DS Show Review & Gallery: The Bollweevils -“Essential” Record Release, with Reaganomics, The Dopamines, Rad Payoff, and Butchered (Chicago

Chop Shop, in Chicago’s Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood, was the site of The Bollweevils‘ release show for its long-awaited new record, “Essential.” Heavy duty support was provided by Reaganomics, The Dopamines, Rad Payoff, and Butchered.

The Bollweevils just released their first new record in almost a decade and a half to high praise from multiple outlets. Essential hit the public in May. (Disclaimer: I contributed to the record’s inside photography.) I assure you I am not cutting and pasting past The Bollweevils reviews when I describe the band’s performance as wonderfully raucous. It’s just that I have yet to experience a disappointing show put on by these men. It starts with the charismatic lead singer in Dr. Daryl Wilson, M.D. A.K.A. the Punk Rock Doc, jumping well above his nearly 6’5″ frame, and providing the numerous shooters in the makeshift photo-pit ample opportunities to catch air in the form of cool images. But The Bollweevils are far from a one-tall-man show. Bass duties are performed by the red-headed Pete (“Publish only in black and white!”) Mittler or the 5th Bollweevil, Joe Mizzi, from the Mizzerables. The split bass player situation is due to Mittler, also of The Methadones, moving to Florida a few years back for personal reasons. On this night Mittler flew back from the Sunshine State to perform, and Mizzi, who provides vocals on Essential flew back from attending Punk Rock Bowling to provide support to his friends and bandmates. Mittler showed support for Mizzi as well, forgoing his most well-known “Smoke Crack and Steal” top (which he once wore on a popular local morning new programs) and instead sporting a The Mizzerables t-shirt.

Mittler has a well-known affinity for
sleeveless shirts. But with his “guns,” many in the crowd appreciated them too. I write that respectfully for the hard work he puts in. Most importantly his playing was just as muscular as his upper arms.

Throttling through the set in conjunction with Mittler to make a dynamic backline was the other Pete, Pete Mumford. The double Petes provided a powerful backline to fuel a firecracker of a show.

Mumford, a charming, self-effacing personality with a sharp sense of humor, is also a fantastic drummer. Witnessing his jubilance behind his kit is always a delight.

Ken Fitzner, a Chicago Public School teacher, and former principal in the CPS, when not displaying his deft and blazing guitar skills rounds out the group. Fitzner, a founding member of the group, along with Wilson, has provided a crucial solidity to The Bollweevils. His near life-long deep friendship with the band’s singer is apparent both on and off-stage. They define “brothers from other mothers,” and it is a joy to observe. PBS agreed apparently. Actually, The Bollweevils can be described in whole, with apologies to Stephen E. Ambrose, as a band of brothers.

On this night, The Bollweevils’ hard-driving set included the highly liked, “Bottomless Pit,” “Galt’s Gulch,” (from the new album), and “The Failure of Bill Dozer.” But the top crowd pleasers had the crowd magnificently joining in “The Bollweevils Anthem.”

“Liniment and Tonic,” also (featured on Essential) and “999-Stoney.” That latter song, one of my favorites of this band, played as a part of the set’s finale, has perhaps my very favorite The Bollweevils lyric as its chorus. A simply stated, yet stinging, retort to those with a privileged view of the world,

“Things seem so different when you’ve got your rose-colored glasses on.“

In fact, the song itself seems to be an indictment of people who are apathetic to or willfully ignorant of so many sad states of the world. I loved it, as did the crowd, who sang along in glorious unity.

I’ll also say this every time I write about The Bollweevils: if you have yet to see them live, get on it as soon as the next chance arises. In the interim, pick up the new record, and as much of its discography you can get your hands on.

Next up for The Bollweevils takes place in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The guys will sharing a stage with another legendary band, The Adolescents on August 12, 2023 at Haven City Market.

When you have such a beloved, forceful, and legendary headliner, on its record release show, it is essential (yes, I meant to do that) that the supporting bands can honor that with superb sets. Boy, did the show’s organizers deliver big time.

I like The Reaganomics name quite a bit but not the fiscal policies, upon first hearing the band name, are easy to misconstrue as the inspiration for said name. In reality, per Cantu,

“I think the band name is a joke, one of the guys old landlords looking like Reagan and some rules they had at their apt. Or something to that effect.”

Red Scare label mates with The Bollweevils, the band self-describes as “4 sweaty dads playing punk rock with constant pummeling banter mostly pertaining to collective soul.” It did indeed pummel the audience in the very best way. Roaring through “STFU,” “Meth Gator,” “The Four Cliches,” “Grown Ass Man,” “Worth A Damn” all from its 2019 release, The Aging Punk, The Reaganomics, comprised of Terry Morrow, Greg Alltop, Nick Mclenighan, and Eddie Cantu, granted the crowd a more positive experience in one night than the similarly named former screen actor did in 8 years as President of the United States. Well, the exception being Ronald Reagan’s effect on punk rock.

Next up for The Reaganomics: a show at Elder Brewing Co. in Joliet on June 23, 2023. They will share the bill with Death and Memphis, Kalico Skies, and Tall Doug.

The Dopamines, out of Cincinnati OH, put on a fun and rollicking performance, tearing through its set list, which included “Business Papers,” “Night Vision,” “Ire,” and “Cincinnati Harmony.” However, bass player and vocalist Jon Weiner never did get the answer to his burning query. The same question he asked during the band’s set at the War on Christmas show this past December. The question being, “what it is that Congress does?” Having studied politics, law, and journalism, I suppose I could have provided a somewhat complex though admittedly somewhat convoluted explanation. However, I prefer to let my friend Bill take charge of answering it, at least partially. Still, I have a feeling the band will still search for the answer, at least until an audience member elects, pun intended, to step up and speak out. It will be an entertaining moment on top of an already very entertaining band.

This was not the first time I’ve documented Butchered, from Chicago, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The band, composed of Nick Cvijovic, Louis Steimel, Derek Barberini, and Vinnie Dinwiddie, gave a boisterous performance, grinding through its set which opened with “Half-Assed” and closed with “Born to Run With Scissors.”

Cvijovic, who informed me his surname is pronounced “svi-oh-vich,” gave me his reaction, via direct message, to the night a few days after the show,

“Room was packed when we played, it felt real good. The whole show was insane and awesome and made us feel really great and [he inserted the 100% emoji here.]”

Your next chance to check out Butchered, or check them out again will be on July 2, 2023, at GMan Tavern in Chicago, They will be sharing a bill with Nowhere Fast, out of Kentucky, and another Windy City punk group Dying Scene has covered at least a couple of times, Torch The Hive. That should be a terrific show and a good time.

The one band new to me was Rad Payoff. The group has been a part of the Chicago punk scene for a while, but as far as I can recall, I had yet to see them live. I could say something like getting images of this band had a rad payoff, but that would be silly. In any case, the band, comprised of Jason Smith, Jon Olson, Zack Hjelmstad, and Mike Oberlin, whipped up the crowd as it ripped through a set list including, “It’s Pronounced Mogue,” “Sunglasses,” and “The Gender of My Animals.” The band also performed its single, “A Series of Excuses,” a song whose proceeds were donated to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Please check out more photos from this really cool night! Thanks & Cheers!