Live: So So Glos, Lovvers

When: 8/1
Where: Death By Audio

So I'm still way behind in my live reviews. This was already almost two weeks ago, sorry!!

Though I missed seeing the Sundelles yet again, I did get to Death By Audio in time for Lovvers, whom I recently saw at Cake Shop. In that review, I noted the British punks to sound more tame and 50's-esque than on recordings. Apparently, that's not always the case - the show at Death By Audio was much more aggressive, sonically.

In terms of the performance, the band was about the same - which is fine since they were pretty good before. Singer Shaun Hencher again inserted himself in the midst of the crowd and again planted a mid-song kiss on a girl in the crowd. (Either Hencher enjoys getting beat up by angry boyfriends or he actually knows these girls.) The band kept its smart melodicism while amping up their noise, which is the best thing they could have done. Thumbs up. [MySpace]

I haven't heard So So Glos before. Part of me thought, perhaps from their image, and from certain rumors, and from the look of the band's myspace, that they were likely douchebags. Wherever my prejudice came from, I apologize to the band. The four guys who took the stage at Death By Audio were friendly, polite and engaging.


The So So Glos (photo by Eddie Brannan, from myspace.com)
There's no question that the So So Glos are a real punk band. And a really good one at that. Their songs pack a punch, confronting the audience without losing accessibility or a certain pop appeal. That said, it's definitely not my favorite. I need to connect with music on a emotional level, and with this music, I just couldn't. I'm not sure whether that's because the band is more about having fun than making themselves vulnerable, or if it's because it just doesn't resonate with me personally. Either way, the band has certainly succeeded on their own terms - they're a good listen and put on a good show.

During the show, some more aggressive moshing types started to create a problem. The band stopped to address the problem and when it continued in the next song, guitarist Matt Elkin leapt off the stage and charged the offender. The band stopped mid-song. I'm not sure what happened so I'm not sure if it merited Elkin's aggression, but it was refreshing to see a band take some responsibility for the behavior of their audience and try to make sure that a few people don't ruin it for the whole. Thanks, guys! [MySpace]