So okay it’s been awhile since I’ve felt inspired enough by a show to write a review of it, but Friday’s show was fucking FANTASTIC! Mind you I attended this show the day after I read John Fahy’s column in the August MRR in which he stated (and I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY agreed with) that:
“… The vast majority of pop punk today seems very clean, lovely, trite, and boring; I’m completely tired of generic love song lyrics; they’re neither charming nor intelligent, and they have been done to fucking death”.
and later boldly and rightfully stating that:
“… There is not enough punk in pop punk anymore”.
So yeah. Until recently I agreed with the dear Mr. Fahy. I went through a phase in which I would occasionally lend an ear to music classified as “pop punk”, though it was always on the heavier, grittier side, elements that seem to be somewhat of a declining art.
Well decline no more. Grand Rapids is fucking putting the grit back into pop punk and Friday’s show was pure genius as far as I’m concerned. First off were the delightful LIGHTNING BUGS (Grand Rapids), whom are a rotating two piece of amazingness who play a style of music that brings me right back to THE BREEDERS again and again (though of COURSE much more rough and distorted sounding). I’ve seen this band several times now and I like them more and more every show. The way these individuals play music together is downright enchanting and I look forward to seeing them many more times before they are through.
Second up was RADIATOR HOSPITAL and once again the people in this band CONTINUE TO FUCKING AMAZE ME! (And on a side though equally as important note: it blows my mind that these kids are not only in one fantastic band, but several! SKELETON PARTY has been my favorite local band up until this point and now I think it’s safe to say they are TIED with themselves as RADIATOR HOSPITAL). Their style of music is undeniably impressive with unique ties to so many styles of music it makes my fucking head spin. Their set was tight and energetic and poppy and sad and happy and fantastic all put together. And who can really argue with a distorted sped-up version of DESCENDENTS “good good things”? I FUCKING LOVE THIS BAND.
Third to grace the stage were Sweden’s THE POPPETS who were touring with SWEET SIXTEENS (from Indiana). Another two piece though this time two guitarists and a drum machine, THE POPPETS played a fucking mean set of speedy bubblegum pop punk that had me dancing my ass off and staring in awe (and thinking of John Fahy’s column the whole time!). Unfortunately I missed SWEET SIXTEENS but a close source tells me they were sub-par after LIGHTNING BUGS, RADIATOR HOSPITAL, and THE POPPETS and chided the audience for not dancing enough. C’mon now guys, you’ve gotta know by now that’s never cool…
SO IN CONCLUSION! GRAND RAPIDS FUCKING RULES and OUR POP MUSIC IS PUNK AS FUCK!!
CVG!
never cool not to move or dance? fuck yah! grand rapids in furniture city most people stand dead still! its a fuckin’ joke!
hahahaha I seen you sitting down for two bands. You got to make it happen you have to look at yourself and what you can do to make it happen. I loved the first 3 bands from this show because they never once asked the crowd to dance they just played killer sets. The last band begged and pleaded for people to move around and make them feel good. Fuck that we play in punk bands for ourselves plain and simple!
You weren’t looking too hard becuz I only sat down fer one
band: Radiator Hospital. Thats cuz A. I don’t dig ‘em as
much as Skeleton Party; B. I was tired out from dancing my
heart out to The Lightening Bugs.
“The last band begged and pleaded for people to move
around and make them feel good. Fuck that WE
play in punk bands for ourselves plain and simple!”
Here you go again, dictating what Punk Rockers do.
Why don’t you say that’s what YOU do it for.
Becuz yr not even shure what their true intentions were
becuz u didn’t watch them play.
if you would actually READ the column correctly josh you would see that it CLEARLY says it’s not cool when a band is playing and they accuse the audience for not dancing enough for them. Most likely they’re not dancing because the band is boring and becomes even more prententious when they assume they should get a better audience response. And when did you become the authority on grand rapids punk? I hardly think you are dancing throughout every band at every show (the ones you actually attend to see bands not just pass out your fliers at) and I know FOR A FACT you weren’t dancing throughout the entire show friday. NOBODY was. AND WHO CARES. DANCE WHEN YOU WANT TO. If a band is good I will dance. Period. And it’s personal taste. Who cares if you’re the only one dancing or not dancing. THis is a ridiculous conversation that must be stopped. THERE ARE FAR FAR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT IN OUR SCENE THAN WHO’S “DANCING”. COME ON.
Wow! