While Red Scare Industries is not old enough to drink yet, it can certainly throw a kick-ass party. In its 20 years of putting together albums, it has curated a selection of artists that have touched lives across the globe. For those unfamiliar with Red Scare Industries, the label was founded by Tobias Jeg, an […]
While Red Scare Industries is not old enough to drink yet, it can certainly throw a kick-ass party. In its 20 years of putting together albums, it has curated a selection of artists that have touched lives across the globe. For those unfamiliar with Red Scare Industries, the label was founded by Tobias Jeg, an alum of Fat Wreck Chords who decided to do his own thing. In 2004, he produced two albums for The Falcon and Enemy You.
A 20-year-long legacy is no small feat, and they have used this time wisely, working with and shaping an impressive catalog of artists. In Chicago, at the very least, some of the most iconic bands have worked or are still working with the record label; Red Scare has managed to, in a way, help shape the sound of the Chicago punk scene’s sound without a doubt.
A very interesting aspect of how Red Scare operates is how they maintain good relationships with their artists and the appreciation they have for each other. The clearest proof of this appreciation is their recently released album, 20 Years of Dreaming and Scheming, featuring songs from their artists and even a few bands that came out of retirement to participate. To list a few, Won’t Stay Dead, the Bollweevils, The Brokedowns were all part of the event, both the album and the live shows.
The album released was just half of the party. Two shows in Chicago, one each in Wisconsin, Portland and Seattle and to wrap it all up, two more at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas. All in the span of three weeks. What a busy month it will be. But hey- you only turn twenty once.
To kick off the party, playing their characteristic spooky and mesmerizing blend of pop and horror punk, Won’t Stay Dead was the first band on the ticket. Sadly, due to typical Chicago traffic, I was unable to get there in time to photograph and give a proper review of their set. That being said, Won’t Stay Dead generally are incredible performers so go ahead and check out their cover of Enemy You’s “Ex-Machina” which is also a part of Red Scare’s anniversary compilation and a certified banger.
Chicago punk rockers The Bollweevils took the stage and as per usual, the crowd’s excitement went through the roof almost immediately. Standing still is nearly impossible when the Punk Rock Doc is on stage. His contagious energy fills up the entire venue as he jumps, high kicks, and joins the crowd in the mosh pit. The way he connects with the audience is truly special and never gets old. The fans and them always seem to have such an incredible almost symbiotic relationship in which both feed off each other’s energy, escalating to a point where everyone regardless of how many times they have seen them live, if at all, feels like they too are a part of the show.
In between songs, the banter between the band members is hilarious, constantly joking and teasing each other, but when the first chord strikes it is time for business. Once the music starts, the playful banter transforms into some of the most solid punk rock anyone could ask for. Their repertoire includes an impressively solid collection of thoughtful lyrics while retaining the speed and aggression that has been part of their core sound for decades.
One thing about the band was different this time, though: joining them on the drums was Timmy Lydon, who made playing the drums seem effortless while matching the tempo and energy of the rest of the band. As always, the band delivered a tight performance that was both energetic and fun.
“Honk If You’re Horny” is both the cheesiest bumper sticker and one hell of a catchy tune by Elgin Illinois’ punk quartet The Brokedowns. Hilarious and irreverent immediately come to mind when thinking about this band. With songs titled “Osama Van Halen,” and “Kony 2022” this band’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics are put in contrast with a musical set that is both fast, and gritty but at the same time oddly melodic. It is a unique blend of concepts that in theory should not work but synergize perfectly well to create their distinct sound.
The Brokedowns were more than just the music, just like the previous band, the banter in between songs made it easy to relate with them and feel like the space in between songs was just as much a part of their set as the music they play. These guys managed to put together equal parts of catchy riffs, cheeky lyrics and a gritty voice that make them a band that is easily enjoyable to listen to and even more to see live.
A few moments after The Brokedowns finished their set, a familiar face, and even more familiar voice took up the stage. Sporting a bandana around his neck, followed by his stylish bandmates wearing matching tracksuits, Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds pick up their instruments and begin their set. Well, two familiar faces, as Deanna from Sincere Engineer joined the band for the evening playing the electric guitar and backup vocals.
Brendan Kelly, from The Falcon and The Lawrence Arms, played his acoustic guitar and sang for the crowd with his very iconic raspy vocals and a demeanor that somehow made me nostalgic for something I didn’t know I missed. As a masterful storyteller, with every song he was able to transport the audience through a journey of emotions; some songs sounded sorrowful, other songs were joyful, but all of them made you feel something. The perfect balance between folk, punk, and rock and roll served as the perfect catalyst for the experience.
And so, the night ended with a most perfect band to bring closure to the evening filled with music, laughter, and the beginning of the rest of Red Scare Industries’ anniversary party. What a great experience it must be to see so many people, both artists and fans, come together to celebrate the hard work and the influence of what once was a small project has turned into over the course of two decades.
Check out the photo gallery below for a few more photos of the show!
As I was sitting here in my spacious corner office at DS HQ fanning myself with our quarterly profit-sharing checks earlier, it dawned on me that the close of 2023 brings with it the close of the first full calendar year since the resurrection of Dying Scene a couple of summers ago. It’s still a […]
As I was sitting here in my spacious corner office at DS HQ fanning myself with our quarterly profit-sharing checks earlier, it dawned on me that the close of 2023 brings with it the close of the first full calendar year since the resurrection of Dying Scene a couple of summers ago. It’s still a colossal work in progress (seriously – buy some of our merch so we can keep feeding the hamster in the wheel) so whether you’ve been reading us for years or you just checked in for the first time in 2023…thanks! Now let’s get on with the wrap-up!
I know what you’re thinking: “Jay usually does a super long Top 25 or whatever at the end of every year so I can’t wait to see how many he listed this year!” Well the joke is on you! I looked back at a lot of my old year-end lists and realized how many albums I had ranked super highly and then never listened to again, and how many albums I missed or ranked like #22 that became desert island albums over time, so I decided to go a different route. Yes, Samiam is a clear #1 “Best Album Of The Year.” The rest…well…you’ll see! Every release mentioned appears in the handy dandy little Spotify playlist at the bottom, so maybe pull that up while you read, yeah?
Much like its predecessor, 2011’s Trips, Stowaway had me hooked from the opening alarm bell guitars in the opening track “Lake Speed.” By about the 30-second mark, I had pretty much made up my mind that Stowaway would be my favorite album of the year, and ten months later that’s still the case. That’s not to say there weren’t other killer full-length records this year. You’re probably aware of my love of all things Lucero-related, and Should’ve Learned By Now is another dynamite album in ever-diverse catalog. The Fiddlehead record was excellent as always, and the debut Codefendants record has been in constant rotation since the summer. The new Bollweevils record is a welcome addition to any diehard punk-rock record collection. The Crossed Keys record rips. The new Gaslight Anthem record is not only great, but also great to have because it means they’re back and as good as ever. Northcote‘s new record was a great, stylistic departure that brought him in some new songwriting directions. Both Hause brothers put out home runs. Even the new Rancid record was super enjoyable. But this was Samiam’s year. This album is damn-near perfect in just about every tangible way.
This was a tough one. The national treasure that is Joshua Ray Walker put out a pretty killer album called What Is It Even? that consists of eleven covers of tracks made popular by female pop artists like Lizzo and The Cranberries and Cher and Whitney Houston. The other national treasure that is Austin Lucas also put out an EP called Reinventing Against Me! that is – you guessed it – an album of reworked Against Me! classics. But as a standalone song, I had to go with UltraBomb’s take on the Dead Boys’ classic “Sonic Reducer.” It’s the one song Greg Norton actually sings on the record, and it’s a cover of one of the first punk rock songs I remember ever hearing.
BEST SOLO RECORD BY SOMEONE WHO USUALLY FRONTS A PUNK BAND
This was another tough one. Jason Cruz put out another Howl record this year, and while I have loved Strung Out for many, many years, I really dig the Howl project and I’m glad he leaned back into it this year. But my goodness, the Chris Cresswell record floored me. Granted, it would probably floor me if Cresswell put out a record of him reading the York, Ontario phone book, but still. His voice is unique and his careful attention to the way he crafts a melody and a song is as tremendous here as it is in his “day jobs” with either The Flatliners or Hot Water Music.
This was another tough one, as there are so many cool bands in a scene that is growing ever more musically interesting and diverse. Fiddlehead obviously put out another amazing record this year. We can sorta claim Warn The Duke, and their record was great as well. Jesse Ahern has long been a personal favorite and he put out his best record to date. Cape Crush and Trash Rabbit and One Fall and Trailer Swift were all new on my radar this year. The K.C.U.F. record is super enjoyable in a throwback Lawrence Arms sorta way. Matt Charette‘s “4×4” is one of my favorite individual songs of the year by anyone. But I’ve gotta give the nod to Rebuilder. They capped off their tenth year as a band by releasing their long-long-long-awaited new full-length, Local Support. Their sound has grown – matured? – over the last decade and they’ve damn near perfected their melodic pop-punk thing. Stellar job, fellas.
Another bang-up year for releases of the sub-full-length variety. Depressors released a few new songs for the first time in way too long and they’re wonderful and Rachel Quarrell is a wildly talented songwriter. The new Proper. EP is wild and aggressive and raw. Grumpster put out a new single that has me eagerly-awaiting their new record, which is exactly the point of releasing a new single, isn’t it? The Space Cadet Suede Originals record is so, so fun. I love those guys. The Drowns continued their flawless run. But the nod hear goes to Sammy Kay. You may have heard some of these songs in other iterations, but the work-ups on Inanna are raw and sparse and allow Kay’s one-of-a-kind voice to add layers of depth and gravity to the material.
