Thursday
Bridge and Tunnel
I was unfamiliar with this band coming in. I’d heard a few songs on compilations (likely from previous Fests) and was unimpressed, but the band carried a lot of buzz. Plus, there were only a handful of shows across town this night and I was there early enough to get in the door. Worn In Red and Young Livers also played, but Bridge and Tunnel stole the show.
The New Jersey 4-piece consists of your standard guitar/bass/drum combo, with vocals alternating between guitarists Rachel and Jeff. The band peppered their set heavily with covers, including four straight Minor Threat songs and Black Flag’s “Rise Above.” They did so with little banter, letting the music speak for itself and the true-to-the-original covers ignited the crowd into a mass of gang vocals. From my perch beside the stage, I had a direct view of Pat Schramm’s drumming, which was really sets the band’s powerful tone. Word of mouth says their official Fest set on Saturday was similarly cover-heavy.
