August 2004 Live Reviews (scroll down to read all of them)

Fox Force Five
A Silent Embrace
Cadence
Reflux
Nodes of Ranvier
Glass Casket
June 13, 2004 @ Whisky a Go-Go (Hollywood, CA)
By Melissa Manrique

Some underground kids would say that hardcore is becoming a trend rather than a style of music, which is believable. Too bad you probably missed this show.

Fox Force Five kicked things off that night with a tremendously powerful set. I do give them credit to getting the crowd keyed up. I have never seen so many kids mosh for an opening band.

A Silent Embrace took stage next. Isn?t it amusing how one can always tell if a band has an emo or hardcore sound by their band name? My eyes have been on this band for quite some time, due to dedicated fans spreading goodness about the local band. This was the first time I?d seen this band. Vocalist Sebastian Borges had the aggression a band needs and graced the stage with his impressive stage presence. It gave me chills to watch him grab the microphone and see veins climb out of his neck while he sang the harmonies and melodies that brought feelings of aggression, angst, and anger. Drew Koebel, the band?s own Tommy Lee, had a dominant force in his crisp, fast drumming. The band?s sing-along hardcore sounds blended with a twist of metal provide a unique look and feel to the scene. After hearing their CD, I wasn?t sure what to expect, but the live performance was worth seeing.

Before I begin about Cadence, I would like to say that these band members were great, because the entire band seemed to be made up of truly remarkable guys. All of them were solid, clean musicians that showed real potential. The distortion was heavy enough to blow your ears twice. I had the opportunity to talk to Reflux?s new drummer before they took stage. During the conversation, I figured I was talking to any old hardcore drummer. Once they launched into the first song, I nearly fainted. He played with a sampler, and I have never seen a drummer with this unique of a style (if that?s what you would call it), and it added so much energy to the performance. The entire band was very brilliant, their songs packed full of crazy time signatures, going from to 4/4 to 7/8 in the blink of a human eye.

Glass Casket charged the stage and went into full force. Although the vocalist had strep throat, he still sang until his lungs sounded like they were going to collapse. There was also some insanely fast double-bass and breakdowns to crack heads to. Harmonic guitar parts were used that scream melody.

From the start to the end of Nodes of Ranvier?s set, it was packed full of energy and blasting guitar riffs filled in by double-bass. It was quite an experience.

Overall, it was a mind-boggling show with unbelievable bands. The mosh pits were in constant motion, along with fists that were up in the air and an abundance of people were nodding their heads to the beat. I left my favorite venue knowing that hardcore music is no trend.

7 SECONDS
PIPEDOWN
RED TAPE
June 20, 2004 @ Chain Reaction (Anaheim, CA)
By the Jeff Penalty

With all the killer shows I've been to lately, I keep thinking that eventually my luck will run out and I'll go to a show where I'm totally bored and nothing good happens. Not tonight, though. Not by a fucking long shot.

I'm sad to say I missed Red Tape's entire set due to a guest-list snafu, so I offer my apologies. From outside, they sounded okay. Fast, loud, hardcore stuff. My friend Jenny said they were "fine," which is a pretty big compliment coming from her. Then again, we disagree on a lot of things where music is concerned, so who knows?

Pipedown opened for Anti-Flag at the last amazing show I went to, so I was looking forward to seeing them again. At that show, it took them a little while to get warmed up, but at this show they hit terminal velocity the moment they hit the stage. I have but one complaint about this band, and that is the singer's lack of inventiveness when it comes to stage banter. A lot of "Is everyone having a good time?" and "How's everybody doing tonight?" kind of comments. Other than that, the guy has an undeniable stage presence, and the band gives a good name to new-school hardcore. If I had to offer some constructive criticism, I'd say work on the between-song speeches. Just trying to help!

