Blog — Page 9 of 282

I think I've lamented on this in the past, but one thing I really miss about the tape/cdr era is mixtapes. Playlists offer something similar, fortunately, so I can keep it going when I want to mix things up from writing reviews.

This list collects a bunch of stuff I've covered/discovered through Scene Point Blank, plus a couple additions that just hit the mood forever reason lately.

If you find something here that you enjoy, search our archives to learn more. #obligatorysellingpoint

The Gaslight Anthem are out on the road in support of their newest album, History Books. For the west coast leg of the tour, they've brought along The Dirty Nil and Joyce Manor. I was fortunate enough to make it out to their show in Anaheim at the House of Blues and it wasn't a show that should be missed. 

Opening the night was The Dirty Nil. The band has been around for nearly 2 decades and despite having seen them in the past with Against Me!, this performance was a refresher. The Dirty Nil came out with confidence, energy, and showmanship. The band is also currently supporting an album they released last year entitled, Free Reign to Passions, which occupied most of their set with tracks like "Nicer Guy" and "Celebration."

Next up was Joyce Manor. This band never ceases to amaze me. They've built up such a dedicated fanbase by consistently churning out Powerpop/Pop-Punk powerhouses in under 2 minutes, which is hardly enough time to hold someone's attention, but they've been doing it for 16 years. This was kind of a pseudo-hometown show for them, and the fans came out in droves! In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their 3rd album, Never Hungover Again, the band ran through 80% of the record and still had time to play another 12 songs that spanned their entire career. With tracks from their latest album, 40oz. to Fresno like "Dance With Me" and "NBTSA" to back to their first song "House Warming Party."

It was finally time for The Gaslight Anthem. The room went dark and a display of giant books lined behind the stage started to glow. The band walked out and jumped into Handwritten's "45" backed by the title track before jumping into the '59 Sound rager "The Patient Ferris Wheel." The set had a cool down with "The Weatherman" and "History Books" before boastful renditions of "Here Comes My Man" and "Bring it On." 

Gaslight continued to run through songs throughout their catalog, including older tracks "Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts" from their EP, Señor and the Queen (and was recently re-recorded for their History Books - Short Stories EP) and "Wooderson" from their debut album Sink or Swim. Rather than opting to walk out and do the whole encore gimmick, Fallon announced they had a couple more songs left. The band and audience gave everything they had left, including a fan with crutches who decided to crowd surf during "Great Expectations" resulting in a lively response from Fallon. Gaslight closed out the night with the 2008 hit, "The '59 Sound."

It was a night chock full of rock and roll, celebration, and excitement. If you have a chance to catch The History Books Tour, I encourage you to do so. All bands were firing on all cylinders. Gaslight sounds better than they have since before their hiatus. Joyce Manor will always be a fun time and The Dirty Nil bring a special brand of rock performance to the show. Don't miss it!

Hot Water Music have been on the road celebrating 30 years and they've brought along Post-Hardcore vets, Quicksand. Joining the final leg of the tour was Avail's Tim Barry opening the show. It's a killer line-up that's likely to appeal to fans of any band on the bill, but at the end of the day, we're here to commemorate Hot Water Music's three decade long career. That was not something I wanted to miss when the tour rolled through Southern California.

Tim Barry's been soloing since Avail's initial hiatus in 2007. Just traveling with nothing more but his guitar and love of life. He ran though a number of tracks from his first album, Rivanna Junction like, "Avoiding Catatonic Surrender" and "Church of Level Tracked" and "This November" from 2008's Manchester. Fans sang along to nearly every word, and it was clear how appreciative Barry was to have such a response after having not toured the West Coast in awhile.

Next up was Quicksand. Walter Schreifels has had a busy year bouncing from Rival Schools, a Gorilla Biscuits show here and there, and now bringing Quicksand back out... and he doesn't miss a beat. The band opened with "Omission" from 1993's Slip and ran through tracks from 1996's Manic Compression like "Thorn in My Side" and "Brown Gargantuan," as well as their latest release, Distant Populations. They seemed to ignore 2017's Interiors. After all these years, Walter still continues to hop around the stage and lose himself in the music while Vega can still make the walls shake with his signature deep bass tone.

