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Concert Review: Strike Anywhere / Dead To Me / Menzingers / Holy Mess / Signals Midwest – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH – 10/09/2011

Last night was more or less on the the best punk rock lineups I have seen all year and I am not just saying that. Originally there were supposed to be two Sunday night shows in Cleveland featuring all of the bands listed on the flier on the right, but some way, some how, the bands decided to jump together on one super bill making for an incredible evening of music.

It was almost as if someone who wanted to go to both shows at the same time made a wish and it came true.  As corny as that may sound, I am not the only one who thought that last night.

Originally there was to be a show at Now That’s Class featuring the Menzingers and Holy Mess as well as a show at the Grog Shop with Strike Anywhere and Dead To Me.  As a fan of all four bands, this was a super hard decision to make and I was planning on leaning toward the NTC show but as previously mentioned, for whatever reason (I am actually curious to find out), the bands all decided to share the same bill at the Grog Shop providing for one of the best punk rock shows money could buy.

Cleveland’s Signals Midwest started the night off.  Having seen them just a couple of days ago, their previous set was still stuck in my mind as I watched them.  The band once again played a pretty kick ass set to the slowly increasing crowd.  Lead signer Max Stern and crew even debuted a hew song about the house they had their first band practice, the Milk Crate House.  It was also announced that the band’s recently released album Latitudes & Longitudes was dropping on vinyl in a month.  The crowd got a kick out of that as did I.  Seems as if this Cleveland band has got their shit intact.

Up next was the Holy Mess.  The Philadelphia punk rockers were full of energy and put on a killer performance to tons of excited fans.  Playing a welcomed mix of punk rock and trash, the band was all over the stage and just looked to be having the time of their lives.  The venue was filling up a plenty as the band played on and by the end of the set, the fans were going crazy.  I really enjoyed seeing these guys live finally.  I can not wait till they come back.  They were just a ton of fun.

Scranton, Pa’s Menzingers were up next and it is safe to say that most people in the Grog Shop made sure they were there in time to see latest band to sign to Epitaph Records.  Rifling through songs from Chamberlain Waits as well as their previous releases, everyone in the house was signing along and enjoying the set to the fullest potential.  Tom May was barely tall enough to be seen at times from where I was standing, but that kid has mad jumps and at one time jumped up and grabbed a steel beam climbing over the fans screaming his heart out.  A couple of the songs seems to be slower than I was used to.  Perhaps that is because Holy Mess was playing songs that were four times faster, but still, that was my only concern.  I loved when the Menzingers peeked out on music for a moment telling (bragging) to the crowd how they got to see Leftover Crack play Chicago – I know I was not the only one jealous at that moment…  The Menzingers are one of today’s most exciting up and coming bands and I was stoked that they came back to Cleveland to play.  You should have seen everyone around the venue smiling and singing, it was awesome and reminded me why I love punk rock so much.

As far as I am concerned, San Francisco’s Dead To Me had the best set of the night.  Chicken was in a zone the moment he struck his bass and just start at the crowd looking like he was going to destroy everyone around him.  DTM took their time of the stage to play a whole array of songs from all of their albums in front of the healthy sized crowd.  Their style is live none other; during one song kids were slam dancing and tossing fists in the air and moments later a much more broken down ska-like track was pushed through the amps and everyone got into a groove.  It seemed like the band played 100 songs and I wanted 100 more.  Chicken took a moment to have a realization in front of the crowd and started ranting on how he has been listening to punk rock for 20 years and at 33-years-old, he never in his life thought he would be in a punk band playing shows let alone with the bands on Sunday night’s lineup.  His words hit me because there I was, in the crowd, looking at someone about the same age as I am still rocking out and doing his thing.  Age does not mean a damn thing and Chicken reminded me that it’s all about the love for the punk rock that keeps us going.  Towards the end of their set, DTM played a new song and all I have to say this this: Oct. 25th can not come soon enough, that song was bitching.  During the last song Chicken started recruiting some of the crowd to help him sing along and before long people surround Chicken all screaming their hearts out.  It was awesome to see that.