We should probably talk about the surprisingly solid Rancid record here. We could definitely tip our caps to the new Bollweevils record here. We could definitely give some love to the Grade 2 record here. We could definitely give props to the new Bouncing Souls record here. But holy hell, the debut record from San Francisco’s Tess & The Details rules. I have to admit that I had no real prior knowledge of this band before I heard the record, which landed in my email inbox which is and always shall be embarrassingly full of stuff I haven’t gotten to. I decided one day back in September to start sifting through it and came across a press release that started “Punk Rockers Tess & The Details…” and decided that’s what I’d listen to as the soundtrack for sifting and what a great choice. This album hits like a buzzsaw. The melodies are tight and catchy and the rhythm section keeps the pedal down and Tess’s voice and storytelling are honest and raw and compelling.
BEST RECORD I’M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO CLASSIFY EXCEPT TO SAY IT’S GREAT
The Codefendants’ record gets a category of its own because realistically, the Codefendants band exists in a category that’s all their own. Sure they’re probably best known in these parts for being Fat Mike’s latest side project, but the real stars of Codefendants are Get Dead‘s Sam King and New Haven’s own Ceschi Ramos (shout out to the Elm City). King has long brought his hip-hop background and sensibilities to Get Dead’s unique sound, and Ceschi is a compelling storyteller and songwriter in his own right. Plus, the album features cameos from Onry Ozzborn and the incomparable Stacey Dee and the one-and-only D.O.C. (no one can do it better).
Is it weird that even though I think the Samiam record is my hands-down favorite record of the year AND that it marked their first record in eleven years, I don’t really consider it a “comeback” record? Samiam didn’t really break up or go on an official hiatus. They still toured periodically – or at least played a handful of shows most years – so they didn’t really “come back.” But Gaslight did. They went on an official hiatus and then kinda got back together for the ’59 Sound anniversary shows, but stayed busy putting out solo records (Brian) or joining new projects like Mercy Union and Dead Swords and Bottomfeeder, and so it seemed like they were really gone. But now they’ve returned older and no doubt wiser and with new sounds and textures and perspectives to refresh their sound. I already reviewed the album earlier this year, but it’s good enough to deserve mention on this list.
Okay, yes, I took the easy way out here. Whatever, it’s my website, and if you’ve ever checked in here previously – say, over the course of the last dozen – you’re no doubt aware that Dave Hause is one of my favorite songwriters and performers and, frankly, people in this scene. Drive It Like It’s Stolen is my favorite of his solo records since Devour, and that’s high praise in my book. His personal and songwriting relationships with his younger brother Tim have been nothing short of admirable to watch grow and develop, and Tim has turned into a powerhouse songwriter and melody crafter in his own right. I hope they continue to write and record together for many, many years because it seems to me like they’ve got different enough styles and influences to continue to grow separately as artists while collaborating on their core.
There are definitely a few albums that didn’t fit into one of the above categories but are no-less worthy of mention too. The Nathan Mongol Wells record is super fun. Lydia Loveless’ new record is a grand slam home run. The Le Big Zero album is solid post-punk garage rock goodness. Oh wait, the new Sincere Engineer is awesome too. The Billy Liar album is a great listen, especially that song with Frank Turner. Oh, and let’s not forget the Structure Sounds record. The best thing to come out of Rhode Island since Del’s Lemonade or at least since Dave’s Coffee Syrup. The Inciters are a great DapTone-style soul group. The new Flying Raccoon Suit is probably the best ska record of the year. Wait, why wasn’t that a category? Next year, I guess. Check out all that and more in the playlist below (if you haven’t already)!
It is often forgotten that activism is an essential element of punk culture. While, yes, we enjoy complaining about the system and bringing awareness to personal and social injustices, actively doing something to address them is what this is all about. On the second Sunday of December, Chicago’s legendary Liar’s Club hosted a sold-out show […]
It is often forgotten that activism is an essential element of punk culture. While, yes, we enjoy complaining about the system and bringing awareness to personal and social injustices, actively doing something to address them is what this is all about.
On the second Sunday of December, Chicago’s legendary Liar’s Club hosted a sold-out show to raise funds for KT’s Kids, a Chicago non-profit that specializes in providing kids and youths with disabilities with fun and enriching activities such as field trips, camps, and holiday parties throughout the year. You can learn more about how to support KT’s Kids by checking out their website.
During this particularly warm(ish) winter evening, people were waiting outside before the sold-out event even started. Some had their tickets ready, others were waiting in case a spot opened up to get in.
The first band opening that evening was Lost Legion. These guys were not playing around; they were loud, aggressive, and put on one hell of a show. The lead singer kept the crowd engaged and fired up, while the rest of the band had us all headbanging to some great tunes. Had it not been early, you would have thought they were a headliner band.
The next band needed no introduction as everyone at the venue seemed to either know them personally or at the very least of them. The Bollweevils made their way onto the stage and the crowd immediately knew it was time to party. In between the in-band bickering over the set list order and friendly banter with the spectators, The Bollweevils delivered a performance that proved that these experienced punks still got it.
Frontman and birthday boy of the evening, Daryl ‘The Doc’, showed us that you do not need to be in your twenties to jump around and keep up with punk music’s fast tempo. Showing off some strong knees, Daryl kept the crowd entertained by jumping off the stage into the pit to give the chance to the fans to join him singing some of their classic songs. The rest of the band kept up as well, delivering a great and memorable performance.
The Bollweevils have been nominated for “Best Punk Band of Chicago” as well as “Best Local Album Of The Year” by The Chicago Reader. If you enjoy their music, you can support them (as well as other artists and venues) by voting in the poll.
The last band of the evening, Off With Their Heads, swiftly took over the venue and made it their own for the rest of the evening. The gruff-punk trio originally from Minnesota truly put on a great show; no wonder they have been able to do this for over two decades.
Lead singer and guitarist Ryan Young as well as the rest of the punk power trio put on a solid performance going through songs from their extensive repertoire including songs from their album Home, which is one of those punk albums everyone should give a listen through at least once in their lives.
Head below to check out the full gallery of the evening, and do not forget to support KT’s Kids.
Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago played host to T1 Fest 2023. The event was founded by Jimmy Costanzo and Joe “Joe Capgun” Inglima when Inglima’s son was diagnosed with T1 (Type 1 Diabetes) at age 3. Inglima’s daughter, at age 2, was also diagnosed with T1. Along with music, the event also featured an auction. […]
Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago played host to T1 Fest 2023. The event was founded by Jimmy Costanzo and Joe “Joe Capgun” Inglima when Inglima’s son was diagnosed with T1 (Type 1 Diabetes) at age 3. Inglima’s daughter, at age 2, was also diagnosed with T1.
Along with music, the event also featured an auction. Chicago area bands made up the majority of the groups on the bill. Dying Scene was there for the first and final nights of the 3-day fest. The following is a photographic sampling of those bands.
Night 1: Thursday
Chicago Southsiders Flatfoot 56 capped off night 1 of the fest with a rowdy set per usual. And per usual, to the absolute delight of the crowd.
Take The Reins, one of a few of the bands at this event who shortly thereafter headed to Fest in Gainesville, FL, drove through an enjoyable set.
Space Age Zeros made its live debut earlier this year. This event introduced the group to an even larger audience. It was a blast, pun intended, description apt.
Sex Dream kicked off the fest with a rollicking set that had the crowd’s excited attention from the first note.
Night 3: Saturday
The Bollweevils is another band that performed at this year’s Fest. The band’s set at Reggie’s was a good time for those who could make it to Gainesville and those who could not do so. The band’s set here helped those unable to travel down south avoid FOMO on The Bollweevils.
Dan Schafer aka Dan Vapid has been busy this year with the resurrection of Sludegworth. This night included a welcome bit of nostalgia as Schafer led one of his earlier groups, The Riverdales, through a rousing set.
Capgun Heroes presented an intense, yet super fun set that echoed the feeling of the weekend overall. Lead singer Joe Capgun, also served as a terrific MC for the weekend. His passion for a cause so important to his own family shone through.
Please check out more images from Chicago area bands represented at T1 Fest. Thanks and Cheers!
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. […]
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.
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!
Hello, and welcome to the May, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan aka Screeching Bottlerocket, tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs and singles I enjoyed the most this month. This is a collaborative effort with our friends at Punk Rock Radar, with whom I’ll […]
Hello, and welcome to the May, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan aka Screeching Bottlerocket, tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs and singles I enjoyed the most this month.
This is a collaborative effort with our friends at Punk Rock Radar, with whom I’ll be doing a video version of this Best Of wrap-up each month. If you like discovering awesome new bands as much as I do, be sure to follow Punk Rock Radar on Instagram and YouTube, and keep tabs on their Upcoming Release Calendar.
Here’s our video for May (let us know what your favorite releases of the month were in the YouTube comments):
P.O. BOX spaceavailable.
Despite having been around for 20+ years, French ska-punks P.O. Box have somehow managed to fly completely under my radar. That changed with the release of their new album. spaceavailable. is an excellent, versatile record and will serve as a great introduction to the band for anyone else in the same boat I was. This is a must listen for any and all third wave ska fans. Get it on vinyl / CD here.