It was time for Hot Water Music to hit the stage. They launched right into the set with Caution's "Remedy" before breaking out "Menace" from their new album Vows. There were a few surprises in the set, like "Alachua" and "Freightliner" from Fuel for the Hate Game. This was my first time seeing them with Chris Cresswell from The Flatliners. It was a different experience from seeing Wollard. As wonderful as it is for Hot Water Music to be celebrating 30 years as a band, Wollard's presence was greatly missed from such an occasion. However Cresswell's energy and passion fills the role well.

Fans of Avail will especially not want to miss this tour. Hot Water Music ended the night with a cover of Avail's "Simple Song" with Barry on vocals. Living on the opposite end of the Country from Richmond, Virginia, this is the closest Ive gotten to seeing Avail after I missed their last official tour in 07. The crowd went all out for what might be the only chance they'll get to hear Barry do an Avail song without traveling. Hot Water Music may be celebrating 30 years, but they still play like their in their 20s. They've got something for every era of fans on this tour. From classics like "Turnstile" and "Rooftops" to later career tracks like "Drag My Body" and "Turn the Dial." Most exciting of all though, after 30 years, they're still putting out music and getting out there to promote their newest, Vows. Grab a ticket and pay your respects to one of the best and most real punk bands to ever do it.

Gypsy Punks, Gogol Bordello, are doing a short run of dates along the US West Coast, and made a stop at Santa Ana's Observatory for the Casa Gogol tour -- named after frontman, Eugene Hütz's new label. They've brought along new signees, Mary Shelley and Grace Bergere.

As Mary Shelley took the stage, Hütz walked out to introduce this curious group of individuals garbed in hospital gowns and nurse uniforms. The member that took center stage was even in an orthopedic boot, which gave me the initial reaction that this person was probably in pain as they were about to play with a broken foot. They opened with a somewhat subdued track. Slow and thumpy. It wasn't until the second track, that things got interesting. The singer put down the guitar, pulled off his orthopedic boat, and spiked it into the stage while the rest of the band went into a post-punk/garage-rock number. Consider me surprised at the lack of a broken foot. Completely fooled me. Now he's dancing around and giving an uncontrollable performance. Throwing a little theater into your punk rock performance is always appreciated. The band continued to wow me with their energy and antics. The band has a new album coming out on June 14th entitled Bloodhounds, and I'm excited to check it out.

Next up was Grace Bergere. Once again, Hütz came out to give an introduction. The singer-songwriter presented a much different vibe from Mary Shelley. She was more indie/folk-rock with a restrained and somber performance. She only has a few songs available to stream at the moment, but they're worth a listen. Despite seeming like the outlier of the tour, her style of songwriting has the slightest hint of cabaret that manages to fit in with the rest of the tour.

It was finally time for Gogol Bordello. Right out the gate, they kicked things off with "Sacred Darling" from their first record, Voi-La Intruder. The stage was chaos. Pedro Erazo is dancing up and down the stage. Hütz is waltzing across the edge as he connects with the audience. The band continued playing tracks from their break-out hit, Gypsy Punks, like "I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again" and "Immigrant Punk." The entire show felt like a celebration. Fans were wailing from the floor and losing themselves in the music. Hütz never gave less than 100 percent as they continued to play through tracks like "Wonderlust King" and "Trans-Continental Hustle."

While they ignored 2 of their later albums, Pura Vida Conspiracy and Seekers & Finders, they didn't shy away from their latest release, Solidaritine. Puzzled Panther members Victoria Espinoza and Kay Bontempo joined Gogol Bordello for their track "Fire on Ice Floe" as well as their joint single, "From Boyarka to Boyaka." As the set started to wind down, they took a moment to pay their respects and dedicate their performance of "Mishto," to the late great Steve Albini -- who produced Gypsy Punks. And of course, no Gogol Bordello set would be complete without their boisterous, "Start Wearing Purple."

The band returned for their encore and went straight into a cover of Sex Pistols' "Bodies." After lamenting over missing the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Agnostic Front's Victim in Pain, Hütz went into an acoustic cover of the title track. They closed out the night with their cover of Angelic Upstarts' "Solidarity," which the band released digitally with Bernard Sumner from New Order this past Fall to raise awareness and funds for the Kind Deeds organization.