The headliners of the night, Strike Anywhere, had the entire crowd in the palm of their hands during their set.  Fans and bands were all singing along to the Richmond, Va. punk rock heroes.  Taking their stand at politics and social ideals, the band took a moment to ask the crowd what “occupies Cleveland”, in reference to the ongoing protest of cop orate spending.  The kids in the crowd flung out plenty of examples proving they all know what is going on in this messed up world.  SA’s set was full of old and newer tracks and everyone, and I mean jut about everyone, was singing along with some kicks taking their change at jumping up close and personal to sing with Thomas.  I won’t lie, I did not stay for the entire set and I am sure I missed a great end to SA’s set, but I had to be responsible and head home so I could function half-assed at work in the morning.  I’ve seen SA a few times before and they never disappoint.  The first half of the set I did stay for was just perfect for a close to a Sunday punk show.

As tired as I am right now writing this, I would not have missed last night’s show for the world.  Five great bands kept the punk rock flowing steadily throughout the whole nice.  Each band did their thing, thanked the fans and the bands, and looked all to be happier than hell to be on stage.  People of all ages stood throughout the venue soaking in the goodness that is music.  As a reviewer I could have been a little more in depth with this review, but the fact of the matter is that I wanted to be a fan more than everything last night and decided to throw down the notepad and just soak in the energy.

Tomorrow: Punk Rock Sunday Night @ The Grog Shop

You know what’s not cool?  Two great shows on the same night across town from each other.  It happens a lot actually.  In fact, this Sunday there were supposed to be two awesome shows, one at Now That’s Class and one at the Grog Shop.  Both shows featured bands I really wanted to see.  I did not know which to attend.

The Menzingers were to play one side of town with the Holy Mess on the westside while Strike Anywhere and Dead To Me were to play the eastside.  Choices, choices…

Then something amazing happened.  The shows combined.

Like a Captain Planet of punk rock, all the bands (well most of them) combined their powers and jumped on the same bill making for one kick ass night of punk rock music.  Rumor has it that the guys in Signals Midwest, who are opening the night, had something to do with this…well done guys.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show.  Don’t be lame on a Sunday night and get your ass out to the Grog.  Doors are at 7pm.

The Fermented & Flailing Tour Featuring NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket, & Tony Sly – Madison Theater – Covington, KY – 04/30/2010 – Concert Review

Punk rockers of all shapes, sizes, and age filled up the Madison Theater last Friday night to see the Fermented & Flailing Tour in Covington, KY.  The tour, featuring long time independent punkers NOFX with special guests Teenage Bottlerocket as well as Tony Sly of No Use For A Name (NUFAN), did not make it to Northern Ohio during this tour as much as I would have like it to have, but I did the next best thing and drove 4 hours to the tour and do not regret it one bit.

I was highly bummed out when I arrived to Covington in the afternoon as I found out first hand that another band that has been touring with them, The Menzingers, were cancelling their performance that night due to food poisoning.  I was actually on the phone with Greg, the guitarist of the band, trying to set up an interview with them before the show when he informed me that they were behind in schedule and considering going to a hospital as their drummer, and friend, was not in good shape.  As much as I wished I could have seen this amazing up and coming band I understood the situation and wish them luck.  There is always a next time.

The Madison Theater was packed by the time I got there and after scoping out the area and seeing how inconvenient the photo area was I decided to forfeit the idea of getting up close and snapping some shots of the bands.  As much as I wanted to it just was not a good idea.  The stage overlapped the sectioned off area and there was hardly enough room for the bouncers to stand there and do their thing.  Not to mention this venue did not have adequate isles or areas where people could move freely around the sides.  I made my choice and was ok with it.  I was still able to snap off a couple shots but more importantly I still was going to enjoy the show.

Locals Loudmouth opened the night with their impressive 90’s inspired pop punk / ska sounds.  There were a ton of fans in the house that were very aware of who this act was who hail from the Cincinnati / Covington areas.  Their lead singer admitted that he had “whiskey hawk” in between songs and pointed at the green mat of hair on his head promising that he tried to get it up over and over.  The band clearly was stoked to be sharing the stage with members of the Fat Wreck Chords family and put forth a great set.  I am kicking myself still as I missed their merch table after the show but I plan on looking into these guys some more very soon.

Tony Sly, seasoned punk rocker and front man of NUFAN, took the stage with his acoustic guitar in hand and informed the crowd he wanted to play some songs.  The response some of the crowd gave him was disrespectful as they booed him.  Sly did not let that bother him and played songs off this new album such as “Keira” and “Already Won”.  I know I was excited to hear “Toaster In The Bathtub” and “Soulmate”, a NUFAN cover that I could not help but sing along with.

