Tag Archive for philly

The Menzingers Live In Philadelphia (5/24/13)

Taken by the talented: BlakeLarsonPhoto.com

Taken by the talented: BlakeLarsonPhoto.com

Last night I headed to Philadelphia’s sweaty basement of the First Unitarian Church to catch Philly’s own adopted punks The Menzingers.  I actually got there so late that I missed every opening band, but somehow made it in time to catch the headliners (I really lucked out).

The place was sold out, sweaty as fuck, and packed.  I’m not going to lie, there was a period of time back in 2011 where I was seeing them all the time, but I sort of started taking The Menzingers for granted.  Any time they’d play a Philly show I’d just say “oh I’ll catch them next time they come around.”  Some time passed, and I realized that it has been at least 2 years since I’ve last seen The Menzingers, and holy shit was there a much different vibe at the show (more on that later).

The Menzingers themselves played a solid, tight set… although they seemed to not have the same stage presence they did a few years back where they’d be jumping and diving into the crowd, and with the slower jams of their latest On The Impossible Past I totally expected it to be a bit more mellow.

Most of the material they played was off the newest album, and it was good to finally hear those songs played live.  They actually didn’t do that many off Chamberlain Waits with at one point a member of the band said “come on, you guys really haven’t heard I’ve Been Born enough yet?”

After closing out, the band returned for a cover set encore which included songs by The Lawrence Arms, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The Bouncing Souls (which I lost my shit to harder than probably any other song).

My only real complaint about the show was a small minority of the crowd.  I guess a lot has changed over the past two years and they’ve gotten huge, but I noticed there just wasn’t as much respect at the show.  There were some cases where kids fell and people would just step on them (while veterans would rush over to help them up) and people dancing in the pit with everyone just targeting them and not letting them (I actually heard someone say “if you see someone dancing, fuck them, push them out of the way”).
I think it really has to do with the fact that for a lot of people, The Menzingers are now a gateway into punk and they just aren’t used to show etiquette.  Again, it was a small minority and you’re going to find assholes at every show, and at least these people just seemed more ignorant than intentionally being dicks, but it was worth mentioning that the vibe is definitely different.

Still a good time and didn’t really take too much away from the show, but definitely not the same rowdy party I’m used to with seeing The Menzingers (but that’s what I get for not seeing them in two years).

Setlist From What I Remember (Not In Order, And Not Complete):
Good Things
A Lesson In The Abuse Of Technology
The Obituaries
Casey
Home Outgrown
Gates
Ava House
On The Impossible Past
Nice Things
I Can’t Seem To Tell
Who’s Your Partner
Timetables

Encore:
Are You There Margaret, It’s Me God (Lawrence Arms Cover)
Bullet With Butterfly Wings (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)
Kate Is Great (Bouncing Souls Cover)

MP3:
The Menzingers – Home Outgrown

But I Will Fuck This Up, I Fucking Know It:
On The Impossible Past
Chamberlain Waits
Smoke or Fire – This Sinking Ship
Static Radio NJ – An Evening of Bad Decisions

Buy:
Epitaph

Violent Society, Blanks 77, Combat Crisis (Live In Trenton 4/20/13)

This past Saturday, I headed to my old home state of NJ to catch a bunch of damn good street punk bands that do not play anywhere near often enough.  The show was at Joe’s Mill Hill Saloon, which was this small little dive with a stage in it’s intimate basement, making it feel like any other house show (but with better bathrooms).

Everything about the show reeked of Philly: almost all the bands (minus Blanks 77) and the crowd came out from Philly to party.  I unfortunately missed most of the openers due to traffic, but I got there at the end of Dopestroke’s set, which definitely had people dancing throughout.

Combat Crisis


The first band I was able to catch in it’s entirety was Combat Crisis, the Philly street punk band who’ve made quite a name for themselves.  Combat Crisis had people singing along and sporadic pits throughout their energetic and fun set.  Female fronted punk rock, definitely check them out if you get a chance.

Blanks 77

NJ’s finest party pogo punks, it’s rare for them to play a show these days, so I try to make sure to catch Blanks 77 whenever they come around.  It seemed like the majority of people there were for Blanks 77, and fairly so… these guys (and gal) have been inspiring pogo pits and sing-alongs since 1990.  Us in the crowd were in a frenzy from the opening note, and didn’t really let up for the majority of the show.

