Post by Bret Walker on Mar 16, 2004 9:59:52 GMT -5
OK I know what you're gonna say. Wasn't that show, like, a WEEK ago? Yeah, almost. And yes, I've been lax in my duties keeping up to date on the news. I'm like the NBC 10 of band news (see the post in Rebellion about the Jesus Dress Up Doll to see what I mean).
Anyway, let me see what I remember about this show from last Thursday.
Well, first of all, God I love The Pirate's Den. It's a dark, seedy bar, perfect for a punk club. The thing is, March 11 was one of the first ever punk shows there (maybe the first punk night? For Barkdog Productions anyway). Hopefully it will be the first of many, because frankly, the night as a whole kicked major ass.
We hit the stage around 10 PM, and ripped through our standard setlist (the same one we played at the Ground Floor). The audience received us well, giving us nice ovations between songs. And it was a pretty big crowd as well. The crowd favorites, as usual, were Ode to Ed and the show-closer I Saw Her Standing There. They also seemed to really like Zero Down and Billy Boy, as well as Nocturnal Emissions. We got a less than warm reception, however, to Lockstep and DWI (Note to self: Don't play DWI in a bar when everyone's trying to get smashed). Still, people were giving us big ups after the show, and we felt really good about the show as a whole. And the crowd was even cool about our impromptu and drummerless rendition of Beach Party Vietnam (never rehearsed) which we threw in at the end last minute in a tribute to Dave Blood, the bass player of the Dead Milkmen who killed himself the day before.
All in all, I'd definitely have to put this show in our top ten shows of all time. And considering how many shows we've done at this point, that's not a bad place to be.
Next up was The Ruckus, a band I've been wanting to see ever since I found out they were on the bill. They play a gritty gutter punk, somewhere between hardcore and oldschool. They played some of my favorites, such as Double 77, Only the Punk Die Young, and We're All Gonna Die. And they closed out the night with their awesome version of the Misfits song, Where Eagles Dare. I was really impressed with their energy and grit, especially since they drove all the way down from North Jersey for the show, and had to drive back and go to work the next day. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully soon.
Next up, labelmates The Positives, a band that I think we've performed with more than any other (Syphin may be in the top spot, but not for long!). I have to tell you, I honestly think that they are one of the most original bands on the scene in South Jersey. Their sound, which I've been trying to pin down since the first time I saw them (and I'm no fan of labels, but sometimes it helps people understand a band when they've never heard them before), is a grungy throwback to late-70's/early-80's NYC punk like the Talking Heads (In fact, they remind me more of early Talking Heads than any other band), and it's a refreshing change to the ordinary pop-punk and hardcore permeating the scene today. They played some of my favorites, especially Empty World which gripped me like a demon and sent my body flying through the bar. Unfortunately, I was the only one dancing. Next time, I hope the bar doesn't put Stick-em on the bar seats again. Anyway, they finished the set with a special request from yours truly - Amp & the Drummer. Great set all around, and having seen them twice in a week, I have to tell you, if you get a chance to see them, DO. You won't be disappointed.
Last up for the night, the first-ever performance of South Jersey punk band, The Taxidermists (no website yet). If you haven't seen them live, well, you didn't go to the show. This was their first show, but you wouldn't know it to look at them. They were as comfortable on stage as any band I've ever seen. Their frontman especially was animated, twisting himself into Iggylike contortions. The music was awesome, particularly Addictive Love and their many great covers (Let's Hang On to What We've Got, Jailhouse Rock, Deuce). I've been wanting to just HEAR this band since I found out they were playing with us, and I got more - I got to hear them AND I got the show. It was great. There was even an impromptu (I love that word) performance at the end by Buy Star Bombs, the two members of which are also members of The Taxidermists. Bonus!
All in all, this was one of the best punk shows I can remember going to, aside from the audience staying in their seats. The bands were tops, taking me back to CBGB 1985. And it's a show that will live in my memory for a long time.
Anyway, let me see what I remember about this show from last Thursday.
Well, first of all, God I love The Pirate's Den. It's a dark, seedy bar, perfect for a punk club. The thing is, March 11 was one of the first ever punk shows there (maybe the first punk night? For Barkdog Productions anyway). Hopefully it will be the first of many, because frankly, the night as a whole kicked major ass.
We hit the stage around 10 PM, and ripped through our standard setlist (the same one we played at the Ground Floor). The audience received us well, giving us nice ovations between songs. And it was a pretty big crowd as well. The crowd favorites, as usual, were Ode to Ed and the show-closer I Saw Her Standing There. They also seemed to really like Zero Down and Billy Boy, as well as Nocturnal Emissions. We got a less than warm reception, however, to Lockstep and DWI (Note to self: Don't play DWI in a bar when everyone's trying to get smashed). Still, people were giving us big ups after the show, and we felt really good about the show as a whole. And the crowd was even cool about our impromptu and drummerless rendition of Beach Party Vietnam (never rehearsed) which we threw in at the end last minute in a tribute to Dave Blood, the bass player of the Dead Milkmen who killed himself the day before.
All in all, I'd definitely have to put this show in our top ten shows of all time. And considering how many shows we've done at this point, that's not a bad place to be.
Next up was The Ruckus, a band I've been wanting to see ever since I found out they were on the bill. They play a gritty gutter punk, somewhere between hardcore and oldschool. They played some of my favorites, such as Double 77, Only the Punk Die Young, and We're All Gonna Die. And they closed out the night with their awesome version of the Misfits song, Where Eagles Dare. I was really impressed with their energy and grit, especially since they drove all the way down from North Jersey for the show, and had to drive back and go to work the next day. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully soon.
Next up, labelmates The Positives, a band that I think we've performed with more than any other (Syphin may be in the top spot, but not for long!). I have to tell you, I honestly think that they are one of the most original bands on the scene in South Jersey. Their sound, which I've been trying to pin down since the first time I saw them (and I'm no fan of labels, but sometimes it helps people understand a band when they've never heard them before), is a grungy throwback to late-70's/early-80's NYC punk like the Talking Heads (In fact, they remind me more of early Talking Heads than any other band), and it's a refreshing change to the ordinary pop-punk and hardcore permeating the scene today. They played some of my favorites, especially Empty World which gripped me like a demon and sent my body flying through the bar. Unfortunately, I was the only one dancing. Next time, I hope the bar doesn't put Stick-em on the bar seats again. Anyway, they finished the set with a special request from yours truly - Amp & the Drummer. Great set all around, and having seen them twice in a week, I have to tell you, if you get a chance to see them, DO. You won't be disappointed.
Last up for the night, the first-ever performance of South Jersey punk band, The Taxidermists (no website yet). If you haven't seen them live, well, you didn't go to the show. This was their first show, but you wouldn't know it to look at them. They were as comfortable on stage as any band I've ever seen. Their frontman especially was animated, twisting himself into Iggylike contortions. The music was awesome, particularly Addictive Love and their many great covers (Let's Hang On to What We've Got, Jailhouse Rock, Deuce). I've been wanting to just HEAR this band since I found out they were playing with us, and I got more - I got to hear them AND I got the show. It was great. There was even an impromptu (I love that word) performance at the end by Buy Star Bombs, the two members of which are also members of The Taxidermists. Bonus!
All in all, this was one of the best punk shows I can remember going to, aside from the audience staying in their seats. The bands were tops, taking me back to CBGB 1985. And it's a show that will live in my memory for a long time.