RED ATLANTA Encapsulate
Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Red Atlanta seamlessly blends 90’s melodic punk with early 2000’s pop-punk on their latest album Encapsulate. This record takes me back to the days I spent playing Burnout 3 for hours on end with songs by Autopilot Off, 1208 and Yellowcard blasting through the speakers of my Sylvania CRT. The only thing missing is some DJ Stryker soundbites.
THE BONSTONES East Bay Elegy
Hailing from the home of Lookout! Records, it’s no coincidence that The Bonstones draw a lot of influence from some of the heavy hitters who called the label home in the early 90’s. East Bay Elegy reminds me most of The Queers’ Beat Off. Hard and heavy, no frills Ramonescore.
THE BOLLWEEVILS Essential
The Bollweevils are my early frontrunner for “Comeback Player of the Year”. The Chicago punk veterans’ new album Essential is their first in over a decade, and this thing is brimming with bangers. “Predisposition” and “Galt’s Gulch” are a great one-two punch to start things off. Other standouts include “Honesty”, “Bottomless Pit”, and “Liniment and Tonic”. Great record. Buy it here.
THE BIG NEWS Phoebe
I forgot to mention this one in the video for some reason, but here’s another solid ska-punk album that was released this month. Oklahoma City’s The Big News has an old school sound that I much prefer to the current direction of ska. Phoebe is a mix of Jeffries Fan Club and Pezcore era Less Than Jake. Listen below and buy it on cassette(!) here.
Not many EPs of note this month; I’m kinda disappointed! What I’m not disappointed by, however, is the new Jughead’s Revenge EP. Vultures is the SoCal skate punk band’s first new release since 1999’s Pearly Gates. I could live without the Killing Joke cover, but this EP is killer and proof that good things come to those who wait. Buy the record here.
FAST FOOD SOCIETY Ides of Mars
Fast Food Society pulls no punches on their new EP Ides of Mars. The band hailing from Palma, Spain rips through one politically-charged melodic hardcore belter after another across the span of 15 short minutes. A few songs, namely “Conspiranoid” and “Copaganda”, remind me a bit of RKL. Check it out below and, if you like it, pay money for it on Bandcamp.
Alright, I normally have a dedicated block for each single, but I’m in a bit of a time crunch. So here’s a short blurb about some of May’s standout singles; you can listen to all of them (plus tracks from the albums & EPs I covered earlier) in the Spotify playlist down below.
JERKS! – “Taillights”
West Virginia’s Jerks! throwback to early 2000’s pop-punk (sans whiny vocals) on their new single “Taillights”. It’s a fun song with an MxPx-meets-The Movielife kinda vibe. Lookout for the band’s debut album This is Fun? due out August 4th.
SPRING HEELED JACK – “Diggin’ a Hole”
New Haven, CT ska-punk veterans Spring Heeled Jack return with their first new song in 6 years! Well, kinda… It’s a cover of “Diggin’ a Hole” for the new Bim Skala Bim tribute comp out now on Stubborn Records. It’s good! Hopefully these dudes put out some new original tunes soon.
THE UPSHOT – “Haven Road”
“Haven Road” is just the second song these British punks have released, but The Upshot are off to a hot start. We hosted the exclusive premiere for this track, so you know it’s good! They’re like NOFX, but younger… and better.
KINGFISHER – “Cost of Comfort”
Ottawa melodic punks Kingfisher have been a busy bunch lately. I think this is the fifth single they’ve released this year. I think it’s their best yet. I get a really cool late 90’s NUFAN vibe from this song. Good shit.
SPOILERS – “Peaches & Cream”
Spoilers are another band of British punks I discovered this month. Their new single “Peaches & Cream” is great; listen closely and you’ll hear a slight hint of Snuff influence. Turns out they’ve been around for almost a decade! I’ve got some catching up to do.
ADELLEDA – “The Best Offence is a Good Defence”
It’s hard to go wrong with Canadian skate punk, and Adelleda’s new single “The Best Offence is a Good Defence” certainly doesn’t miss the mark. Recommended if you like Mute, Belvedere, or any other melodic punk band with exceptional guitarists.
There’s a few more singles I didn’t have time to touch on in the Spotify playlist, which also has songs from all previous months’ releases.
Anywho, that concludes the May installment of the column. Thanks for checking it out! Keep your eyes glued to Dying Scene for all things punk rock and follow our friends Punk Rock Radar on Instagram, YouTube, etc. Join us again next month!
Friday, May 5th, marks the release of what may be realistically referred to as the longest awaited release in the baker’s-dozen-year history of your favorite little online punk rock website. (This one, obviously.) The album is called Essential, and it’s the latest release from beloved Chicago punkers The Bollweevils. That’s the cover art up there. […]
Friday, May 5th, marks the release of what may be realistically referred to as the longest awaited release in the baker’s-dozen-year history of your favorite little online punk rock website. (This one, obviously.) The album is called Essential, and it’s the latest release from beloved Chicago punkers The Bollweevils.
That’s the cover art up there. Fun, right? The album is noteworthy for a variety of reasons. Not only is it the Bollweevils first full-length album in practically a generation (and definitely their first since Dying Scene has existed), it’s their first proper release on Red Scare Industries, and their first release mixed at the legendary Blasting Room in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Perhaps more importantly, however, it’s noteworthy in the way that it plants a battle flag that symbolizes that not only can some of the old guard, who have long-since moved past the days of trying to make a living solely from punk rock wages, can not only put out an album that’s super poignant and super energetic and super fun, they do so in a way that raises the bar for the younger bands that have been following in their collective wake.
Due to the way that both the music industry and the media technology sector have changed since the early days of the Bollweevils, we caught up with the band’s enigmatic frontman Daryl Wilson in the throes of what you can probably safely say is the first semblance of a press junket of his music career. When last Dr. Daryl and I spoke in the context of conducting an interview (watch it here if you missed it), it was that first summer of Covid and it was in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and it was through the lenses of Wilson’s roles not only as an emergency department physician but as a person of color living through probably the most public time of racial unrest that this country had seen since the 1960s. Thankfully, we’ve solved both coronavirus-related public health crises AND systemic racism in the almost three years since that conversation, so this time we could devote our energies to punk rock!
Check out our admittedly wide-ranging chat below. Plenty of insight on the recording of the album, the process of getting it mixed at the Blasting Room, the coolness of existing on Red Scare in the time of bands like No Trigger and Broadway Calls, the dynamite new material being put out by other long-time scene vets like Samiam and Bouncing Souls, avoiding the woulda, shoulda, couldas when looking at their legacy, and much more!
Surprisingly enough, the conversation below is condensed for content and clarity reasons.
Dying Scene (Jay Stone): So how are you? It’s good to chat with you again!
Daryl Wilson: It’s been a minute, man, hasn’t it? I’m doing pretty good! It’s been a pretty interesting past three or four years to say the least, but I’ve come out on the other end still kicking! Getting older and I think a little bit wiser and I have a better worldview of things. The priority list is more tailored to true priorities. It’s kind of good. It’s refreshing to not have anxiety about stuff! (*both laugh*)
Does it feel like we’re officially on the other side at least of the pandemic part? I know some of the other social and political stuff we probably won’t be on the other side of for a long time, but does it seem like at least pandemic-wise, we’re just back to “normal,” whatever that means nowadays?
Yeah, I mean, lessons learned, right? That’s the natural progression of the disease process. The virus becomes less and less apt to kill its host. It becomes easy to spread, but it’s not really good for a virus to kill off its hosts, because then it doesn’t propagate. Coronaviruses do that anyway. The long-term immunity versus coronaviruses is so minuscule. Since antiquity people would get coronaviruses and they’d mutate so rapidly that you’d have lower conveyed immunity. It would spike and then it would drop and you’d get the same coronavirus a few months later. You might get the same coronavirus nine times in a year. They weren’t novel viruses. This was a novel virus, so it was something that our immune systems had never seen before, so of course the response was “oh my god!” Now we’re at a different point where there’s individuals vaccinated, natural immunity that’s occurred over time, the virus changing…we don’t know if there are any other long-term residual things yet. Finding out that, you know, exposure to Epstein-Barr virus might have lead to individuals having a propensity for MS is kind of crazy. We’ve learned that over time, and we don’t know what the long-term stuff will be with this. We don’t know if it’s affecting our T-cells in some way where we have a different long-term immunity to things. I’m not saying this for certain, I haven’t done research or studies on this, but is there some rationale where this is why we had such a bad set of viral illnesses in children during this past winter? Most kids getting RSV don’t get THAT sick, historically, but we had a bunch that got sick, so is there some issue with the way our immune systems have been affected by these bouts of Covid? I don’t know. I’m not saying that to start some controversy or “oh my god, this physician said…” (*both laugh*). Anything I say is not representing my hospital, this is just me talking. But human beings throughout all of our history and existence have come out on the other end of things that have been as bad as what we’ve (just) walked through. We’re a pretty scrappy species in some sense. To sit back and worry about “is this the end?” I mean…you’ve had people preaching on corners of streets from the times of Rome up to today where they’ve said “The End Is Nigh” and guess what? We’re still here! (*both laugh*) So let’s not put too much of a doom spin on everything and we’ll keep on kicking.
There’s a guy in the Boston area who I first encountered I think when I was a freshman in college. You’d see him outside sporting events and I know I saw him in Salem, Massachusetts, for Halloween because that’s what you do…and I remember him having this big sandwich board on it saying like “The End Is Nigh” and “Repent” and it had like a burning cross on it…and he’s still out there doing it, twenty-five-plus years later. It’s like…how “nigh” is it? (*both laugh*)
One day he’ll be right! (*both laugh*) And he’ll be able to say “see I told you so!” (*both laugh*) Let’s just spend all our time with that sandwich board on and continue preaching that until it happens. Why not just live your life? You’re already walking around dead with a sandwich board on. You’re not “living.” Just go live! In all reality, every day is your first or last day, right? You have no idea when the ticker over your head is going to go “TIME’S UP!” That should spur you on into “maybe I should just live as best as I can for today because I’m not guaranteed any moment. I could talk to you today, Jason, and that could be it! It’s always good to talk to someone that is cool and that you can talk to and say ‘this is a great connection,” and if this is the last conversation I ever have, let’s make it good, right? Why make it horrible? Why start your day with that sort of a horrible situation? Listen, I’m no sage, and I know I make situations really uncomfortable for people (*both laugh*) and I can be just a retch of a human being, but the good thing is, I woke up and I have an opportunity today to make up for that. That’s a good thing. I can try and do better. And that’s all you can do, right?
Okay so there’s no real natural segue here, but let’s bulldog into talking about the new record! It feels like it’s time. It’s obviously been a LONG time since the last Bollweevils record…
Fourteen years!
Yeah, and I think Dying Scene is officially thirteen years old, so I think this is the first Bollweevils release of the Dying Scene era!
Wow! Yeah, it’s been a long time. Nothing’s good or bad, it just is…and it’s 14 years now, and for me right now and the guys in the band – we’ve talked about it – it’s something that feels like it’s full. It feels like it’s something that took the time and it was the proper time to make it come out. There are probably a lot of reasons as to why it took so long. A part of it is that the band had some changes in members and we were in flux. We’d written some of these songs and we’d been playing them and we recorded a couple of them for a 7-inch for Underground Communique that came out – the Attack Scene 7-inch – and they were going to be on our next LP, which we thought was going to be out in the next three years after that 7-inch was put out. But no, that didn’t happen. We had members change prior to us even recording that. Our original bass player Bob had quit the band. We didn’t know for a while if we were going to be a band. That was the biggest question, “do we want to keep doing this?” And I think when we finally had the addition of Pete Mittler to the band as our bass player, that kind of made us who we are. I think we gelled, and we became The Bollweevils as we envisioned ourselves to be. It made it easier for us to buckle down and say “we need to put these songs out. We need to record these things, we need to have the new songs put out.” So we did! We finally got our schedules together, which is always a logistical nightmare! It is a whiteboard with so many pins in the wall with red yarn coming from all of these connections and somehow in the middle John Wick is there somehow! (*both laugh*) So it is a culmination of this ripening. We finally got the seeds planted and the tree grew and then fruit finally came from it. We had the right soil mixture with everybody as members of the band. The pandemic in some ways helped to kind of foster us pushing forward and doing this because we knew we might never get a chance to do something like this, so let’s get it done. And as we got older, the maturity of the band kind of seeps into it. We took our time – we had the time and we took our time instead of just “here’s what it is, we’re all done, one shot, let it play.” And so I think that it took a long time, but I think that it was warranted and it shows in the record. The record itself is so full and it’s one of the best things I think that we’ve ever put out.
Yeah, it’s really good! And I don’t just say that. It’s really good.
Yes! And I think it’s good on so many different levels. Sonically – how it sounds – I’m getting chills just thinking about it, but it sounds really, really good! Then, it’s like, the songs themselves, you listen to them and you’re like “wow, that’s got a hook, that’s a catch!” and then you listen to the lyrics and you’re like “oh my god, these lyrics! Wow, you’re saying this right now?!?” It’s complex but simple, it says things in a concise manner, it’s not like you’re just gassing on forever. It’s really a good record! (*both laugh*) I don’t usually do that, I’m not one to talk it up and say “oh this is so great,” but it is! I think because we put in all the time, you can sense that when you listen to the record.
How long a process was the writing? It wasn’t written all in one batch, obviously. Like you said you had the 7-inch come out and other songs you’ve played live. But how regularly were you writing in the let’s say decade between the last album and the gears being in motion for this one to be finalized?
It’s funny, because there are songs that we didn’t record for this. We had ideas for songs that we were working on that didn’t make the cut, and I think that’s part of it. Sometimes you force it and try to make things work. Sometimes you can tell a band throws on a record just to put on there. We didn’t do that. We made sure we have quality instead of quantity. We could have a quantity of songs and riffs that Ken was writing that we would put something down for, but they just didn’t work. We were woking on them in rehearsal and we’d try to do them and they just didn’t feel right. These songs we did that felt right, we could work on them more and more. Even when we had them initially worked out, we kept working on them over the years before they were put out in this final iteration for the record. We were able to criticize each other and our performances, and that’s a thing that we couldn’t do in our early years.
Yeah, I was going to say, that’s a tough thing to do as a young band when there’s ego involved and whatever else.
Absolutely! Everything’s personal. “Oh, you don’t like the way I’m singing this? I’m the singer! I’m the guy that writes the lyrics! Screw you, this is what it’s going to be!” That’s not the way to do it. We are a unit. I could take the criticism that Ken could say to me, or Pete or Pete would say. Like “we know what you should sound like on this, and I don’t like what you’re doing right now. It doesn’t sound complete.” And I’d be like “well, this is how I heard the song in my head, this is how I’m writing…” and they’d say “no, you can do better. Maybe change the cadence on that or that word seems wrong…” Or Ken would play a riff and Pete or I would say “can you change that riff a little bit?” It was definitely all of us collaborating together. We all have our roles in the band of what we do, but we can take what somebody said and say “we can do this better.” Playing the song live, you get to say “hey, that sounded okay, but maybe we can work on it a little bit more and make it sound better” and then we’d find nuanced things with the songs in rehearsals as we played them more and more. The ability for us to use constructive criticism and not destructive criticism like it used to be is a part that helped to make the sound sound so good. The mixing of it too…we had it mixed by Chris Beeble at The Blasting Room. That was due to Joe Principe. I gave him some of the demos early on – and in fact, it goes back further than that – when we actually presented the record to Red Scare and Toby had heard it and Brendan had heard it, Brendan came back and he said “I want to do your record, it’s great, but you know what? You’ve got to get this mixed again.” And Ken was like “Whaaaaat?” And Brendan said “it doesn’t sound like you. I remember seeing you guys when I was a kid and you guys were Chicago punk rock how it’s supposed to be, but this doesn’t sound like you’re supposed to sound. You’ve got to get it remixed.” And we were like “ooookay…that was a hit.” And Joe had kinda hinted at sending it to The Blasting Room, and I said “what, get it mixed where Rise Against gets their stuff done? We can’t afford that. We’re the Bollweevils, we’re working every day.” He hinted at it, but didn’t say “do it.” So we took a chance, we ponied up the money for it, and the mix came back and it was like “BOOM!” Beeble worked so closely with us on it, he was like “here’s what I need on this, here’s what’s going on…” He made it sound awesome!
You didn’t re-record anything after the initial thing was done, right?
No! I swear, I’ve said this before and I will say it again every time, the only person that can mix our stuff now is Chris Beeble. That is it. He knows us, he set the bar, he is the gold standard. So as it was mixed. Jeff Dean, who we recorded with here at the Echo Mill in Chicago, he also was really instrumental in forcing us to do things more than once. We’ve prided ourselves on coming in, laying it down, getting it done and getting out, but it was like “replay that again, replay that again, resing that again, do the lyrics this way, change that…” while we’re recording. It’s like “you’re killing us, man, there’s no way that we’re going to redo this multiple times.” I’d be like “this take was really good!” And he’d say “yeah, it was good, but it wasn’t great, do it again.” It was making sure that everything that we did was done to the best of our ability. That comes out on the record. I mean, you’ve heard it. What’s your favorite song on the record?
You know what? I made notes when I listened to the album the first time, which is a thing I try to still do a lot. Obviously “Liniment and Tonic” is great because that’s a super fun song, especially as a person who’s now in his mid-forties. It seems very appropriate. I really like “Galt’s Gulch.” That’s a cool song and it’s a little bit of a different song. I kept coming back to that in my notes. I like that sort of acoustic intro that builds and becomes this BIG sound. I like “Theme Song.” (*both laugh*) I like that “we are the Bollweevils” chant. It’s so fun and goofy and it’s very honest and self-deprecating too. I really appreciate that. “Bottomless Pit” is pretty cool.
Which is a throwback, because we re-recorded that. It was on Stick Your Neck Out! and we initially thought that our masters for all of those records were gone. It turns out that they’re not, so we were thinking we could re-record some of those songs, because we want them to sound how we sound now. The iteration of who we are now is who we are as a band. This is the Bollweevils. This is who we’ve grown to be and this is our final form, or if you’re looking at a Dragon Ball Z our final Frieza or whatever. (*both laugh*) We definitely wanted to put these songs down as who we are now. We play our instruments better, I sing stronger than I did. It’s the old song, but it sounds new. We did that one and we did “Disrespected Peggy Sue.” We did them now because this is who we are. It’s not the old-school recordings. Sorry, I cut you off! I just think “Bottomless Pit” is a great song. Go on, I like hearing about your favorite songs from the record!