Apparently the band is working on some new material as well, which would be pretty damn sweet since their last full length came out in 1998.

Highlights:
I Don’t Wanna Be
Up The System
I Wanna Be A Punk
We Are The Punks
Radio Hits
Void (I think they played this one)
Losing My Brain
Party Train

I missed The Heels because I had to go grab some food (and from the sound of it, I regret missing them), but made it back in perfect time for the other reason I came to the show… Violent Society.

Violent Society:

Violent Society is another band that plays incredibly infrequently these days, and they always put on a damn good show as well.  Some of the crowd thinned after Blanks 77 and The Heels, but there was still a sizeable amount fixed in the basement to see the Philly street punk legends.

Singalongs abound, Violent Society played a bunch from all of their releases… including closing with one of my personal favorites “You’re Gonna Fall”.  Definitely a good time, it made me realize I don’t go to nearly enough street punk shows anymore.

Setlist:
Philly Shreds
I Wanna Know
It’s Only Your Life
Can’t Stop You
Sick Sick Sick
Fashion Song
Behind The Bullshit
Rise Of Punk
Call Me
Coming Back For You
Totally Fucked
We Don’t Believe
Consumed
Violated
The Problem
Alone
Time Of Distraught
Piss On You
Culture Magnet
In Crowd
Why Do You Deny
Mr Suit
Sarges Last Stand
You’re Gonna Fall

MP3:
Violent Society – I Wanna Know
Blanks 77 – Radio Hits

More Punk Rock:
The Unseen – Lower Class Crucifixion
The Virus – Nowhere to Hide
Minor Disturbance – Bullet For You

Buy:
Blanks 77
Violent Society

Paint It Black – Invisible (For fans of Kid Dynamite, Lifetime, The Hope Conspiracy)


I honestly can’t believe it’s been nearly four years since Paint It Black has put out any new music, and anyone who has been reading this little ole’ blog for a while knows how bad I’ve been jonesing for some new tunes from Philly’s finest (although in their defense… Dan’s been busy being a new father and playing with old bands while the other members have been touring with their own respective bands). So how exactly does the brand spanking new Invisible EP fare?  Well, let me just say I’ve been listening to it an average of 3-4 times a day.

With 6 songs in 10 minutes, Paint It Black brings us a new level of melodic hardcore with Invisible.  Lyrically Dan delivers his witty yet pissed lyrics that we’ve come to expect from Paint It Black, but the Dr. charts new lyrical waters with songs such as “Little Fists.” A rebellion anthem written for his daughter with lines like “And when things look bleak/I’ll kiss the tears from your cheek/And watch you clench your little fists in your sleep.” it’s nothing short of touching and stunning at the same time.

While Dan usually gets the spotlight when people talk about Paint It Black, we can’t forget about the other members, who have contributed to creating some of the best PIB songs yet on Invisible (I’m looking at you “Props For Ventriloquism”).  The songs remain incredibly melodic without losing any of their aggression, and many are very reminiscent of their killer album Paradise.

I know it’s premature but I feel pretty confident when I say it: Paint It Black’s Invisible will definitely be on my top 10 of 2013.  Here’s just hoping they don’t take another 4 years before the next release…
FUN FACT: Yours truly is on the album, sort of.  During their secret house show, Dan recorded us in the crowd yell “GO” on his cell phone and put us on “Props For Ventriloquism.”  Philadelphia is incredibly terrible at yelling go at the same time, by the way.

MP3:
Paint It Black – Props For Ventriloquism

We’re Afraid Of Conflict But Always At War:
Paint It Black – Amnesia
Paint it Black – CVA
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Lifetime – Hello Bastards
Bad Side – Demo Review

Buy:
Paint It Black

Paint It Black, Joyce Manor, Loma Prieta, Congenital Death, Bad Side Live In Philly (3/31/13)

It’s the fucking Paint It Black record release show!  I’ve been stoked on this show ever since they announced it, and the fact that Philly local hardcore dudes Bad Side and female fronted hardcore band Congenital Death were on the bill were a huuuuge plus.  I headed to the sold out First Unitarian Church, and while hurting a bit (sprained my ankle, didn’t help my cause at World Inferno) I planned on completely losing my shit regardless.

