been performing some shows solo recently, but now with the full band back at this show, they ripped live and loud through their set as a tight power trio (I’d previously seen them as a quartet). They played a lot of the songs from their last album, Dischoso Corazon, as well as some brand new tracks that have been recorded but not released yet, my favorite being “Tragic Bullshit.” Road introduced this song by shouting “the government sucks! Cops suck! Depression sucks! Trauma sucks!” before the band tore in which immediately got me and just about everyone amped up because who can’t relate to that sentiment? This song will be on their new album, due out next year, and I am counting the days until I can get it in my ears whenever I want. In the meantime, Road has just released a solo song, “In Your Dreams,” to hold us all over.
Night Children are brand new and this was just their second show (they played their first a few weeks ago with my band in fact). They have no social media or Bandcamp currently, which is unfortunate because I really want to hear their music outside of a show, so hopefully they record soon. Jessi Jetpack of Sub Rosa described them as a “proggy Fugazi,” and I would agree with that. They nail high energy post hardcore with notes of Thursday and Fall of Troy finding their way into the music as well. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this band.
When The Wilful Boys started, I was getting my camera adjusted so wasn’t looking up and when I finally did, I had a moment of confusion because I was hearing vocals but not seeing any of the members at the front of the stage singing. I quickly realized that was because the drummer was in fact the lead singer, which really is a personal favorite thing of mine. It would have been nice if time and space had permitted moving the drum kit up to the front so he’d have been featured more, and honestly his band mates could have made a bit more of an effort to not block him, but such is life when the show has to be over by a certain time and the stage is only so big. I dug their sound which is rowdy, noisy garage n roll aka some of my favorite shit. Drummer/lead singer, Fisher, a burly hard-hitting Australian, dominates on the kit. He hammers hard, yells loud, and kills it on the complex fills; it’s a lot for one person but he made it look totally effortless. I’m a little annoyed at myself for having never known about these guys til this show, but better late than never and I hope to catch up with them again soon.
I missed out on the early 90s heyday of the East Bay because I’m a shade too young and grew up in New Jersey, but I really longed for nights like these as a kid when I would read zines or hear comps featuring music from far away bands, imagining myself in the thick of things. Still, it’s nice to get these nights all these years later and to feel at home with my fellow nerds and punks. Yes maybe we are all a little “older” now, but I know all of us still can’t fathom leaving this life behind. There is no way I’m leaving now and you will without a doubt find me in the nursing home circa 2060, setting up shows in the recreation room between bingo games. Hope to see you there!
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
PENNY
SUB ROSA
CHOKED UP
NIGHT CHILDREN
THE WILFUL BOYS
by Kate Hoos | Aug 26, 2021
Heavy Lag performing at Bushwick Public House (photo by Kate Hoos)
As a hurricane is bearing down on your town, what is one to do? Head to the punk rock show of course! Wait….is there something else I should have done as Hurricane Henri started dumping buckets of rain down on New York? Apparently I missed the memo on “responsible adult behavior,” because heading to the punk show was exactly what I did and I have no regrets. I got absolutely soaked through on the four walk block from my car to the venue, and the drive home was full of gigantic puddles, but still…..yeah definitely no regrets.
Bushwick Public House is a venue I have been to many times in the past, and in fact played multiple really awesome shows at with an old band, but I hadn’t been there in quite some time, even before the pandemic. It is technically not a DIY spot, in the truest sense anyway, as the show space resides in the basement of a thriving coffee house and bar, so it is part of a legit legal business. But the word “basement” is the key here, and that alone gives it a real DIY house show vibe even if it’s not truly that. As with many house/DIY venues, it feels like you’re walking into a secret place, a special spot with a life all its own, a personality and character bouncing out of the four walls. This particular venue doesn’t disappoint in that sense and has delightful walls that are covered with stickers and chalked up tags of the bands that have played, the tags from my own bands and events now long since covered over in the last five to six years since I originally played there and scrawled our name out.
I love the character and personality of this venue.