I really like the guitar riff from “Our Glass.” That’s a really cool song too. But I keep coming back to “Galt’s Gulch” if I had to pick. So let’s talk about that song a little more if we can. Where did that one come from? It’s a little bit of a different song from the rest of the album. I know you’ve played that live, but what is the origin of that song? How far back in the writing process?
That was one of the ones written back early in like post-2015. We’d been working on that one for a long time. Initially, that song was a song that Ken was persistent in bringing to rehearsal. We’d play it, and we wrote some stuff for it, and we were like “it’s okay…” and he was like “no, this song is great!” I just didn’t know what I was going to do for it, and what I was going to sing. I started thinking about some topics that I wanted to delve into. I read a bunch of stuff, I’d read a lot. In my days, I’ve read some Ayn Rand. I read The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. The funny thing about those books is that they are works of fiction. (*both laugh*) To try to adopt objectivist viewpoints in some sense to live by is kind of counter to what humans do. I understand the idea of groupthink and the fear of what collectivism would be, but I don’t think of collectivism in that sense. I’m talking about trying to take a community and break a community apart. I think, yes, the idea of individuals existing and being an individual is super important. Individuals have skills that they can offer to a community to allow that community to continue to thrive. My skills as a physician are necessary to make sure the community can thrive because not everybody can do what I do. If somebody has the skill to make sure that water is clean so we can drink it, I can’t do that. I’m glad that there’s clean water that will allow me to go on. I think we have to live together as human beings and lift each other up so that we all can strive to survive against the elements and a universe that doesn’t really care about us. So individualism and being an individual is super important. I agree with that 1000%. In The Fountainhead, Roark being who Roark was and the individual that he was standing up against the idea that we all have to do things this way, that this is the only way you build buildings and all that, that is kind of horseshit. You’re going to be who you are. To have Toohey and those folks say “we’re going to slow you down and break you up and you all have to think the same way,” that’s horseshit too. But to take that into life, and to philosophically say “I’m not going to follow your rules because I’m going to be such an individual that I’m going to hunt on my own and kill things on my own and you have to do it your own way too.” Like, sometimes you need to help people. Maybe helping that person means helping the person that’s going to be the physician that saves you later on, because he can’t cultivate food on his own. So that’s why, I think, the whole idea of “who’s John Galt?” and everyone shrugging their shoulders and walking away and creating your own society that’s outside of society because “we’re all individuals and you guys are all drones so screw you,” that’s not the way we function. So if you just shrug your shoulders and go “who’s John Galt?” the world actually falls apart around you. It really does. Oh and Ayn Rand took handouts, we all know that and let’s not forget that! (*both laugh*)
Yeah, I remember Atlas Shrugged sort of blowing my mind as a ninth grader reading it and you think “oh yes, this is brilliant! It’s perfect!” And then you hit, like, senior year in high school and realize “oh, wait a minute…”
Right! You realize “oh, you know, some people are dependent! Children are dependent people, it’s okay!”
Right!
So I wrote that as a perspective of the individual who’s like “I’m going to walk around and keep shrugging my shoulders and ignore everything and say “who’s John Galt?” That’s all I’m going to say to you! Understand what that means and walk away.” That’s just a horseshit excuse for not wanting to do anything, and not wanting to help.
Wasn’t that around the time, too, that there was like a hedgefund guy that tried to start a Galt’s Gulch community somewhere, like some unincorporated area somewhere?
Yes, there was! I remember that vaguely, yes! And where are they now? (*both laugh*)
Oh I’m pretty sure he got indicted and he’s in prison. It was essentially a Ponzi scheme and…honestly…like you couldn’t have seen that coming?
Haha, yeah! You know, I’m not trying to disparage if anyone has a belief that way, but I don’t think it is realistic to function that way in a community. In a society, it doesn’t work, and in a community, it doesn’t work. We have to work together to overcome things. Yeah, if somebody says “I want you to produce less in your company because I’m not doing really well so slow down to let me catch up,” you’re not going to do that. You’re going to say “no, I’m going to do this still, you had your opportunity…” and you help them understand how best practice works. But we live in a world of competition, right? That’s how we got about things. I mean, baking cakes is a competition for Christ’s sake. It gets really ridiculous. But, if it makes you strive to do better, sure! But if you’re just going to “give me all the answers to something!” I don’t believe that either. You can’t give everyone all the answers, but if someone doesn’t know for sure and I’m the expert, I’m going to say “yes, I’m here to help you out because you don’t know.”
How long ago did you actually record the album, and have you still been writing since it was all sent off to Red Scare?
So let’s see. The total time recording, if you took that in days is probably like six days. That was in two sessions, like three days in each session, and that doesn’t include mixing and things, that’s just the recording part. It took us probably two years to get it all completed. It was during the pandemic that we did it all. In the early part, we got together and laid down these songs. If you’re talking about the whole recording process beforehand, a lot of these songs have been worked on since 2015 and up. And after that, yes, we’ve been writing other songs. Ken brought riffs to practice the other day and actually, our stand-in bass player Joe Mizzi brought some riffs too.
Oh nice!
The idea is that were all supposed to bring a song. Now, I can’t play an instrument (*both laugh*) but we are in the process of trying to write other songs. We can’t just sit on this and “we’ve got it, we’ve hit the pinnacle, we’re done.”
Well, you can. And bands do. There’s the very real thing of becoming a legacy band, particularly when it’s not everybody’s day job. Nobody’s making a living on The Bollweevils. Some bands do do that. You play a couple dozen shows a year in your best markets and be a legacy band. Sometimes you lose the drive to keep writing and coming up with no ideas, so to me it’s cool that not only is there a new album, but that you’re still writing more and those wheels are still turning.
Yeah, there’s always something that spurs on the want to write. Whether it’s something that I’m dealing with in healthcare, whether it’s something you see because of the state of politics or the general miasma of people existing. Or something philosophical that you see pertains to day-to-day life. Sometimes that spurs on that creative juice. I could write lyrics all day but I don’t have the tune in my head that it goes to. And that’s hard. We don’t usually write that way. I don’t usually write lyrics and say “Hey Ken, write a riff for this.” Usually Ken is playing a riff and I have this idea what I should be singing to the riff. I may have a theme based upon something I’ve written at some point and I might have to modify my lyrics because that’s not really going to be, but the theme still exists for the song. So, Ken sent some riffs to me the other day, and I’ve been listening to them, and it’s like “okay, I can see where this goes.” And then I have lyrics, but sometimes that isn’t what the song is going to be about or the theme is going to change, so now that’s in the process of being fleshed out, and having that creative fire. There’s days where I just don’t have it. I’m just exhausted from a day with the kids or my wife and I are doing something, so I don’t have that. But then, I might wake up in the middle of the night and have this idea and have to write it down, so I have a pad of paper next to the bed and I have to write them down, or I use my phone to record a melody for something. We still have some things to work on, so it won’t be fourteen years before the next record! (*both laugh*)
Everybody says that, but then life happens…
I know! We said that back in 2015, like “oh, we have a new record coming out!” “Oh yeah? When’s it coming out?” “Well, some day!” Just like “The End Is Nigh” sign, right? We told you it was coming out! (*both laugh*)
One of the first interviews that I did for Dying Scene back in 2011 was with Sergie from Samiam about what was then the new record, Trips. And then maybe five years later, it was the fifth anniversary of that record and they’d been doing an album every five years or whatever, so I think I messaged Sergie like “must be new album time, right?” and he was just like “uh, no.”
And finally, that new album is awesome!
It’s SO good.
It’s awesome. I was waiting for that to come out. I saw them at Fest, and they were playing the new songs and they sounded so good. Samiam is one of my favorite bands ever, and I just have that new record on repeat. I was just listening to it this morning again. I just love it.
I’ve asked a bunch of people similar things, but thirty-ish years since Stick Your Neck Out, do you still have that same feeling when you put an album out? Do you get that same sort of feeling when May 5th comes and it’s now available to the world?
I guess it’s been so long that I forgot what that feels like! (*both laugh*)
Fair enough.
I guess it feels new to me. I’m excited about it because I can’t believe that I have this work of art that we put together and that’s going to be out in the world in less than a month. That’s crazy to me. It’s exciting. I guess the feeling I had previously was nervousness at some point when I was younger. Now, I don’t feel that anxiety. Listening to this and putting this record together and everything we did for it, it’s complete. It’s full, and I feel really proud of it. It’s really, really good. At least, I believe that, and the guys in the band believe that. Somebody else could think it’s complete garbage, and that’s their opinion, but I’m not worried about that. We put Stick Your Neck Out, and it was like “okay, this is us on Dr. Strange. We’re putting this record out and people will get it.” And they did. People still talk about it and say “oh that record’s awesome, you’re such an underrated band.”
How does that land when people say that?
That we’re underrated?
Yeah, because I feel like I’m guilty of doing the same thing, but then I worry that it’s a backhanded compliment when we say “oh, you guys were great, you were my favorite band, you should have been huge!”