Gogol Bordello are finishing their short little West Coast run at Punk Rock Bowling this weekend. Over the Summer, they will be heading to Europe and The U.K. before coming back to the US in the Fall. Don't miss the party if they come to your town.

Spanish Love Songs, Oso Oso, Sydney Sprague, Worry Club
Varsity Theater
Minneapolis, MN
April 17, 2024
 

Wednesday’s show at Varsity Theater began with a band dressed like it was the 1990s, followed by a band dressed like the 2000s, another dressed like the 2010s, and the headliner came out looking like…longshoremen. I kid, but I do mean to draw in personal style a little bit to say this was a diverse of artists with a lot of overlap between them. I was mostly familiar for Spanish Love Songs, who are on a co-headlining tour with Oso Oso, playing night 11 of the cross-country tour.
 
Worry Club kicked it off, playing a high energy set that brought the crowd to the front right away. Painting with broad strokes, their sound is emo-pop with equal parts jangle, bounce, twinkle, and punch. It was a good way to kick things into gear early on a weeknight, followed by Sydney Sprague, a fitting sonic pairing with a very different style. Playing singer-songwriter music with a full band, Sydney Sprague let music speak for itself with a serious but powerful set. The band is less active on stage, yet engaging with a build-up type energy that balances emotional, contemplative rock with loud moments with a drama-free, down to earth vibe. Both openers set a tone with pure energy and positivity, before we switched gears to Oso Oso and “grouchcore” Spanish Love Songs.
 
I’ve given Oso Oso a few listens over the years and generally liked what I’d heard without diving in deep. Their style of dramatic rock meets emo is something I enjoy a lot more in a live setting than on record. That was my expectation, and that’s what happened with their hour-long set. Right from the start, the musicianship was tight and the vocals were on point. It’s the kind of music that draws you in, building up like post-rock but far more rhythmic. In some ways, I’d say the guitarist almost stole the show with some pure rock star strutting that somehow fit the vibe even though, on paper, it sounds counter to Oso Oso’s more somber take. Maybe that’s the metaphor here: the cathartic effect of live music, for musician and audience. Oso Oso is super emotional, yet with peppy, pogo-friendly tunes. The stage contrast between band members was a bit unique, with high activity on the left, dwindling toward the right, where songwriter Jade Lilitri stood mostly still for more of the set, concentrating on the more serious side of the spectrum. Early on, the rest of the band left the stage, giving Lilitri a full solo moment as well.
 
Spanish Love Songs led with “Lifers” and even broke out a sax for “Clean Up Crew” for the first time on the tour (which, of course, happened right after I left the photo pit). The room wasn’t full, but the band acted like it, with a lot of banter, a good chunk of songs from last year’s No Joy, and even mixing in a few older songs from the Schmaltz era. While it can feel trite when a band talks about how they owe their fans, it felt authentic when Dylan Slocum addressed the subject, probably in part because of the band’s personalized lyrical style. There is simply an intimacy at a show like this that’s hard to explain, since most of the lyrics bring stage and crowd together. 

I had caught part of the band’s set at a Fest years ago, but had never seen the full thing (this was their first headlining set in Minneapolis, they noted – I honestly kind of bummed to hear I missed a show where they played with Iron Chic like 7 years ago). Anyway, Slocum has a distinct stage presence, watching him balance vocals and guitar, and his mannerisms somewhat reminded me of Craig Finn: simple but in tune with the music. It was equally fun to watch Meredith Van Woert as she’d mostly play synth, but for select songs grab a guitar – and, on occasion, handle both instruments at once. The older songs seemed to hit the crowd hardest, drawing a modest pit and a lot of hands in the air throughout as people sang along and emphasized select lyrics. “Brave Faces, Everyone” closed it out in a crescendo-like rocker moment where, as a fitting metaphor, Slocum’s hat finally came off, a weird but fitting symbol of losing himself in the moment.
 
Overall, the four-band lineup told a nice narrative that balanced introspective emo-minded, punk-tinged rock. The openers and closers had the most active, talkative sets with some somber all-about-the-music moments in the middle.