I cannot say that everyone in house was rude to him but there were enough drunk fools around where I was that just went overboard making fun of him to make my blood boil.  Perhaps an acoustic set was not what those concert goers were looking for that night but I think what pissed me off the most was that all the folk who were mocking and booing him literally had no idea who he was.  This guy helped pave the punk rock road that these kids were standing on and they had no idea who he was – I guess I just wish those coming to early conclusions could have been a little more educated.

The brave Sly continued through his set and thanked everyone for listening to him.  An intimate performance down the street at Molly Malone’s may have been more appropriate for his set but honestly I was not complaining and was thrilled to have finally seen him live on his own.  Still I could not believe how many so-called punk rockers booed him…

Power pop punks Teenage Bottlerocket (TBR) delivered a killer set opening with “Skate Or Die” and pretty much did not  break until their last song.  Their punk rock thrash assault on the crowd had the tightly packed venue going insane with tracks like “Bigger Than Kiss”, “I Don’t Wanna Go” and of course brought more calamity when they announced they were going to play “30 Seconds Of Rad” and commanded all to a pogo throw-down.  Their set was fun, fast, and just what was needed to get the fans ready for the headliner.  Most folk there that night may have solely came to see NOFX but I am positive that they left glad they were there in time to see Teenage Bottlerocket do their thing.

The venue seemed much warmer once TBR left the stage and was filled with smoke from cigarettes and other substances.  I decided to head up to the balcony area and I did so just in time as NOFX emerged on stage.  The foursome clearly was pre-gaming it a bit before performing that night but did not hesitate to play for all who paid to see them.  Greeting the crowd Fat Mike noticed a fan in a wheelchair and asked her to be brought onto stage.  After words were exchanged between band and bouncer the girl finally emerged to the left of the stage and had the best seat in the house.  The band said they had a song they were going to play her later as she reminded them of someone they once wrote a song for.  Fans all over cheered in approval.

The rest of the night was just a blur of NOFX tracks from their lengthy catalog, insults from the band to the crowd, and just overall madness.  At one brief moment Fat Mike hinted that the band was thinking about playing “The Decline” but a fan in the crowd told him that he played it last time they were in Covington so not wanting to repeat himself Fat Mike said never mind and then joked that the band was thinking of playing Heavy Petting Zoo in it’s entirety.  Sadly that did not happen either and I was rather  bummed out as I have always wanted to hear “The Decline” live.

Poking fun at the crowd, they yelled at fans for waving erratically at them and even pointed out a couple ICP Juggalos who apparently were not ashamed to show up in painted faces.  The fans took the insults just fine and some chose to throw their drinks on stage soaking Fat Mike more than once.

The band did play tons of tracks including “Bob”, “Linoleum”, “Murder The Government” and even “Cokie The Clown” with Eric Melvin lending his pipes.  At one moment El Hefe picked up his trumpet and started playing the opening notes to “Arming The Proletariant With Potato Guns” and I honestly felt privileged as this was the second time I had seen NOFX play the song in less than a year.  They may have had a hard time getting through the jokes this time around but it was still hilarious.

Other tracks the band played included “Kill All The White Man”, “Franco Un-American”, the tear jerking “My Orphan Year”, “Bottles To The Ground”, and even “The Brews” which was the perfect sing along for a Friday night punk rock show.  After a quick encore which included the highly anticipated “She’s Nubs” dedication to the girl who had been on stage all evening the band slowly left the stage while Eric Melvin serenaded the crowd with his accordion skills.  Dodging their stagehand/keyboardist Melvin kept playing songs to everyone for what felt like ten minutes before finally giving up his instrument and calling it a night.

The band may have screwed up on a lot of their songs, were off key more than once, and did not look entirely thrilled to be playing that night but I would never expect anything else.  It was NOFX, they can do whatever the hell they want to do during their show and I would leave satisfied.  Having seen them tons of times in span of 15+ years I know what to expect from the foursome who just do what they want and don’t care what you think.  I can admit that as long as they continue to tour I will be making my best effort to see them live because a NOFX show is just that damn entertaining.