I guess maybe? But it’s our own doing, right? I kind of limited us. We couldn’t do certain things. We had opportunities to, like, tour Japan, tour Europe, all these things, but I was in medical school. I was going to be a doctor. I limited our exposure. Could we have been bigger than that? Yeah, but it would be short-lived. We’re not paying the bills with punk rock. “Punk rock doesn’t pay the bills,” so says Milo. I mean, for them it does, but for the rest of us… (*both laugh*) I get to be a doc and play in a band. It’s still fulfilling in a visceral and spiritual way. Once again, it doesn’t pay the bills, but that’s not what this is about. I have a profession that does that, but I have these opportunities! I got to meet you and we became buddies through this world. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many people that I would have never believed as a kid that I’d get the chance to meet. I’ve met some of my heroes. To meet some of the guys from Descendents. To go on tour with Dead Kennedys for a short run. To play with Bad Brains during Riot Fest. If you told me as a teenageer that “hey, you’re going to play a show with Bad Brains,” like…I would have told you you’ve been smoking ganja! (*both laugh*) But that happens. Those experiences are what brings about this existence and these life experiences. No matter whatever money you have and whatever material things you have, they’re all going to break. That’s kind of what “Our Glass” is about. The material things you have are going to break, but the real important things that you have and establish and the relationships with people and the places that you’ve been and the experiences you have, that’s going to be the things you have on your deathbed. Your big-screen TV isn’t going be there when you die. Your iPhone or whatever is not going to be there. Nothing material is going to matter. So, going back to the whole thing of it being a backhanded compliment of “hey, you were underrated,” it’s maybe a backhanded compliment, but it’s also kind of cool that when people hear that stuff, they go “man, you guys shoulda been…coulda been.” Yeah, maybe, but I was limiting us because of my professional choices. So back to the original question does it feel different or does it feel like it did releasing records before? No, it feels brand new to me because we haven’t done this in such a long time.
That’s really cool! I feel like there’s some buzz about it, and that’s not always the case when bands put out albums nowadays. It can be easy to get lost in the sauce, but I feel like there’s buzz around the new Bollweevils record. I can say that as a fan, that’s pretty fulfilling. Like “hey, people still care about this band I like!” Because you never REALLY know…
Right, and for some people it’s going to be their brand-new introduction to us.
As I said, the first Bollweevils record of the Dying Scene era, so it’s the first one we get to cover!
Yeah, and since we were underrated, we were under the radar, so some people didn’t see us or hear us, so it’s like “oh, that’s who they were! Now I can explore some of the old stuff!” I remember we did a thing in California seven or eight years ago, something like that, and I remember being on a radio show, on the phone, and I remember being told that someone had heard “Bottomless Pit” and said “yeah that’s a great song!” and they’d never heard it before. They said “that’s such a great song, it sounds like you just recorded it recently” and I was like yeah, I don’t think we had a sound that was dated. We were a 90s punk band, obviously, but I think our sound translates to today and to yesteryear. That was the greatest compliment to hear, that somebody had heard that and was blown away by it. I was like “yeah, that was recorded way back when, we were sloppy…” (*both laugh*) Now, hearing this record today, using that song from thirty years ago that we rerecorded and reimagined the way that it is, we’re like a whole different band, even though we’re the same band. So people will get to experience this for the first time as we are, and people who have experienced us before will experience us again and go “oh my god, look at them, they’re still out there doing this!” I’m being so prideful right now, it’s horrible. But it is a new experience for me. Though I’ve had the experience before, it feels like a new experience for me, and it’s really exciting.
I think that one of the takeaways from the record, I feel like the older I’ve gotten and the greyer my beard has gotten, I’ve gotten away from some of the 90s punk rock thing. “Liniment and Tonic,” right? My back hurts, my knees hurt. (*both laugh*) I think that sometimes there can be a shelf life to a sound like that, but I think there are some moments on this record that eclipse all of that. It’s very much in the vein of a 90s punk rock record, but it sort of transcends that.
Thank you! And we were talking about that as a band. At our core, we are a punk rock band. Whatever we write is going to be a Bollweevils song. And that’s one of the things that would happen sometimes. A criticism would come out that members of the band would say “that song that you wrote is good, but that’s not a Bollweevils song.” Some of those songs never saw the light of day.
Is that because they’d be stylistically wrong?
It wasn’t true to ourselves. It was like “just write what we know. Write our stuff and just play it and be done with it and don’t try to do something that’s not us.” It’s ridiculous when you’re trying to be something that you’re not. At the core, we’re still just a punk rock band from Chicago, and that’s what we’re going to play. I think that part of it too is that I don’t think we know how to play anything slow. That could be a problem in and of itself, because as you get older it’s harder to keep up in some sense. We pride ourselves in trying to keep up with what we do. Like, I worked out this morning. This is my trying to fight against the inevitability of entropy! (*both laugh*) We only know how to play like we play, so even if there’s a song that sounds almost kitsch, like “Liniment and Tonic” or “Theme,” it’s still us. You’re like “that’s still punk, it’s still hard. It’s got a hook, but it’s still them!” We pride ourselves in saying “there’s no reason for a song to be over two minutes and thirty seconds. It doesn’t make any sense. Why not just say your peace and be done. Hit them in the face and be done. Knock them out and be done with the fight. You can’t go twelve rounds, knock them out in three! Come on, Tyson, take them down!
In looking at my notes, I think the songs that we talked about as my favorite…
Are the longest ones! (*both laugh*) Well, sometimes you gotta box a little bit. Sometimes you gotta box a little bit.
You gotta keep your arms down and let them tire themselves out, like Muhammed Ali, right?
It’s all good! Exactly!
Is there fear in songs like that that they risk not being “Bollweevils songs” because they aren’t ninety seconds of four-on-the-floor, punch-you-in-the-throat “punk rock”?
No, I think if you even go back out to Stick Your Neck Out, “Failure of Bill Dozer” is a longer song and that’s a great song. We’ve added that back into our sets. That’s one of the songs that we brought back. That song is one of my favorite songs too. I don’t want to paint myself into a corner and say every song has to be a minute and thirty seconds or two minutes. Songs evolve into what they need to be, but they still have to be “us.” All the songs that are on there, if they are more than two minutes, it’s because that’s what the song had to be. They are still us. You can listen to them and say “wow, this is different, but that’s still a Bollweevils song.” It’s not like you listen to “Galt’s Gulch” and think, “wow, that’s weird.”
Yeah, I mean, it’s not a Rush song.
Even “Our Glass” is different but it’s still us. It’s a Bollweevils song still. Somebody asked me once what I would say to younger me if I could go back in time, or to a younger band you’re playing with that asks what you do to have this longevity in punk rock, I say “just be yourself and do the things that you enjoy.” Play what you want to play. Don’t fall into some kind of trap where you have to trend it up or do something different. Play what you love. If you happen to write a record that’s some experimental noise thing and that’s who you want to be and that’s who you are, do that and be good with that. Make sure you’re good with it. With this record, with Essential, everything about it, we are so good with. That’s just the bottom line. No matter what anybody says about it, they can sit back and go “how do you feel about the record?” I think it’s great, and if you don’t, I wouldn’t do anything different. It would have been that way no matter what. It’s perfect for us.
Are there people for whom you get nervous about what their feedback is going to be? People that you look up to as pillars, like the Descendents guys or whoever?
Yeah, if they heard it and they said “that sounds great!” I’d think “well, I can die now!”
Do you get back to that sort of childhood fanboy thing?
Oh god yeah! A person that makes me overly giddy and ridiculous and the worst punisher over is J. Robbins. I told him that recently. Denis Buckley, my good friend Denis, always reminds me that “dude, you punished him so hard when they came to Chicago way back in the day.” I couldn’t talk, I was stumbling and fumbling and J. Robbins was like “is he okay?” I couldn’t talk to him. I saw him at Riot Fest recently and I told him that and I said “I’m just letting you know, I fall apart when I see you. I do. I’m just such a fanboy of yours.” And he was like “no, it’s good, let’s take a picture.” And then he Friended me on Facebook and I was like “AHH!” (*both laugh*) But like, if the guys in (Naked) Raygun heard this and they were like “well this is horrible,” it would hit me a bit, but I would still have to just accept that, but I’d still think it’s good. I would take it to heart in some sense. If my best friend Paul says something sounds bad, I’d listen to those words. He can criticize me all the time, he does all the time anyway (*both laugh*) and I take his word. He actually was critical about some things when I was working on songs for this. But he loves the record, so that makes me think that it’s going to be good. Our friend CJ is a good friend of ours, and he would tell us if this sucked, and we would take his word to heart. But he’s like “this record is great, man. This record is great.” That makes us feel confident as well, but again, real confidence comes from within. If we didn’t feel like it was good…it’s done, we can’t change that, and we feel good about it. We feel really good about it. I think that is kind of pervasive with the buzz. People are hearing it and going “wow, this is good!” I’m glad that that is being reaffirmed in some senses. But yeah, if someone I idolized since I was a kid said this was trash, it might sting for a bit, but then again, you can’t please everyone, you know? An 80% is a B, so if I can get 80% of people to like it, that’s a passing grade. I’m still in the mix. I’m confident in (the record), I feel great about it. We put out the best that we could do right now…until the next thing comes out!
It made me go “oh wow, I still like punk rock!”
See Jason, that makes me feel good!
I’m not going to try skateboarding, but I can still like punk rock!
Then I’d see you in the hospital!
Hey, thanks for chatting. This was fun. Instead of doing it podcast-style like the last time we talked, the site is back up and running so I get to go back to pretending to be a writer. It was hard to be away from for a while, because if you don’t do it enough, that muscle atrophies. I’m sure that if you had gone fourteen full years without writing a song and then tried to jump back into it, that would be even worse.
