On 2nd September, The Owners opened the night at the Black Cat with a fun energetic set that got the crowd fired up early. The Attack kept the energy going with a punchy, tight performance. Then Stiff Little Fingers closed things out like the legends they are. The club was packed, the energy was real, and it felt like one of those nights where punk was exactly where it belonged, at the Black Cat! Complete fun from start to finish.
Stiff Little Fingers hit the stage with a bang and delivered a career spanning set of hits, deep cuts, and new songs. Founding members Jake Burns (vocals/guitar) and Alistair Jardine “Ali” McMordie (bass) were joined by longtime members Steve Grantley (drums) and Ian McCallum (guitar).
Before launching into “Mary’s Boy Child,” Burns said the song was about current U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s behavior. Burns said that he decided to name the song after a Harry Belafonte song because Trump’s mother’s name was Mary. After relocating from Chicago, Illinois to a small place in West Virginia, Burns happened to run into the daughter of Belafonte, Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, who also lived in the area and told her the story. Upon hearing it, she said her father would be turning in his grave.
Before performing the Special’s “Doesn’t Make It Alright,” Burns recalled how he and the band fell in love with the Specials and this song before they had even recorded it. Burns and crew attempted to record and release it before the Specials finally did on their eponymous debut album. He further recounted how the Specials’ recorded version was much weaker or wimpier than their live version and that some of members of the Specials liked Stiff Little Fingers’ cover better. Follow the band here.
The Attack brought the energy up a bit and blazed through a set of upbeat, poppy street punk. Longtime members Charlie Bender (vocals), Brad Palkevich (guitar), Mikey Cortes (bass) and were joined by original drummer Tito Esquiaqui. Bender expressed his admiration for many of the DC punk and hardcore pioneers who paved the way for bands like his and the audiences that support them. Dying Scene’s head huncho, Jay Stone, conducted an interview with Bender and Palkevich back in 2015 and you can check out here. Find them here.
Washington, DC’s The Owners includes Black Cat owners Dante (drums) and Catherine Ferrando (vocals) along with famous bartenders Laura Harris (bass) and Alec Budd (guitar). The band tore through one fun punk rock n roll song after another. They played their new single, Monster, which was released digitally on 28 August 2025. They said it would be available on vinyl in November 2025. Be sure to find them here.
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