I did not originally intend to attend this show, but my show with Xozo got shut down, so I headed over to Charm City Art Space. These circumstances unfortunately caused me to miss most of the bands, including the amazing Multicult, whose live performances always seem to evade me.
I arrived during the beginning of Pfisters' set.* They played competent, punky noise rock. Their set was a little lengthy but they included a cover of Agent Orange's "Bloodstains" (you might recognize it from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4) which was fun.
Fight Amp were the headliners, one of my favorites. Practically every time I've seen them they've had a new lineup. Tonight was no exception, with a new drummer in the fold (who made his shitty frankenstein kit sound great). Even though Fight Amp have a new album coming out and a better, more recent one, they heavily favored their first album, Hungry for Nothing. I like that album a lot, but I've heard them play those songs many times; it would have been nice to hear some stuff from the underrated Manners and Praise. Still, it's a shame more people didn't show up; Fight Amp's sound and delivery were exceptional. Be sure to catch 'em next time!
-Ben
*I greatly regret posting a myspace link, but this seems to be their only web presence.
Listen/Download the show:
Showing posts with label punk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label punk. Show all posts
Monday, June 25, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Live show #5: Tragedy at Ottobar
Tonight I was faced with the tough decision of attending either this Tragedy/Triac/Occultist show or Pygmy Lush/Screaming Females at the Golden West. Obviously I chose the former, mostly because it seemed like the rarer occurance.
I missed openers Wargames due to some serious traffic on 295 going into Baltimore. Local grind greats Triac were second. Xozo played with them once. I was eagerly anticipating seeing this band, as I've not yet seen them without ex-singer Noel (now in Lady Piss). As usual, they failed to disappoint. Jake's drum performance was mesmerising, and Chad and Kevin held it up vocally.
Next were Occultist from Richmond. Having no prior experience with this band, I was pleasantly surprised by their solid set. Their sound kind of ran the gamut from thrash to death to black metal, but they tied it all together with tight transistions. Frontwoman K.Z. put on a pretty menacing performance. Check 'em out; I think At the Graves is playing with them on May 20th at Casa Fiesta in D.C.
Though some might unfavorably compare headliners Tragedy to their legendary old band His Hero is Gone, I like them both for different reasons. Tragedy has that sappy minor-key feel that I'm usually a sucker for. The recording of Tragedy's set came out pretty well, but it doesn't come close to representing their live energy. Their music seems to be built for the live performance, with lots of epic vocal refrains and D-beats to encourage audience participation. They mixed in some decidedly darker new material from their new LP, but their set had a good flow and included a nice mix of their material.
Download the show: 051012 - Tragedy at Ottobar
-Ben
I missed openers Wargames due to some serious traffic on 295 going into Baltimore. Local grind greats Triac were second. Xozo played with them once. I was eagerly anticipating seeing this band, as I've not yet seen them without ex-singer Noel (now in Lady Piss). As usual, they failed to disappoint. Jake's drum performance was mesmerising, and Chad and Kevin held it up vocally.
Next were Occultist from Richmond. Having no prior experience with this band, I was pleasantly surprised by their solid set. Their sound kind of ran the gamut from thrash to death to black metal, but they tied it all together with tight transistions. Frontwoman K.Z. put on a pretty menacing performance. Check 'em out; I think At the Graves is playing with them on May 20th at Casa Fiesta in D.C.
Though some might unfavorably compare headliners Tragedy to their legendary old band His Hero is Gone, I like them both for different reasons. Tragedy has that sappy minor-key feel that I'm usually a sucker for. The recording of Tragedy's set came out pretty well, but it doesn't come close to representing their live energy. Their music seems to be built for the live performance, with lots of epic vocal refrains and D-beats to encourage audience participation. They mixed in some decidedly darker new material from their new LP, but their set had a good flow and included a nice mix of their material.
Download the show: 051012 - Tragedy at Ottobar
-Ben
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Live show #3: Barclay House 8th Anniversary Show
Barclay house: Baltimore's longest-running DIY space and one of my favorite venues. It was my mom's birthday, so I missed all but the last four bands. I arrived during Bad Biology's set. Their noisy, My War/Slip It In-era Black Flag worship resonated with me; that's the way I like my hardcore punk.
The turnout was great for this show; it was pretty much a giant party for the Baltimore underground punk/metal scene. This amounted to much less boredom between bands. The next group was Musket Hawk; a solid, newish punk/metal band with a touch of early screamo influence. I dug 'em. Their drummer was pretty awesome.
After Musket Hawk, and being entertained by my inebriated friends, was Philly's noise-punks Nightfall. They were as good as the last time I saw them, when Revolta played with them at Sidebar about a year ago. During their chaotic set I got caught in the mosh, so the recording's a little uneven in parts. It's got that err... gritty, real charm to it!
Lastly was the return of Diablero. While they had some technical difficulties, they played with conviction (especially Mr. Carnes!) and it was good to see them again after a few years. The basement was packed for their set, which made it that more intense. All in all it was a fun, fitting show to celebrate a mainstay of the Baltimore underground.
Download the show: 050512 Barclay Anniversary
-Ben
The turnout was great for this show; it was pretty much a giant party for the Baltimore underground punk/metal scene. This amounted to much less boredom between bands. The next group was Musket Hawk; a solid, newish punk/metal band with a touch of early screamo influence. I dug 'em. Their drummer was pretty awesome.
After Musket Hawk, and being entertained by my inebriated friends, was Philly's noise-punks Nightfall. They were as good as the last time I saw them, when Revolta played with them at Sidebar about a year ago. During their chaotic set I got caught in the mosh, so the recording's a little uneven in parts. It's got that err... gritty, real charm to it!
Lastly was the return of Diablero. While they had some technical difficulties, they played with conviction (especially Mr. Carnes!) and it was good to see them again after a few years. The basement was packed for their set, which made it that more intense. All in all it was a fun, fitting show to celebrate a mainstay of the Baltimore underground.
Download the show: 050512 Barclay Anniversary
-Ben
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