Bad Side:

It didn’t take long for me to completely lose my shit, as Bad Side were the first ones up.  I’ve been listening to their demo ever since they released it back in October, and like Dan Yemin said during PIB’s set: “If you showed up late, you fucked up.”

It was my first time seeing them, and they completely tore shit up with their fast as fuck hardcore.  A few of us easily got a pit going, and stage dives were plentiful.  You need to check them out, period.

Congenital Death:

Another Philly local band, these gal and guys often play with Bad Side, so the same set of us who went off during Bad Side continued the antics up through their set.  Congenital Death play brutal powerviolence hardcore, and are often compared to Punch or Death Rats.  They’ve really seemed to find their sound since the last time I caught them at The Barbary, and I definitely need to check their recorded stuff out.

I wound up missing the majority of Loma Prieta’s set, but I was able to catch most of Joyce Manor.

Joyce Manor:

I know that Joyce Manor is all the rage these days, but admittedly I never got a chance to check them out. They definitely had a lot of energy, and fans were constantly stage diving through out the set.  They played that style of pop-punk that is really big (at least here in Philly) similar to Spraynard or Iron Chic, but personally I’m not really a fan of that noodling guitar punk.  They did put on an energetic set though that even I was able to appreciate.

Paint It Black:

Paint It Black playing two Philly shows in the span of a few months?  Be still my heart.  Throughout the interwebs (or the information super highway as I like to call it), Paint It Black have essentially streamed their entire new Invisible EP through various blogs, and I’ve been seriously listening to it nonstop any time I’m near a computer.  So needless to say, I was fucking stoked to hear these new songs live.

Paint It Black took the stage, and immediately busted out into “Greeting Fellow Insomniacs”, the opening track off of Invisible. The band continued their onslaught of aggressive yet melodic hardcore playing songs from their entire discography, keeping the pauses brief.  We in the crowd were constantly barraging Dan with a bunch of pile-ons,  constant dives, and had a pit going through out their entire set (would you expect anything less from their hometown)?

The band thanked us for coming out to the show even though it’s Easter Sunday, and gave us some background on the new EP.

Incredibly tight setlist, they played everything off of Invisible and a lot of my (and crowd) favorites.

Setlist:
Greetings Fellow Insomniacs
Past Tense, Future Perfect
CVA
Exit Wounds
Props For Ventriloquists
Atticus Fitch
Four Deadly Venoms
D.F.W
Salem
Invisible
Election Day
Head First
Pink Slip
Cannibal
Womb Envy
Memorial Day
Little Fists
The Ledge
Surrender
We Will Not

Mp3:
Bad Side – Demo
Paint It Black – Four Simple Steps to Total Life Satisfaction

You Don’t Know This Song, But I Caught You Trying To Sing Along:
Bad Side – Demo Review
Paint it Black – CVA
The Steal – Bright Grey
Lighten Up – Absolutely Not

Buy:
Paint It Black
Bad Side

World Inferno Friendship Society (Live In Philly 3/30/13))


Last night, I headed to Philly’s own Union Transfer to see cabaret punks The World Inferno Friendship Society.  I missed most of the opening bands, but got there in time to party World Inferno style (slamdancing/waltzing/general rowdiness).  The venue itself was probably at half capacity or so, which made for plenty of dancing room, a nice welcome for once at an Inferno show.

Unlike other punk shows, when you see World Inferno, it’s always just a giant party.  The band took the stage, and is tradition, immediately broke into their call to arms “Tattoos Fade”.  We immediately responded with confetti, streamers, pits abound and stage dives.  Jack and company continued their antics, telling us a few stories about the road (“Boy it’s good to be back in the northeast, where we’re popular.  If you ever want to see us in an intimate environment, come see us in say… Florida.  No one shows up.”), and giving us a little history behind the song “The Brother Of The Mayor Of Bridgewater” (which is about one of the members of R.A.M.B.O).

They played a solid set spanning most of their discography, and played a lot off their latest EP (which I haven’t had a chance to check out but plan to soon).  Fun show, sore as fuck and I still have Paint It Black tonight.

