When: 9/12/09
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg
The number of early American hardcore bands reuniting got silly a few years ago. But as silly as it seems, for those of us who were in kindergarten or perhaps just a twinkle in our parents' eyes back in punk's heyday, it's a chance to glimpse a little of what we missed. And one of the bands I'm happiest I've had the chance to see is Chicago's Naked Raygun.
Of the many reunions I've seen, Naked Raygun seems to be one of the closest to their youthful punk origins. The band's only consistent member was only ever singer Jeff Pezzati, joined now on stage by three former Naked Raygun members from the tail end of the band's original lifetime. More melodic than most of their fellow hardcore bands, but as confrontational as any, Naked Raygun stand out in a generation of sound-alikes. Their tunefulness would be echoed on the West Coast a few years later by poppy punk-revival bands like Jawbreaker and Pennywise, but their aggressive, controversial politics set them apart from those groups as well.
Many of the 80's indie bands reunited have grown up; even most of those who still rock hard (X, Dinosaur Jr, etc.) seem more settled - just as you'd expect after twenty or thirty years. Naked Raygun, however, hardly seems to have grown up at all. Pezzati, whose personality has always defined the band, still looks like a gangly teenage punk. While at least three of the four current members - including Pezzati - have kids, they don't seem to have moved along with the rest of their generation from rebels to members of the Establishment; I bet they'd fit in better with today's nineteen-year-olds than with their fellow forty-somethings (or is it already fifty-somethings?). Aside from some apparent stiffness in the joints of the rhythm section and a few gray hairs, you wouldn't know more than two decades had elapsed since the band's peak.
Pezzati, the rare punk singer who can actually sing, was in top form, cutting loose his ambitious melodies, crouching and snarling, bouncing and hollering, like a punk singer should. He liked to give the audience a turn in the mic too. Guitarist Bill Stephens was just as lively, rocking out on a Flying V that met with the crowd's approval when Pezzati asked if it was "too rock'n'roll." Stephens is as accomplished a guitarist as Pezzati is a singer, showing punk doesn't have to be without musical skill to be legit.
The band played an excellent mix of old and new songs, but there might have been too much new if it were not for the fact that the band's recent pieces match the quality of their earlier work one-hundred percent. There isn't a noticeable stylistic departure in their newer material either. It's just more of the same kind of hard-edged anthem fans have loved since the band's beginnings.
It may not be Chicago, it may not be 1985, but it's closer than I ever expected to get.
Showing posts with label Naked Raygun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naked Raygun. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Upcoming Shows: A Place to Bury Strangers, Naked Raygun, Zeros + more!
TOMORROW! Thursday, September 10
Gowns, Pterodactyl @ Death By Audio ("The Maze") | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I've already told you so much about Pterodactyl and how their wild arpeggiated guitars, unrepeating drums and manic hollering add up to something pretty awesome that doesn't sound much like anyone else. I haven't seen Gowns yet, as they live in California, but it would seem they make similarly edgy, minimalist noise rock, though perhaps in a less manic and more unsettling. We shall see. Oh, and Death By Audio is a maze now. [Gowns MySpace] [Ptero MySpace]
Friday, September 11
A Place To Bury Strangers @ Death By Audio ("The Maze") | Williamsburg Brooklyn
It's such a rare opportunity now to hear APTBS play a small venue or a DIY venue. Not only is DBA the best small DIY venue in town, it's also the band's home. The music collective that runs the venue was started by APTBS's Oliver Ackermann and you know they'll be at the top of their game playing in the place they got their start (and I'd assume, where they still rehearse). Ackermann founded DBA as a custom pedal factory and that's important because it's the custom pedals that make APTBS a stand-out band - the sheer metallic roar and Himalayas' worth of feedback. In other words, bring ear plugs. Heavy-duty industrial ones. [MySpace]
Saturday, September 12
Naked Raygun @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15 adv./$18 dos.