I was very happy to return to this spot to catch this show, nasty weather outside forgotten as I stepped into this little musical oasis. I was also delighted that my favorite thing happened too, as in this was a bill that varied very widely sonically and the audience was treated to something different with each act.
First up was Gay Nightmare Support Group, which is the solo noise project of Luk Henderiks, who fronts Teenage Halloween. This is markedly different from their work in Teenage Halloween and they describe it as “harsh industrial noise made by a crazy person.” This is pure noise, completely devoid of vocals and even instruments- as all the sounds are created with various pedals- and harsh is an apt descriptor; an intense and dark wall of noise enveloping the room, this could serve as the soundtrack to a horror movie. I wonder how this would be with the addition of some beats or keys, and could definitely see some of the aforementioned horror movie images being used as projections in a performance or even live painting to heighten the emotional nature and dramatic abrasiveness of the sound.
Up next was another member of Teenage Halloween, lead guitarist Eli Frank, who also was performing with their new solo project, Bummercamp. Described as “pop goth,” I definitely heard that as well as notes of garage, indie and new wave. The songs were bouncy and fun, built around pre-recorded beats with Frank looping guitar riffs live and singing for a true one person band experience. The set showcased Frank’s catchy songwriting style as well as their infectious stage presence. Bummercamp has yet to record but hopefully will do so soon to let some of these ear worms live out in the world and not just inside of my head.
Belaire’s were a last minute addition the bill, as another band had to drop off, and I admit I was a little taken aback by them, but certainly not in a bad way. The group all looked extremely young and having never heard them or even of them, and knowing that a lot of pop punk and emo bands tend to play at BWP, I expected a band of this style. But looks are as they say, deceiving, and this is not what they are at all; I was very pleasantly surprised to be wrong about that. I looked them up afterwards to see they self describe as “alt-pop,” which is very accurate. Their sound absolutely incorporates elements of pop, but also shades of jazz, new wave, and indie rock and they all have a level of musicianship well beyond their years. Vocal duties are shared by Hans and Shanne Garcia; Shanne also playing drums. The two pair perfectly together for soulful effect with the music complimented by dual guitar work and saxophone.
Hans was also on bass that night as their regular bassist couldn’t make it. He lamented that he “hates this instrument,” which I have heard from other people who are not good bassists (I’ve uttered the very same words myself and I’m for sure not a good bassist), but he is anything but “not good” and actually handled bass duties seemingly flawlessly (though I know how as musicians, we all love to get inside our own heads on these things). This band admittedly was out of my wheelhouse, but none-the-less were a very pleasant surprise, and I love finding new bands to explore this way. They just released a bold new album, Mint, in June of this year, which includes the song “Beautiful Boy.” The song was honored with a nomination for Best Rock Recording by the Awit Award in the Philippines.
Heavy Lag is a relatively newer band, but the members are definitely not new to the music scene. They are veterans of other Brooklyn punk bands, most notably some old friends and favorites, Ellen and the Degenerates; they also share members with Depressed Mode, Up For Nothing, and High Cost. Having known guitarist Josh Goan and bassist Greg Thornberg from these other projects, I expected catchy, hooky punk and it’s definitely what I got!
Their sound is fuzzy punk pop that leans less towards slick and more towards a raw, garagey, power pop vibe, which by now, readers should probably know is way more my jam than straight up pop punk. Goan told me afterwards that the Wipers are a major influence and I absolutely heard that in their music, which they self describe as “dirt pop”. So far they have just three songs recorded and available on their Bandcamp, including the freshly released “Ditch My Shadow,” and I for one am anxiously awaiting more. In other exciting news, they will be opening for Les Savy Fav on 9/12 at Market Hotel; you can count on me being there for that.
The lesson here is bad weather be damned, good music and basement punk shows will always be the way to go, now and forever!
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kate Hoos)
GAY NIGHTMARE SUPPORT GROUP
BUMMERCAMP
BELAIRE’S
HEAVY LAG