Setlist (From what I remember and not in order):
Tattoos Fade
Politics Of Passing Out
Everybody Come To Rick’s
Thumb Cinema
Addicted To Bad Ideas
A Night In The Woods
I Wouldn’t Want To Live In A World Without Grudges
One For The Witches
Brother Of The Mayor Of Bridgewater
Second Chance Saloon (I think)
Go Faster Think Better
Velocity Of Love
Your Younger Man
Paul Robeson
Pickles And Gin
I Am Sick Of People Being Sick Of My Shit
The Disarming Smile
The Apple Was Eve
Only Anarchists Are Pretty
Zen And The Art Of Breaking Everything In This Room

MP3:
World Inferno Friendship Society – Ladies and Gentlemen Of The Road

All The World Is A Stage (Dive):
World Inferno Friendship Society – The Anarchy And The Ecstasy
World Inferno Friendship Society – Addicted to Bad Ideas
World Inferno Friendship Society – Just The Best Party
World Inferno Friendship Society – Red Eyed Soul
World Inferno Friendship Society – East Coast Super Sound Punk of Today

Buy:
World Inferno

Bad Side – Looking For A Bad Time (For fans of Bones Brigade, DS 13, Cut The Shit)


From the ashes of a bunch of Philly bands comes Bad Side, the hardcore project containing members of Lighten Up, Cobra Lung, and GA$H.  I’m going to keep this one quick in the spirit of the music, but I’ve been listening to their demo nonstop for months now.

Bad Side’s 5 minute demo captures what hardcore is all about: raw, fast as fuck aggressive music that is sure to entice plenty of stage dives.  While I hate the overuse of different “-cores” (it’s all just fucking punk rock man), these guys definitely remind a lot of some of the more traditional fastcore bands like DS 13 or LxExAxRxN.  If you dig your hardcore without the chunky breakdowns and floor punching… definitely give these guys a listen, if their demo is this good, I can’t wait to see when they release something.

MP3:
Bad Side – Demo

More Adult Contemporary Jams To Lose Your Shit To:
Cut The Shit – Marked For Life
Bones Brigade – Endless Bummer
LxExAxRxN – First Lesson
Aneurysm Rats

Buy:
Bad Side

The Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket Live In Philly (2/28/13)

I’ve been waiting for this day for months.  Teenage Bottlerocket and The Queers followed by Philly’s premiere 70s punk/rock and roll party guitar army?  Count me the FUCK in.

I headed out to a sold out Barbary and thanks to lovely Philly traffic missed the majority of the openers Masked Intruders set, but from the little bit I heard, I definitely need to check these masked dudes out.  Solid pop-punk.

Teenage Bottlerocket

I’ve said it many times before on this site and I’ll say it again, Wyoming punks Teenage Bottlerocket are my favorite as far as modern pop-punk goes, and was actually my first post ever on this site back in 2007.  I was lucky enough to catch them at The Barbary last August and the fact they came back so soon was just an added bonus.

The band took the stage to a chainsaw wielding masked man with a TBR sign saying “Freak Out”, and blasted straight into the song.  The crowd sung along every word, and they barely let up their Ramones influenced punk rock.  Playing songs from most of their albums with a heavy focus on their latest Freak Out, the band experienced some on stage difficulties when a guitar cut out, but in true punk rock fashion decided “fuck it” and powered through the set (which didn’t deter us fans at all, who kept shouting along every word and getting a small pit going).

They took the time to give a shoutout/lovingly mock their Wyoming punk scene, saying that DC has enough documentaries, and it’s time to have one on the two bands that play in Wyoming.  One thing I have to say about TBR is that they look like they are legitimately having a blast on stage every time I see them, and not just running through the motions.  That alone is is one of the key components to a good show.

Setlist (From what I remember, pretty complete, not in order)

Freak Out
Headbanger
Cruising For Chicks
Necrocomicon
Maverick
Punk House Of Horror
Mutilate Me
Who Killed Sensei
Skate Or Die
Bigger Than Kiss
Fatso Goes Nutzoid
Stupid Games
Crashing
Bloodbath At Burger King
Bottlerocket
In The Basement
Welcome To The Nuthouse
New Song
Lillington High

The Queers:

The Queers have been around since before a lot of you were even born, and have become one of the most well-known names in pop-punk.  Irreverent, crude, and catchy as all fuck, The Queers definitely tore down The Barbary.

