The new year has, so far, started off with a bang. While there have been political tensions with things heating up in the federal government, I'll take the time today to focus on the lighter stuff. The Big Gig, Upchuck's new EP and the release show, and the debut album from Billy Batts & the Made Men are all optimistic in the beginning of the new year. Let's dive right into shit.
I'll start first with the Big Gig, the biggest, loudest, and longest of the year. Last year's Big Gig was long, but this year's Big Gig was even longer. Although it only had one more band, it seemed to go on for eternities. Which is not a compliment from me, I got tired of being there after nine fucking hours. However, in that nine hours I did get to see some great local and regional bands, including, but not limited to Clavicle, Blurry, Challenger Deep, Gilt, Tenth Row, and the Callous Daoboys. I left after the Daoboys, but other beloved local bands played after, like Stay Here, Blis., and Michael Cera Palin. Maybe I didn't see MCP, but at least I bought my girlfriend a shirt. It was, overall, a great way to kick off the new year. Next up is the brand new Upchuck EP. Upchuck's following has been growing exponentially ever since the release of their first demo in 2018. And we've been waiting for them to release this EP for a whole fucking year and it' finally here. It's essentially a psychedelic garage-punk record. And it kicks ass. Fuzzy guitars, loud vocals, and loud drums make this record shine it all its lo-fi glory. You can listen to it here. The show presented to us just how fucking insane Upchuck fans are. Crowd surfing inside a shopping cart, jumping off a staircase into the crowd (one such person kicking me in the head), and viciously ripping apart a plush dinosaur head. There was beer everywhere, one dude had a large, bleeding gash in his forehead, and I stood in the back like a wimp cause I got an ouchie on my head. It was probably best that I did, however, because the mosh pit never stopped. It started before the band even fucking started. And the opening acts, Eat, Kent Osborne, and Rude Dude and the Creek Freaks all put on one hell of a show. In conclusion, Upchuck is a great band that puts on great shows and if you don't like them you're lame. Finally, we get to the debut album by our friends Billy Batts & the Made Men, Russ. The local teenage punk act released the "Aimed At My Head" single last year, and released the full album on January 7th of this year. It's a fast, energetic, and melodic punk album, with screamy lead vocals, a mix of clean and shouted backing vocals, crunchy guitars, melodic bass, and fast, busy drums. It all comes together so well on this record, and the tracks flow well between each other. You can listen to the full album on all major streaming platforms, and you can buy it on CD here. 2020 may turn out to be be a rocky year for politics, but it seems to be a good year for our scene. Let's just hope no one fucks it up. They can fuck up the government, but they can't take art away from us. And remember: do it your goddamn self.
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March 2020
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