Oh it’s definitely atrophy. It’d be ridiculous. It is one of those things where…think about the past three years of things that have happened, and the proliferation of bands having records come out. You’ve got the OFF! record, you’ve got the Samiam record out there, Drug Church’s record is out there…bands are just writing stuff that’s so good, and older bands are writing stuff that’s so good. We’ve had this time to think and reflect and meditate on our existences and what’s going on around us, and a few summers ago, the tragedies that would happen with the violence inflicted upon individuals, the unrest in the world, the upheaval of things and the change, and election season, and all of this stuff that swirls around you, and then realizing once again that we as human beings are going to survive this like we survived anything else. Plagues have happened, there’s been social upheaval before. All of these things have happened, we’ve seen these things before, and we’ve survived. That anxiety that comes with that, you have to find an outlet, and a lot of that is sitting down and writing out how you feel and writing about these things and getting rid of that. A part of that with this record, by the way, was that everybody had tragedies that they were having and anxieties that they were having and we all got to have this catharsis and put it out there and it came together. Art is emotional, and there’s a lot of emotion put into it, and when it comes out, you go “oh, this expresses exactly what I was concerned about.” Other people probably have the same feeling, and when art hits, it invokes an emotional response and people latch on to it and it makes you feel comfortable. I think that’s what this record has. You listen to it and you go “there’s something that’s hitting me about it that’s good. It’s hitting me right here.”
And I think it does so in an interesting way. That’s a difficult needle to thread. Coming out of the last three years and being inspired by the last three years but without overtly talking about the last three years, and without making an album that’s overtly political and directly takes on the social upheaval and the political upheaval of the last three years. It’s an interesting needle to thread, to be able to do an album like that, that reinforces the good that came out of the last three years without being a constant, fist-shaking. There’s certainly a place for that…
That song “Resistance” is on there!
Right!
But the whole of the record is what it is…it’s a whole thing. Everything has a place and it all fits together. Not that it was written as a rock opera, but the songs do have almost a sense that they’re puzzle pieces that make up the whole as a piece of work.
I’m really excited for people to hear it. The fact that some of my favorite albums of this year are from people like Bollweevils, Samiam, Bouncing Souls…bands that have been staples for a long time and that are still putting out records that are so good. Sometimes, I try to step back from it and say “okay, do I like the new Souls record because it’s a new Souls record, or do I like it because it’s a really good record.” And it is a really good record. The new Samiam record, irrespective of if you’ve liked Samiam for years, is a really good record.
Yes, that new Bouncing Souls record is so good! It’s awesome to see bands like us putting this stuff out there that’s so good. The time is just right. … It’s fun, I’m doing this whole circuit, I guess, of talking to people…
Did you do that twenty, thirty years ago? I mean the internet wasn’t what it is now, but…
It was a little internet, but ‘zines would come around here and there. But it wasn’t like this. This is probably the biggest media tour (for the Bollweevils) ever, and it’s easier to do because fo the internet. It’s really easy to do this. Rather than set up a time to have somebody come out and sit down…now I can do a couple phone things, do this, it’s cool. There are a lot of things to organize and fit into the “so open” schedule that I have (*both laugh*). (But) this whole experience has been amazing. There’s something really new about it, and it just feels exciting. It feels like there’s some kind of electricity around it, and it’s amazing.
And I think with it coming out on Red Scare, Toby and Brendan have a pretty cool thing going on.
Yes! And Pouzza is coming up, and there are a bunch of Red Scare bands playing that. Like No Trigger…I’ve loved that band for the longest time. I love those guys. Broadway Calls is another one. They’ve got so many cool bands on there. We were the old school, OG guys on there now. It’s cool to be on a label with a lot of younger bands, some of whom had never seen us, some of us who had never heard of us, and we get to play with them and they’re like “how old are you guys again?” “Oh we’re in our fifties!” “What?! No way!” “Yeah, you young bucks better up your game, because we’re still coming for you!” (*both laugh*) It’s cool to be in this band and on this label. Toby and Brendan are really supportive and the bands on the label are just amazing.
Yes! That new No Trigger record is so good. And it’s so weird, but it’s so awesome that they just kind of went for it.
It’s so cool. It’s not another Canyoneer. I love Canyoneer as a record, but they definitely let you know on this one that they can write a song that you’re going to have to think about, I’m letting you know about these fascists and everything else, and you’re going to be singing along with it. Tom (Rheault) from that band is such a smart guy and John is a grat guitar player. I love them, I really do. I was fanboying out about them when they came on the label. Thinking about this youth movement of bands, and how good they are, it makes me feel rejuvenated sometimes. I’m proud that we still can play and keep up with them and sometimes surpass some of them. I’m like “god, I can’t believe I can still do this at 52,” but then I look over and see Keith Morris and seeing Circle Jerks play and seeing OFF! play, it’s like..that’s who I want to be. That’s what I want to grow up to be. That’s amazing. Seeing Descendents, too, it’s like…that’s what I want to have. The longevity that these guys show is way inspiring. Keith though is totally inspiring. The Circle Jerks are amazing. OFF! is just awesome. They just bring it every day, and I want to do that when I’m sixty. Will I be in my mid-sixties doing this? Of course I will.
Well, in fourteen years, for the next record…
(*both laugh*) Exactly!!
We’re not going to get the folk punk record next time, huh?
No, it’ll still be hard and fast. I won’t be able to jump as high, but it’ll still be a part of the whole schtick. My knee will be in a brace, but here we go!
Chicago punk legends Rise Against took over Metro Chicago recently, playing three completely unique set lists on three nights. The iconic Chicago venue hosted Rise Against – Alive & Well: The Metro Residency as the concert hall celebrates its 40th anniversary. I had the chance to witness this unique weekend, presented by Q101 FM, all […]
Chicago punk legends Rise Against took over Metro Chicago recently, playing three completely unique set lists on three nights. The iconic Chicago venue hosted Rise Against – Alive & Well: The Metro Residency as the concert hall celebrates its 40th anniversary. I had the chance to witness this unique weekend, presented by Q101 FM, all three nights. The first night, with The Bollweevils opening ahead of the band’s new record release, I was there to hang with and support good friends. Admittedly, it felt a little strange, not having my camera gear and not spending time in the photo pit, yet it was a fun time. The crowd, though heavily represented by hometown fans, also saw many traveling from all over the country and even from the United Kingdom. Oh, and a very special event took place under the Metro marquee for two RA fans. More on that in a bit.
Thursday Night
Rise Against opened the weekend on the same day as the first-ever criminal indictment of a former President occurred. There were more than a few “Happy Indictment Day!” exclamations heard both outside and inside the venue. For some, it felt appropriate, on such a precedent-setting day, that the band they were seeing is known for its socially conscious lyrics and offstage activism. Indeed, rather than opening music, the band chose to play an audio clip from one of my longtime top 5 films. It was “Howard Beale”‘s (portrayed by Peter Finch who won a posthumous Oscar for this leading performance) iconic “I am as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore” speech from the classic, multi-Oscar winning film, Network. It was the whole speech, and it was brilliant.
The Rise Against residency was a sort of retrospective. Each night had a totally unique set list sans any repeats over the course of the weekend. Unlike the common practice of a band playing a different one of its albums start to finish each night of a multi-night stand, Rise Against mixed up songs from different records. Surely this was highly appreciated by those who were present for all, or at least more than one, of the nights.
Night one’s set list included, “Tragedy + Time,” “Broken Dreams, Inc.,” “Bridges,” “Paper Wings,” and “Entertainment.” Two notes on this song lineup: this was the live debut performance of “Bridges,” and the first time they have played “Entertainment” live in about a dozen years. As with the other two nights, this was an expectedly strong evening of music. Just as the film “Network” and “Howard Beale”‘s rallying cry are still relevant decades on, so too is Rise Against’s music. I don’t see any of these changing in the near future.
Supporting act on night one, The Bollweevils, jump-started the weekend in a big way. As in a big jump from the Punk Roc Doc, Dr. Daryl Wilson. Wilson has been catching major air since the formation of the band decades ago. His bandmates, guitarist Ken Weevil, a middle school teacher/former middle school principal, and “the double Petes”, bassist Peter Mittler, back from Florida for this performance, and drummer Pete Mumford, on the backbeat, delivered a boisterous performance. The set included “Predisposition,” “Fencesitter,” “Peggy Sue,” “Bottomless Pit,” and “Cutting Solution.” The band’s new album, Essential off of Red Scare Industries, is set to be released on May 5, 2023. It features backing vocals by “the 5th Bollweevil,” Joe Mizzi of The Mizzerables, who also provides live bass duties when Mittler is not available. The release takes place just weeks before the band heads to Pouzza Fest. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for The Bollweevils. I’m all here for it.
Friday Night
Night two also started with an audio clip, from the HBO, Aaron Sorkin created series, “The Newsroom.” In this case the oft shared scene whereas series lead Jeff Daniels, as news anchor “Will McAvoy” responds to a college student’s question of what makes the US the greatest country in the world.
Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Brandon Barnes, and Zach Blair throw emotional punches with their songs, and this was on full display throughout the Metro residency. While too often political punk bands can seem didactic, Rise Against never does. Instead, fans are fully engaged to the message of the lyrics, and how said message is being delivered intoxicatingly via the music.
As with the first night, RA performed some songs which have not been played live in years or never played live prior to this. Included in the former category were “My Life Inside Your Heart,” and “Torches.” It had been roughly 18 and 8 years respectively since the songs were last performed live. “About Damn Time,” and “Whereabouts Unknown,” were live debuts. The set also included “Black Masks & Gasoline,” “Survivor Guilt,” “The Great Die-Off,” and “State of the Union.”