One thing I liked about The Queers was the vast age difference in their fans.  You had some 40 year old dudes there who’ve been listening to them since the 80s and plenty of young-ins who got into their later works.

There was a pretty dedicated pit throughout their set, and while I don’t know all of their albums (believe me, they have a lot), the crowd was singing along, dancing, and crowd surfing throughout their set.

I never got a chance to see them before, so it was good to finally see these New Hampshire punks.

Highlights:
No Tits
Born To Do Dishes
Hi Mom, It’s Me
This Place Sucks
Punk Rock Girls
White Minority (Black Flag Cover)
Teenage Bonehead (I think)
Outta My Skull (I think)
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Ramones Cover)

MP3:
The Queers – Little Rich Working Class Oi Boi
Teenage Bottlerocket – Be Stag

I Gotta Strangle That Girl:
The Queers – Beyond The Valley…
Teenage Bottlerocket – Freak Out!
Teenage Bottletrocket – They Came From The Shadows
Teenage Bottlerocket – Another Way

Buy:
The Queers

Teenage Bottlerocket

R.A.M.B.O – Wall Of Death The System (For fans of Crucial Unit, DS-13, Municipal Waste)


When you think Philly hardcore, the first bands that probably come to mind are Paint It Black or Kid Dynamite… and rightfully so, those guys are fucking awesome.  One Philly hardcore band that often gets overlooked though are thrashcore dudes R.A.M.B.O, and their first full length Wall Of Death The System is a 28 song blitz that lasts but a mere 34 minutes.

With song titles such as “Ian Mackaye Is My Savior, Not Jesus” and “Circle That ‘A’, Motherfucker”, R.A.M.B.O isn’t exactly the most subtle band in the world. Playing thrashy hardcore in the veins of DS-13 or Crucial Unit, R.A.M.B.O focused on anarchist, cyclist, and skate themes in their lyrics.

Known for their insane live shows, unfortunately they called it quits back in 2007.  If you dig fast paced punk rock with a touch of humor, check out one of Philly’s finest.

MP3:
R.A.M.B.O – Ian Mackaye Is My Savior, Not Jesus

Rock Out With Your Black Bloc Out:
Municipal Waste – The Fatal Feast
Crucial Unit – These Colors Get The Runs
Municipal Waste – Waste Em All

Buy:
625 Thrash

Ghostlimb, Plague Dogs, Heavy Medical Live In Philly (1/6/13)

Last night, I headed to Philly’s First Unitarian Church to catch melodic/grind/hardcore dudes Ghostlimb.  Originally, Reign Supreme was supposed to headline but they had to cancel due to a family emergency.  Instead R5 Productions said there would be a secret headliner, who turned out to be John Baizley of Baroness.  Honestly, none of it mattered to me (about Reign Supreme, new headliners, etc) as I was there for one reason only, and that was to see LA’s Ghostlimb shred shit up.

There were only about 30-40 people at the show, so the bands all played on the floor as opposed to the stage (last time I saw that happen at the church was at Armalite years ago).

Heavy Medical

Unfortunately I missed openers Xanax, but made it in time for Philly’s own Heavy Medical.  Heavy Medical consisted of a bassist and a drummer, and played very sludgy punk.  The band blasted through a relatively quick set with the final song adding another guest drummer (from Xanax).

Plague Dogs


I never heard of these Philly dudes before, but they completely tore shit up.  Playing aggressive crusty dbeat similar to Disfear, Plague Dogs played a damn enjoyable set, and definitely won over a new fan last night.  I’m a sucker for some solid dbeat.

Ghostlimb


At this point, it became apparent that the majority of people at the show were there for John Baizley, but I was beyond stoked to see Ghostlimb on what I think was their first Philly show.  As soon as they took the stage floor, I made my way to the very front, and I noticed they won over a few people in the crowd who were rocking the fuck out as well.