The crowd packed in tight as 7 Seconds prepared to take the stage. I figured most of the crowd would be a bit older, and that it would be smaller, considering the band hasn't put out any new material in a long time; but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the band still gets the respect it deserves from the kids, who filled the place and knew every word. I got as close to the stage as I could, desperate for a chance to "whoa-oh-oh" along with the band. I was slightly skeptical about what kind of performance they'd be able to deliver, not having toured in over three years and being, well, kinda old (I mean, let's just be honest); but my skepticism was pulverized out of existence by the end of the first song. The set was full of classics from THE CREW and WALK TOGETHER, ROCK TOGETHER, as well as scattered tunes from other albums (including their newest, which is slated for release this fall). For longtime fans of the band, the new stuff sounds very promising, a return to the sound that made them great in the first place. Where the hell do they get the energy? Maybe it's all that coffee Kevin's been brewing lately.

Chain Reaction has a well-known "no stage-diving" policy, but tonight it was resoundingly ignored by crowd and the staff alike. The place just went off, plain and simple. I think everyone in attendance was equally blown away by the power of the performance. At the end of the night, the band treated us to a hard and fast two-song encore, for which I could barely stand. But I figured that if the band has the energy to dish it out, I'd better find the energy to take it. So back to the front I went with my fist in the air and my lungs on the verge of collapse as I sang along: "Use your?head! Be?aware! Give?a?FUCK!!!" I was completely worked by the end of it all. I was fully drained of all emotional and physical energy. I was sore and bruised. I was drenched in sweat. I didn't fully catch my breath until I was halfway home. It was not unlike getting off a roller coaster. And wanting to go again. It was as though 7 Seconds had been hanging out up on Mt. Olympus, allowing us mortals to entertain ourselves with our pathetic attempts to make music, and then, like the Zeus of hardcore, they descended upon us with the thunder and lightning of this show to remind us how it's really done. I remain in awe.

LES SAVY FAV
Q AND NOT U
EL GUAPO
June 25, 2004 @ Volume (Brooklyn, NY)
By Matthew Siblo

A couple of weeks ago, a good friend and I were discussing ad nauseam the latest trends and hypocrisies of today?s independent music scene. You?ll have to excuse my use of the now highly overused word ?scene,? as I am unable to come up with a better description. Regardless, a scene is exactly what independent music is currently making, and there is no larger spectacle than the one displayed at the current hipster haven, Williamsburg Brooklyn. Just like any other hotbed of talent, hundreds of hangers-ons have flocked from all over (Long Island or Westchester) to be at the center of it all. Generation Y?s obsession with 1980s fashions and Moog enthusiasm has infiltrated the streets, while they proudly display their trashy, chic designer jeans and ironic high-top sneakers. Oh, the devilish cheekiness of it all! Within this parade of Napoleon Dynamite-looking fellows and emaciated know-nothings happens to be a lot of great music?a point I think most people often miss. And speaking of good music, this seemingly invincible triple bill had me shaking in my diesels wanting more! On an extremely busy night for fantastic performances around the city, (Iron and Wine, The Paper Chase, An Albatross, and Ted Leo all played around town), it was an absolute no-brainier to hope on the L train and infiltrate the cool-kids? club.

I was extremely impressed with the set up at Volume, a relatively new and spacious venue. Combining a Warhol-meets-Senior Prom-type ambiance, it is a refreshing change from the stuffy bar or bulky security-guard-infested venues that you can?t escape in New York. As 10:30 approached, I eagerly walked into the main space to catch the opening set by the District?s El Guapo. Like a sassy Golden Girl, El Guapo impresses more every time I watch them, only getting stronger with age. Playing heavily from their upcoming Dischord release, the Guap (as I affectionately call them) got the party started right. Once again, the myth of ?dance punk? was severely shattered, as these robotic creatures by which I was surrounded couldn?t seem to uncross their arms and get down. Unfazed by any of this, Justin ?the Destroyer? Moyer and co played an inspired 30-minute set and could have very well been the sleeper hit of the evening.