Naked Raygun was the essential hardcore band in Chicago in the early 80's. Melodic and arty, but with all the fast-loud spirit of other early hardcore bands, Naked Raygun remain one of the greatest examples of American indie ever. [MySpace]
Sunday, September 13
Feelies @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $25
I think $25 is too much to pay for a show, even for the band that invented jangly Hoboken pop in the 80's. If you've got the cash, though, and you like sweet melodies, simple songs and smiles all around, check it out. It's a double set, so you will get some bang for your buck. [MySpace]
Monday, September 14
Autolux @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15
Autolux play wall-of-sound dream pop, but with balls. Basically, people who like shoegaze-influenced alt rock (Catherine Wheel, Trail of Dead, early Smashing Pumpkins, etc.) would be hard put to find much better than this. [MySpace]
Tuesday, September 15
Zeros + Jemina Pearl @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $15
Zeros are one of the original LA punk bands from the late 70's/early 80's. In addition to being one of the great American punk bands, they are one of the only still touring with the original line-up intact. So if you weren't going to shows in southern California in 1978 (or you were and you want to relive it), this is your chance. Opening is Jemina Pearl of the now-defunct, very young, very talented punk outfit Be Your Own Pet. [MySpace (unofficial)] [JP MySpace]
Gowns, Pterodactyl @ Death By Audio ("The Maze") | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I've already told you so much about Pterodactyl and how their wild arpeggiated guitars, unrepeating drums and manic hollering add up to something pretty awesome that doesn't sound much like anyone else. I haven't seen Gowns yet, as they live in California, but it would seem they make similarly edgy, minimalist noise rock, though perhaps in a less manic and more unsettling. We shall see. Oh, and Death By Audio is a maze now. [Gowns MySpace] [Ptero MySpace]
Friday, September 11
A Place To Bury Strangers @ Death By Audio ("The Maze") | Williamsburg Brooklyn
It's such a rare opportunity now to hear APTBS play a small venue or a DIY venue. Not only is DBA the best small DIY venue in town, it's also the band's home. The music collective that runs the venue was started by APTBS's Oliver Ackermann and you know they'll be at the top of their game playing in the place they got their start (and I'd assume, where they still rehearse). Ackermann founded DBA as a custom pedal factory and that's important because it's the custom pedals that make APTBS a stand-out band - the sheer metallic roar and Himalayas' worth of feedback. In other words, bring ear plugs. Heavy-duty industrial ones. [MySpace]
Saturday, September 12
Naked Raygun @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15 adv./$18 dos.
Naked Raygun was the essential hardcore band in Chicago in the early 80's. Melodic and arty, but with all the fast-loud spirit of other early hardcore bands, Naked Raygun remain one of the greatest examples of American indie ever. [MySpace]
Sunday, September 13
Feelies @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $25
I think $25 is too much to pay for a show, even for the band that invented jangly Hoboken pop in the 80's. If you've got the cash, though, and you like sweet melodies, simple songs and smiles all around, check it out. It's a double set, so you will get some bang for your buck. [MySpace]
Monday, September 14
Autolux @ Bowery Ballroom | LES, Manhattan | $15
Autolux play wall-of-sound dream pop, but with balls. Basically, people who like shoegaze-influenced alt rock (Catherine Wheel, Trail of Dead, early Smashing Pumpkins, etc.) would be hard put to find much better than this. [MySpace]
Tuesday, September 15
Zeros + Jemina Pearl @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $15
Zeros are one of the original LA punk bands from the late 70's/early 80's. In addition to being one of the great American punk bands, they are one of the only still touring with the original line-up intact. So if you weren't going to shows in southern California in 1978 (or you were and you want to relive it), this is your chance. Opening is Jemina Pearl of the now-defunct, very young, very talented punk outfit Be Your Own Pet. [MySpace (unofficial)] [JP MySpace]
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Upcoming Shows - This Week + September Preview
I really can't get it up for many of the shows this week, except the Breeders last night and tonight at Bowery. And that's very sold out, though I suppose it's worth a try.
Friday, August 21
Antlers @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | SOLD OUT
This show is sold out, but if you can find a way to go, I'd recommend it. This is the album release party for Hospice, which is one of the definitive albums of the last decade. The band is pretty good live, too. It's amazing to see just three guys make all those sounds you hear on the recordings. [MySpace]
Saturday, August 22
Blank Dogs, Ex-Humans @ Don Pedro's | Bushwick, Brooklyn
Why Blank Dogs would play such a venue is anyone's guess. Don Pedro's doesn't exactly have a great reputation among Brooklyn bands. But that's not what's important. What's important is the gothy lo-fi of Blank Dogs is unparalleled and you should check it out. And yeah, I know I haven't had the most positive reaction to the live shows in the past, but 1) I hear there may be some significant changes afoot for Blank Dogs as a live act and 2) just because the shows aren't as good as the albums doesn't mean they aren't better than most other bands' shows around. [MySpace]
There are some shows coming up further down the line that are worth putting on your calendar and, if possible, getting tickets for before they sell out:
August 30
Lightning Bolt @ 979 Broadway | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $12
An afternoon show from one of the best guitar bands in, like, years. [MS]
September 1
Screaming Females @ Mercury Lounge | Manhattan | $10*
Another one of the best guitar bands in years. And they're up-and-coming fast, so check them out while you can still see them somewhere reasonably small. [MS]
September 9
Naked Raygun @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $15*/$18
One of the great bands of the American Underground, Naked Raygun ruled the hardcore/indie scene in Chicago. [MS]
September 13
Feelies @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $25*
The Feelies defined the jangly "Hoboken Pop" of the 1980's, balancing pioneering noise with catchy melodies and uptempos. Twenty-five bucks is a lot, but at least it's a double set. [MS]
September 14
Autolux @ Bowery Ballroom | Manhattan | $15*
If you like shoegazy alt-rock walls of sound and massive songs, look no further. [MS] (Actually, do look further on this list, there's more for you...)