For those who don’t know, Ghostlimb is the brainchild of Justin Smith (Graf Orlock, Dangers), and where Graf Orlock is almost like a novelty band (humorous lyrics regarding movies), Ghostlimb tackles social issues often through the lens of history (which is appropriate, with him being a history teacher and all).

Ghostlimb ripped through a damn good set, with a few people singing (shouting?) along (ok… just me and one other dude) and mostly played songs off their latest Confluence, which made my top 10 of 2012.

Once the band was finishing up, I shouted one more song, to which other people joined in.  They said they weren’t the last band and couldn’t, however John Baizley was right up front digging them, and told them to definitely do one more.

I grabbed their setlist, I think it’s written in a lot of their working titles or ways the band knows them as opposed to their actual titles, but here it is as written:

Sacco
Confluence
B.L Metal
Sleep
Sludge
Dog
Two
Deth
Seven
DC
STD 2
STD 1

If anyone knows which songs things are referencing, feel free to tell us in the comments!  (I think I remember them playing Margins, and maaaaaybe Ocean Floor, but I could be making that up).

MP3:
Ghostlimb – Bridge Above The Water

“I’ll have the same unending ache of dissent and disgust”:
Ghostlimb – Bearing and Distance
Dangers – Self Titled EP
Dangers – Anger
Dangers – Demo
Ceremony – Violence Violence
Dangers – Messy, Isn’t It?
Graf Orlock – Destination: Time Today
Graf Orlock – Destination Time Tomorrow

Buy:
Vitriol Records

Paint It Black Secret Holiday House Show (Live In Philly 12/27/12)

When I saw that Paint It Black was playing a rare show in DC and then NJ this winter but left Philly off the list, I had a hunch that they had something up their sleeves for their hometown.  So when I saw that they announced that they were going to play a secret house show in Philly yesterday, you can imagine how stoked I was.

I headed to West Philly’s Golden Tea House pretty damn early, and the kitchen was already starting to get packed with people.  We love our Paint It Black here in Philly.

Bad Energy:

First up were locals Bad Energy.  These guys (and gal) played a solid set with their blast beat hardcore.  It was a bit hard to hear the vocals (something that was true for the entire show actually), but it’s a house show, so really, who gives a fuck?  A few in the crowd lost their shit, and I’d definitely catch them again.

Attitude Era:

Best band name ever?  Probably.  Attitude Era took the floor next with the singer immediately jumping into the crowd starting a bit of a frenzy.  Think hardcore in the veins of Punch or Coke Bust.  Very short set that was quick and brutal as fuck, just the way hardcore was meant to be played.

Restorations:

Restorations have been making a name for themselves as of late, and these guys were sort of the black sheep of the show with their indie influenced, super melodic punk rock (they were sort of the calm before the Paint It Black storm).  It’s not really my favorite style of punk, but there were plenty of people in the crowd singing along to every word and rocking out.

Paint It Black:

Philly’s own hometown heroes.  There aren’t many bands that reach the success that Paint It Black has, and still play $5 house shows for us.  Last time I saw Paint It Black at a house, it was easily one of the best shows I’ve been to so I was beyond stoked.

The floor was packed, and the second they hit their first note we burst into a frenzy of bumrushing, pile ons, and crowd surfing.  Dan Yemin was throwing himself into the crowd (I’m sure to partially protect the equipment from us maniacs).

At one point, the band wanted to record all of us shouting “GO” so they can put it on their next record they plan on recording this winter “we know it’s cheesy but I really want to do it anyway”.

A damn good show, probably the best surprise holiday gift I’ve gotten this year.

Setlist:
Four Deadly Venoms
The Ledge
Exit Wounds
Atticus Finch
Past Tense, Future Perfect
Pink Slip
Cannibal
C.V.A
White Kids Dying Of Hunger
Election Day
Salem
Womb Envy
This Song Is Short Because It’s Not Political (I think)…
Worms
Memorial Day
We Will Not
The Pharmacist

MP3:
Paint It Black – Memorial Day

Hit The Ground Running, Won’t Slow Down:
Paint It Black – Amnesia
Kid Dynamite, And The Art Of Moshing Everywhere
Lifetime – Hello Bastards

Buy:
Paint It Black