While I chalked the crowd?s cemented feet and arms up to their unfamiliarity with El Guapo?s D.C.-meets-Crooklyn grooves, I was positive that fellow capital men Q and Not U would manage to shake things up a bit. As always, I couldn?t help but be astonished at the passion and energy this band plays with. Chris seemed to be toying with a new keyboard, which gave a lot of their older material some new blood. Q and Not U are one of the few bands I always notice a continuous progression with, as they manage to reinvent themselves just about every time I see them. Highlights included a boisterous rendition of ?Book of Flags? (off their latest Dischord single) and the always crowd-pleasing ?Soft Pyramids?, which sounded even better thanks that new keyboard treatment. The band also tested out a couple of new songs from their upcoming full-length, which they announced just finished recording with a couple of members of El Guapo. Said to have a much funkier, falsetto-laced vibe, the few tracks the crowd was treated to make it sound as if this forthcoming record could be one of the best of the year.

The word ?spectacle? can only slightly describe the sound and the fury that Les Savy Fav always manage to bring to the stage. If you?ve never witnessed lead singer Tim Harrington?s theatrics, you are missing out on one of rock ?n? roll?s most passionate and bizarre frontmen. A mixture of gonzo intensity and amateur theatre, Tim played the Brooklyn crowd like a harp from hell, as everyone in the room eagerly ate it up. This show celebrated the release of their latest, INCHES, which is a collection of 7?s that the band has been working on since inception. Another event worth celebrating that night was Tim?s announcement that he would be getting married that weekend. In order to commemorate such a joyous event, he lavished the crowd with flowers and crowns in a sight that you had to see to believe. The band played an intense hour set and it seemed as if the crowd had finally cut loose and succumbed to Harrington and the Fav?s dance-floor wiles. It may have taken them all night, but it seemed as though the crowd was finally matching the intensity of the band that was on stage. ?We rock the body that rocks the party!? Harrington screamed during the band?s encore. It seemed as though, just this once, he happened to be right.

SAVES THE DAY
HOT ROD CIRCUIT
July 8, 2004 @ Irving Plaza (New York, NY)
By Matthew Siblo

It had been a couple of years since I'd been to a show of this sort, and once I arrived, it certainly took me back. As soon as I hit the main space of Manhattan's Irving Plaza, it seemed as though I had suddenly been transported back to my junior year of high school?more precisely, to some club in New Jersey. This brief period in my life, where heartbreak seemed to matter more than an actual relationship, was a place that existed only for a brief span...and a time when The Get Up Kids SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT was considered gospel and Saves the Day's THROUGH BEING COOL could be considered THE NEW TESTAMENT. I was both inspired and saddened to see that kids continue to be devoted to this music. Regardless, the masses came out in droves, and it seemed as if the capacity crowd was interested in hearing one thing only: to catch a glimpse of New Jersey's forgotten glory days (and I think you know damn well that I'm not talking about Springsteen).

It would seem as if you'd have to live under a rock to have never caught Connecticut's Hot Rod Circuit live. For the past four or five years, the band seems have opened for every like-minded artist in its genre, warming up crowds for the likes of everyone from The Get Up Kids to Hot Water Music to The Alkaline Trio. With the addition of a new guitarist and their forthcoming Vagrant release REALITY'S COMING THROUGH, it seems as though the time has come for the band to finally step into their own?either that, or they're forever destined to have their name billed underneath the puppet show, if you catch my meaning. But by the sound of their lengthy 45-50 minute opening set, I'd bet you'll be seeing Hot Rod Circuit dominating the major markets fairly soon. While I'll admit that their sound oftentimes lends itself to an almost achingly bland and faceless medley, the band's strength comes from their ability to write a brainlessly catchy song?and their new album seems to be filled with them. While their Archers of Loaf cover hinted at a bid for maturity and or respectability, they should know by now that such influences will fall upon deaf ears to their predominantly pre-teen audience. Predictably, the band got its most rabid response from "The Pharmacist", the band's minor hit off their 2002 release SORRY ABOUT TOMORROW. If this enthusiastic reaction is any indicator of the band's future successes, I think it's safe to assume that the puppet show will be opening for Hot Rod Circuit.