September 15
Autolux @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $15*
See above. [MS]
Zeros + Jemina Pearl @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $15*
The Zeros are one of the classic late 70's LA punk bands, and one of the only presently touring with their original line-up intact. [MS]
September 19
..And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead + Secret Machines @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $20*
If you like shoegazy alt-rock walls of sound and massive songs, look no further. (This time I mean it.) [MS]
September 24
Wavves + Ganglians @ Santos Party House | Manhattan | $12*
Wavves make lo-fi, surfy, poppy, noisy, fiercely independent punk. They are one of the very, very best bands to emerge in 2008/2009. They are playing a Todd P show (venue TBA) the next day, though, if you prefer the DIY setting. [MS]
*Advance tickets available online
Friday, August 21
Antlers @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | SOLD OUT
This show is sold out, but if you can find a way to go, I'd recommend it. This is the album release party for Hospice, which is one of the definitive albums of the last decade. The band is pretty good live, too. It's amazing to see just three guys make all those sounds you hear on the recordings. [MySpace]
Saturday, August 22
Blank Dogs, Ex-Humans @ Don Pedro's | Bushwick, Brooklyn
Why Blank Dogs would play such a venue is anyone's guess. Don Pedro's doesn't exactly have a great reputation among Brooklyn bands. But that's not what's important. What's important is the gothy lo-fi of Blank Dogs is unparalleled and you should check it out. And yeah, I know I haven't had the most positive reaction to the live shows in the past, but 1) I hear there may be some significant changes afoot for Blank Dogs as a live act and 2) just because the shows aren't as good as the albums doesn't mean they aren't better than most other bands' shows around. [MySpace]
There are some shows coming up further down the line that are worth putting on your calendar and, if possible, getting tickets for before they sell out:
August 30
Lightning Bolt @ 979 Broadway | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $12
An afternoon show from one of the best guitar bands in, like, years. [MS]
September 1
Screaming Females @ Mercury Lounge | Manhattan | $10*
Another one of the best guitar bands in years. And they're up-and-coming fast, so check them out while you can still see them somewhere reasonably small. [MS]
September 9
Naked Raygun @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $15*/$18
One of the great bands of the American Underground, Naked Raygun ruled the hardcore/indie scene in Chicago. [MS]
September 13
Feelies @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $25*
The Feelies defined the jangly "Hoboken Pop" of the 1980's, balancing pioneering noise with catchy melodies and uptempos. Twenty-five bucks is a lot, but at least it's a double set. [MS]
September 14
Autolux @ Bowery Ballroom | Manhattan | $15*
If you like shoegazy alt-rock walls of sound and massive songs, look no further. [MS] (Actually, do look further on this list, there's more for you...)
September 15
Autolux @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $15*
See above. [MS]
Zeros + Jemina Pearl @ Southpaw | Park Slope, Brooklyn | $15*
The Zeros are one of the classic late 70's LA punk bands, and one of the only presently touring with their original line-up intact. [MS]
September 19
..And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead + Secret Machines @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn | $20*
If you like shoegazy alt-rock walls of sound and massive songs, look no further. (This time I mean it.) [MS]
September 24
Wavves + Ganglians @ Santos Party House | Manhattan | $12*
Wavves make lo-fi, surfy, poppy, noisy, fiercely independent punk. They are one of the very, very best bands to emerge in 2008/2009. They are playing a Todd P show (venue TBA) the next day, though, if you prefer the DIY setting. [MS]
*Advance tickets available online
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
