Saturday
Each day Fest continues, the sets get progressively earlier in the day. After un-official late shows Thursday, and early-evening music on Friday, the primary venues opened their doors around 2 PM on Saturday. My first move was skipping the lines for Dear Landlord (regretfully, upon hearing they performed their day-before-Halloween set dressed as Juggalos) in order to see other bands in smaller settings.
That’s Incredible
San Pedro’s That’s Incredible started my Saturday highlights. The band is a side project from members of Toys That Kill, Soviettes, Killer Dreamer, and Dick Army and—as cliché as it may be—they sound much like an amalgamation of said groups. They blend Sean Cole’s distinct melodies with the Susy Sharp’s peppiness. For a band with only a 7-inch, I wasn’t expecting a lot, but they filled out a half-hour set without any filler, covers, or songs that sounded fresh from the drawing board. It was a polished performance of slightly off-kilter poppiness that helped kick in the adrenaline necessary to carry a Fester through his third long, hot day at the bar.
The Measure [SA]
Saturday also featured the most venue-hopping but, fortunately, there was little time wasted in line. After watching a few bands at 1982, sticking around for Bedford Falls on a recommendation well worth its salt, I ran down to 8 Seconds. There was virtually no line and I got in quickly for New Brunswick’s The Measure [SA]. The band continues to grow and this was the best performance I’ve seen from them. They played a mix of older songs along with some off the new LP (that I have yet to hear). It all carried the band’s signature quirkiness blended with dual-vocal pop-punk and an infectious, positive energy. The band also celebrated No Idea Records’ 25th anniversary. For a larger stage, the floor area was disproportionately small and the sound was adequate, although site lines away from the floor appear to be lacking. My only complaint: the bar unplugged their mechanical bull.
ADD/C
To continue the venue changes, the night ended with a 3-band set at Boca Fiesta, a Mexican Restaurant with an outdoor patio/bar and stage. How they manage outdoor music without noise violations is a wonder to me, but it’s a great, intimate, and temperate setting to catch a show. After hours in dingy bars with hundreds of sweaty punks and no air conditioning, the fresh nighttime air was a welcome change. Chattanooga’s ADD/C is a band I caught at my very first Fest after striking up conversation with their guitarist, and I’m glad we crossed paths. They play a blend of aggressive punk styles with something of a distorted-Southern thing underlying the decadence. The crowd was highly energetic with an active pit of slobbering, stumbling drunks. While the energy should be wavering at this time of day, the pure joy of loud anthemic music kept the audience at full tilt.