This show marked something of a homecoming for Princeton's favorite sons. At this point in their career, Saves the Day seems to have both everything and nothing to prove, and the band's gracious, nonchalant attitude certainly affirmed such a statement. Opening with fan favorite "Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots", the band quickly set the tone for the night: play what the people came to hear. This poses something of an artistic dilemma for the band. Like so many of their contemporaries, Saves the Day recently made the jump to a major (Dreamworks (which became Interscope)) and released a somewhat uneven effort, IN REVERIE. The album was met with a relatively apathetic response both from critics and fans. After witnessing a performance such as tonight's. it makes it seems all too clear that the band is desperately scrambling for an identity. While the band did play five tracks off the their latest effort, they seemed to play them with just as much trepidation as The Rolling Stones would if they were to play anything off their BRIDGES TO BABYLON or VOODOO LOUNGE records. "Anywhere with You", IN REVERIE's single, was the only new song to which the crowd responded. This tour also marked the first time that Saves the Day has played anything off their 1998 debut, CAN'T SLOW DOWN, in a number of years. While the album remains something of a fan favorite, its songs stand out as sophomoric, especially compared to the more intricate song structure of their near flawless release, 2001's STAY WHAT YOU ARE. The audience ate it all up, of course, as for many it was their first opportunity to hear "Always Ten Feet Tall" and "The Choke" live. While the band's encore of "Shoulder to the Wheel" will probably always have the ability to make me wax nostalgic for my high-school days (now long past), all of this reminiscing just doesn't seem to add up. The band seemingly made a cognitive choice to distance themselves from their past, only to slither back 10-fold when that progression didn't meet with any success. It seems as if Saves the Day will have to make a decision about who they are, and fast?otherwise, they face the very real possibility at securing a headlining spot on a very special emo edition of VH1's WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

BOTTLES + SKULLS
YEAR FUTURE
PITCH BLACK
FLESHIES
July 10, 2004 @ Bottom of the Hill (San Francisco, CA)
By Cassie Lynn Burke

In a strange turn of events, Fleshies had the opening slot of what appeared to be a showcase of the Bay Area?s finer bands. Now, for you to fully grasp what a Fleshies show entails, I must first explain that Fleshies are very much a reincarnation of the ?80s punk-rock spirit. Fleshies whip you with blistering guitars, jackhammer drum beats, and manic vocals, all while promoting that certain camaraderie prevalent of the old-school punks. Vocalist Johnny spends the better part of the performance amongst the audience writhing on the floor and allowing himself to be thrown about as if he were nothing more than a dog?s chew toy. On this night, they opened with ?No One? and ?Jumpers? from their 2003 Alternative Tentacles release, THE SICILIAN. Immediately, Johnny was off the stage and swallowed up by a throng of rabid fans. While Johnny drowned in the sweaty pit, I fixated on the self-proclaimed sexiest man alive, Mattowar. His facial expressions will certainly make you blush, but his guitar work will make you thrash harder than you ever thought possible. Yes, sexy indeed. Every Fleshies song receives such a frenzied response that it was only fitting that they end their set with a soothing guitar solo, with which Johnny and Mattowar swooned the audience. They will rip your heart out and hurl it into the sky, but before the night is over, they will gently put it back and say goodnight. All hail Fleshies.

BandNameHere
Photo by Cassie Lynn Burke

Following Fleshies would be difficult for any band, but Pitch Black was a reasonable choice. I have seen Pitch Black once before, in support of The Casualties, but it was almost as if on this night they were a totally different band. They began their set with ?Tonopah? (I only know this because I snagged a set list), which seems to be a new song. In fact, their entire set appeared to be new. The songs still exuded a haunting darkness, but they lacked their usual fire?and I do mean that literally. Typically, a Pitch Black show means that you will see a fine display of fireworks; and if you?re lucky, you?ll get to see what a drum kit looks like in flames. Perhaps there are new club standards nixing the use of fire, but on this night they were very subdued. Maybe in place of dazzling effects they chose to exclusively promote their new material, which included ?toothcutter?, ?maze of one ways?, ?plastic eyes?, and ?sutured heart?. Maybe anything following Fleshies appears passive. But reserved or not, Pitch Black is beyond talented, and you should not pass up the opportunity to check them out.