The Smoking Popes opened night 2 with a bouncy and satisfying set. The first tune of the night was the one often, but not always played first, “Simmer Down.” It was followed by tunes including “Let’s Hear It For Love,” “Rubella,” “Megan,” and “Amanda My Love.” The Smoking Popes, consisting o the brothers Caterer (Josh Caterer, Eli Dixon Caterer, and Matt Caterer), and Mike Felumlee, per usual, were the charismatic and unusually fun punk band its fans love so much. This is at least my second time in the last 6 months or so documenting the band for Dying Scene. Hopefully it won’t the last before 2024.
Saturday Night
Admittedly, if Rise Against played an audio clip before its Saturday night set, I did not catch it. However, the band continued another pattern established during the first two nights with a set list including the live debuts of “The Black Market,” “Sudden Urge,” “Endgame,” “Lanterns,” and “Escape Artists.” Rise Against also performed “Anywhere But Here” for the first time since 2006, “Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated” for the first time since 2007, and “From Heads Unworthy,” for the first time since 2011. If the crowd’s electric reaction to these songs is any indication, perhaps the bands will consider making some, if not all, at least semi-regulars on its future set lists. RA rounded out the setlist with “Chamber The Cartridge,” “Heaven Knows,” and “Drones.” This might have been an exhausting weekend for the crowd, the band, and all others involved, yet it was also an immensely fun one.
Kali Masi was the youngest of the bands playing on this bill, with its debut album released in 2017. Yet the members of this dynamic band performed with confident abandon. Sam Porter on guitar and lead vocals, drummer John Garrison, bass player/vocals Adam Romero, and Tim Roark is on guitar/vocals tore through their set, which included “Paint me Jade,” ”Sputter,” “Some Friends,” “Trophy Deer,” “Recurring (I),” and “The Stray.”
The band will soonish be returning to the Wrigleyville area of Clark St. when they play at the Metro’s neighbor, GMan Tavern in June. I’d advise you to be there if you can. As good as Kali Masi are presently, there is ample evidence that they will only get better and better.
Now to that special moment. Rise Against super fans Nick Novak and his long-time girlfriend, Lisa Bulwan, had plans to attend the Saturday night show. What Lisa did not know was that Nick had a ring on him and was planning to propose before doors opened. Full disclosure part 1: Nick hired me to take photos of the event without giving away the surprise. Careful planning allowed that to happen and Lisa, of course, said yes. Fans lined up the block exploded into cheers. Full Disclosure part 2: I clued those fans on to what was about to happen. Hey, for this one moment I was there, not as a photojournalist, but as a hired photographer. Letting others know what was about to go down was part of doing the job well! Congratulations Nick and Lisa, from all of us at Dying Scene!
I got a surprise message from MerGold on November 12th. She asked if I was going to the Bollweevils show that night. I dig and respect the heck out of The Bollweevils, but Djunah is one of my absolute favorite local bands still playing, and that’s where I was planning to be that night. Then […]
I got a surprise message from MerGold on November 12th. She asked if I was going to the Bollweevils show that night. I dig and respect the heck out of The Bollweevils, but Djunah is one of my absolute favorite local bands still playing, and that’s where I was planning to be that night. Then she told me they needed someone to shoot said Bollweevils show. I did not expect that. I sometimes take concert photos as a hobby, but I’ve never shot a band as big as The Bollweevils. I’ve never had any of my photos published anywhere, so I was floored by the offer, in a good way. But, I still really wanted to see Djunah too! Fortunately, I got lucky on timing and I was able to make it to both shows! 🤘
My first stop of the night was The Bollweevils, at Cobra Lounge. There was a great crowd and great energy in the room as they took stage. Speaking of energy, their set opened with a lot of it! After the first song it became apparent that Daryl’s tall stature and Cobra’s low ceiling were not an ideal match. As recommended by the crowd, Daryl did not hesitate to continue the show in front of the stage on the floor. This created a new problem, that Daryl no longer had a set list. His need to know what song was coming next quickly became the running gag of the evening. Every song sounded fantastic, a good time was had by all!
Next I made a mad dash over to the Archer Ballroom, and thankfully I got there in time to see Djunah. 🙌 The venue is pretty cool, but boy was it cold. Donna had her coat draped over her while tuning her guitar and I don’t blame her! Their set impressed as always. Halfway through the first song Donna’s hat fell over her eyes, but she managed rock around on stage and keep playing the bass notes with her foot while blind. The rest of their set went off without a hitch. The majority of it was new material for their upcoming album. I have been listening to their last release, Ex Voto, non-stop and I can not wait to hear the new album. All of the new songs absolutely ripped live.
It’s always a good night when you can catch two different shows in one night. All the bands were on point, and it’s such an honor to be shooting for Dying Scene. I can’t wait to do it again!
Punk Rock Saves Lives has been doing some incredible shit in our beloved community for a few years now and during that time, they’ve come to be one of the largest non-profit scene related charity organizations, focusing on Health Concerns (both physical and mental), Equal Rights, Human Rights, and so much more. If you’re not […]
Punk Rock Saves Lives has been doing some incredible shit in our beloved community for a few years now and during that time, they’ve come to be one of the largest non-profit scene related charity organizations, focusing on Health Concerns (both physical and mental), Equal Rights, Human Rights, and so much more. If you’re not familiar with them, check them out, give them a follow and stop by their tent at pretty much any large punk fest in North America and say ‘Howdy’!
This year the ever growing charity decided to throw their first ever Punk Rock Saves Lives Festival in Denver, CO. The terrific, two day event (not counting the pre-party show at EastFax Tap on Friday night) was held at Ratio Beerworks (Overland) to help raise awareness and funding to allow them to continue providing vital resources to our comrades in punk (anyone really, they just lean towards us filthy lowlifes for some reason 😛). Since The Masked Moron, Anarchopunk lives in the Mile High now, we dispatched him to take some pics, drink some locally brewed beer, eat some great food truck grub (those CFH Sliders from Brutal Poodle truck slapped), party with a whole slew of awesome people…..and get Covid. We hear that he successfully accomplished his mission (especially the getting Covid part), so check out his report below!
Local solo act, Sputnik Slovenia started things off, promising to be the tamest act of the night and even though I think he was right, we were still treated to some pretty raucous tunes including a rousing cover of the theme to “Gilligan’s Island” which scored major fan participation points, because who doesn’t sing along to that one, even if it’s just the “…threeeee hour toooouuuur” part?
Next to hit the stage was Adams County’s premiere appliance repairmen/punk rock band, Dryer Fire. Some bands have political messages, others may speak on cultural/social issues, some just sing about having fun. But for this group, appliance safety is paramount, taking ample time between songs to remind everyone to clean their lint traps and check their dryer exhausts on a regular basis. Sooooo……go clean your lint trap and check your dryer exhaust.
Tacoma, WA based pop punks, Let Me Downs flew in on short notice to cover for a band that had to fall out and I think the crowd appreciated them a little extra for that because the energy level spiked significantly during their thirty minute set, which was supposed to be the last indoor set of the night (that’s called foreshadowing, kids).
Time for some fresh Rocky Mountain air! Local favorites, Discomfort Creature (fresh off of a Euro Tour) kicked things off on the outdoor stage. The extra space on the lawn was quickly filled with a humble yet aggressive circle pit and the band fed off of the power that was generated by the constant swirl of the denim and leather clad cyclone.
Denver based super-group, Record Thieves were up next and the crowd definitely knew it as they started slowly creeping towards the stage area, in small waves prior to the band taking the stage. Musically speaking, these guys probably hit the highest mark on the ‘Talent Meter’ for Day One and always bring a pretty high level of intensity. But the highlight for me was hearing the first live performance of their new single “Fault Lines”. Stellar work as always, comrades!
Thousand Island Records representing hard at PRSL Fest! Chicagoland residents, Counterpunch took the stage next. The Windy City punks played through some songs from their most recent LP (and AoTY Contender?) Rewire. But they also tipped their hat to the local scene by inviting The Gamits‘ ex-frontman Chris Fogal to provide vocals for their cover of the defunct band’s most popular tune, “Dotted Lines”. Side Note: I think I have a new favorite basser. That cat fucking briiiings it!
Yes, everybody enjoyed all of the other bands. Yes, everyone had a fabulous day, all around. But let’s be real, everyone was ultimately here to see Chicago hardcore stalwarts, The Bollweevils. Before the set even started, the pit was starting to form and it got more fervid as the band took the stage. After the first song, the weather started to shift and Dr. Daryl, as expected, took his secondary position down in the middle of the ever swelling pit, thrashing around with the fans. The weather continued to deteriorate and as the winds picked up to 25+ MPH 98Gotta love Denver weather), a large tent that was affixed the pergola caught air and nearly flew away. At that point, it was determined that for eh safety of everyone involved, the show had to move back indoors. The sound crew did an amazing job and had the show back in operation inside in about twenty mins. As the set recommenced, The Good Doctor asked the crowd if they could remember where they had left off before Mother Nature interrupted, to which the reply was a hearty “Start Over!”. The band complied and we were treated to a bonus ‘extended set’! It’s been four years since I’ve been tossed that badly down in the pit. Damn, it felt good!
*Check out the rest of the day’s action in the below slideshow! Keep an eye out for Day Two coverage, coming soon!