Pitch Black
Photo by Cassie Lynn Burke

I mentioned earlier that the evening was a showcase of Bay Area bands, yet Year Future is Los Angeles-based. All of the members spent years in the Oakland/Berkeley area before relocating to L.A. and forming Year Future. I was unfamiliar with Year Future, but I discovered that they?re very much a post-hardcore band, with even less exuberance than Pitch Black. I suppose that the essence of post-hardcore relies on a certain amount of dreary brooding, but since I require a bit more animation, the night was quickly going down the pisser. The audience was obligatorily appreciative of the music but was not overwhelmed with excitement. Vocalist Sonny Kay offered the most action of the set by sporadically lifting the mic stand and punching it into the floor. Before calling it quits, Year Future chugged through just seven songs, which included ?Each Others Futures?, ?Some Bodies?, and ?Win/Win? from their 2003 self-titled EP.

Year Future
Photo by Cassie Lynn Burke

It was just after midnight and the house had reached the largest attendance of the evening. Bottles + Skulls were testing everyone ?s patience with their complete disregard for time. They just couldn?t seem to get their shit together and left us waiting so that they could get all dolled up. Come on, guys, no one likes a prima donna. When they finally decided to play, they opened with ?Nightmare? from 2002?s NEVER KISS THE WASP. The crowd had decided to forgive them, and instantly began singing along. They were explosive, which was a pleasant change, so I forgave them, too. They were extremely confident and paraded around the stage as if some sort of demigods...and I must admit that, on this night, they were. Bottles + Skulls have concocted an infectious blend of metal and punk that has earned them quite a loyal following. Like the music, the band members themselves are quite intriguing. Most notably, the lead vocalist looked remarkably like a punk-rock Robert Smith (due mostly to his attire and eye makeup). They tore the roof off the place, and with absolutely no lapse in their set and rocked fervently all the way through their closer, ?Underground Girl?.

Despite the occasional lull, it was a fantastic night. It?s important to support live music, and you really can?t go wrong with a little bit of beer and a whole lot of punk rock!

EVEN IN BLACKOUTS
SIDEKICK
NO ONE WINS
RUIN THE ENDING
THE EDDIE HASKELLS
July 11, 2004 @ the Knitting Factory (Hollywood, CA)
By Jeff Penalty

I walked in halfway through The Eddie Haskells? set and listened to about two songs before walking out again. It?s not that they were bad. They lived up to the comments written on the cheesy promotional postcards they had spread around the tables in the venue and played tight and snotty early-Clash-style punk. It was the ?snotty? part that I had a problem with. It?s hard to describe, but let?s just say there?s a good way to act like a 12-year-old and there?s a bad way to act like a 12-year-old?and the lead singer of The Eddie Haskells was on the wrong side of that fence. Attitude aside, the music was fair.

Ruin the Ending was very loud and very metal. I can only say that, though, based on how they sounded from outside and from the two seconds that I walked through the room looking for a friend of mine. Does that make me a bad reviewer? Yeah, well, screw you. I ain?t getting paid for this.

No One Wins was okay. They played pop-punk stuff and did it well. I would?ve liked to have seen a little more of them, but I was trying to catch Madcap, who were playing in the bigger room. Madcap, incidentally, was great, and their hometown audience turned out in big numbers for the show. Anyway, that?s all I can really say about No One Wins (except to tell you that the bass player has a really cute girlfriend).

Sidekick is a band that I?ve watched mature over the years. Well, maybe not ?mature,? but I?ve at least watched them ?grow up.? It?s hard to believe that there?s anyone who regularly goes to shows in Southern California who hasn?t seen them yet, since they?ve played at practically every venue and opened for all kinds of bigger bands. If you HAVE seen them before, you should go see them again, because they?ve gotten better. Chances are they?ve changed a band member or two since the last time you saw them?and it?s made them sound a lot fuller and heavier. There?s strong hints of The Offspring and Bad Religion in their sound, and it?s the kind of music you listen to when you?ve just had a shitty day and you just want to stay in a foul mood for a while. You?ll undoubtedly see them sooner or later, so you may as well buy their debut CD so that you?ll be familiar with the songs when you do.

The main event of the night was Even in Blackouts, the all-acoustic side project of John Jughead, the former guitarist for the best band of all time, Screeching Weasel. The last time I saw EIB play, a couple of my friends got piss fucking drunk and were being dicks and slamming into both the band and some very unhappy members of the crowd. This time around, one of my previously-intoxicated friends was on crutches due to a nasty golfing accident that left him with a wrecked knee, so things were a lot mellower. Which isn?t to say the show was dull! EIB played hard and gave people a reason to smile. A little feedback and a lack of Screeching Weasel covers aside, they played superbly. I danced happily with my gimpy friend and the others (who are all gimpy in their own ways), and we all had a blast. My heart was melting from the vocals, and my groin muscles were cringing from watching Jughead doing near-splits while playing. Both sensations combined to create an overall positive memory of the show and a desire to see more, more, MORE!

But, unfortunately, I wouldn?t be able to see more, because the show was running late and Even in Blackouts had to cut things short. I had had a good night, though. Decent bands, good friends, and a lot of stifled laughs as Steve told girls that his knee injury was from a skydiving accident. (Note to girls: don?t believe everything guys tell you.) (Note to guys: the skydiving story totally fucking works.)

HERMOSA DRIVE
SHOTBLUE
ELYASIN
AND THE HERO FAILS
KILL THE LAST HOUR
July 15, 2004 @ the Sets (Tempe, AZ)
By Sarah Laidlaw

Hermosa Drive, an infant to the music scene, released their debut EP at this show. The bar was set up with two separate rooms, one for drinking and one for the stage. As I sat through the first band's sound check, I could smell...well, nothing. The venue was spotless, with a few under-agers sitting around politely drinking water and waiting for the show to start. Everybody else was killing time in the drinking room or outside smoking cigarettes (Tempe enforces a no-indoor-smoking law).

Kill the Last Hour took the stage at 8 p.m. and turned out to be the perfect opener to energize the crowd. They had a plastic axe taped to the front monitor with an attached piece of paper denoting it a "battle axe." The singer did not disappoint what the prop advertised. He leapt around the stage?and sometimes off the stage?like he was in some type of tribal battle. Within the first few seconds, I realized the sound person had a passion for drums, especially cymbals?either that or he couldn't hear the sound was off-balance. Other than that, the show went on well. KTLH pounded out some juvenile hardcore, and the crowd's adrenaline started flowing with the initiation of some hardcore dancing and head-bobbing. KTLH definitely have energy and some great musical ideas; they just need time to develop.

And the Hero Fails' amazing hardcore sound and performance drew the crowds from their drinking posts to the stage. Halfway through their first song, I looked around and saw a sea of flailing arms and legs. ATHF had an aura of unity about them as they moved and played together. You could sense their excitement for the stage and their concentration on the music, from the way Robert (vocals) arched his back screaming towards the sky to the picture-perfect moment of Ian and Justin holding their guitars like they were machine guns pointed towards the crowd as they rocked a riff next to each other, complete with Ian kissing Justin's cheek. The best example of their musicality was "Guns and Fame", which goes dead silent in the middle, except for some eerie guitar harmonics. The song comes back to life as their forceful hardcore sound hits you straight in the chest.

And the Hero Fails

Hermosa Drive's new EP is titled ANOMALY. However, as far as line-up goes, Elyasin proved to be the anomaly. Hardcore/post-hardcore was the theme tonight, and Elyasin mixed it up by minimizing the screams and maximizing speed. Elyasin recently gained a new drummer with a double-bass and speedy sticks. The Elyasin songs I have heard many times throughout the last three years were cranked to twice their speed. At first, I was petrified the guitarists were going to lose their fingers, but then I began to enjoy the new spurt of energy that has transformed Elyasin's former post-punk into a sort of thrash-punk. And it didn't ruin my favorite part of an Elyasin show: Drew's vocal performance. You can always hear the pain and see his heartfelt fervor in his tightly-shut eyes and wide-open mouth.

Hermosa Drive

Shotblue (of L.A.) electrified the stage with their energy and incredible fashion sense: blue eyeliner and black hair with bright color chunks. The bassist belted out perfect melodic vocals, and the singer harmonized with his classic hardcore scream. During each band's performance thus far, the other bands had showed their support by firmly planting their feet (and some not so firmly, as they did a little hardcore dancing) directly in front of the stage. This Tempe family respect was extended to the visitors and made the concert feel that much more real. Shotblue called out for a circle pit, and the crowd followed orders, sustaining the adrenaline that had filled the air since KTLH's performance.

Hermosa Drive finally took the stage, clad in uniform white, button-up shirts and black ties (although Joe (guitar) had artistically-placed blood stains on his shirt). A suspenseful piano introduction filled the room, and that's when I noticed the singer: he was playing a keyboard hidden at the side of the stage in his frontman costume: a black button-up shirt and red tie. Simply from their outfits, I could tell these people were rock stars to the heart. The rest of the performance supported my suspicions, with Andrew (vocals) thrusting his fisted microphone in the air and calling for "metal fingers," Nick (drums) standing to play certain parts, and the rest truly enjoying rocking out. The guitar solos were breathtaking (provided you respect hardcore's metal roots). One of the best songs was their finale, "Broken Glass Is a Big Mess to Clean Up". Andrew explained its serious meaning?the effects of war on children?and a circle pit ensued, which grew to overtake the Gravenine (Hermosa Drive's, Elyasin's, and ATHF's record label) tent, which stood 25 feet from the stage. Hermosa Drive finished up with a large, attentive, and energized crowd.

The show was over and, I could now smell something: a hundred sweaty bodies. I think most of us where exhausted when leaving. The power of the music we had witnessed from all five bands had drained our energy into the sweat that now remained on the venue floor.

THE MAINFRAME
PLAY PRETTY FOR BABY
THE VON STEINS
SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS
July 19, 2004 @ Alex?s Bar (Long Beach, CA)
By Jeff Penalty

Play Pretty for Baby are the best underground band around. But I?ll get to them in a minute. First, I?m obligated to talk about Shoot Out the Lights...but I really wish I wasn?t. I only caught their last song, but that was one song too many, in my opinion. Imagine if The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Depeche Commode had a kid and that it was a really annoying little brat who told long, boring stories about stupid high-school drama shit. You wouldn?t want to listen to that either, right?

The Von Steins were a bit of an improvement. They were clearly Devo-influenced?which is always a good thing?but they lacked dynamics, which was a bummer. Their songs were hyper-fast and lacked strong hooks. If they pulled back a bit, they might have something. The singer had decent stage presence but failed to truly connect with the audience. I wondered why I was getting that impression, especially when he jumped off the stage and walked around among the crowd...and then I finally realized that he wasn?t looking anyone in the eye. It was such a small detail, but it made a significant difference. Despite my criticisms, these guys have some promise, so give them some time to work out the kinks and maybe check them out in a year or something.

And then the moment I?d been waiting for. Play Pretty for fucking Baby. Before the show, I spoke with lead singer Jim Belisle (check out my interview with him in this very issue!), and he told me he was a bit nervous because every time the band plays at Alex?s Bar, something goes wrong. Unfortunately for him, tonight was no exception: the bass amp came unplugged in the middle of the first song. As soon as it happened, Jim and I met eyes, and we both started laughing. Aside from that initial stutter step, their set was nothing short of incredible. The crowd was sparse and mostly made up of people who were friends with the other bands, but PPFB shredded the stage like it was the biggest show of their career. It was truly amazing to watch. I couldn?t help but wonder if that?s what it would?ve been like to watch Black Flag play way back when. The music is completely different, but if you see PPFB play, you?ll see a band with guts that pushes as hard as humanly possible and doesn?t need anyone?s approval to do so. Their songs are great, but their spirit is what truly sets them apart. Actually, their songs set them apart, too. They?re an absolutely unbelievable band.

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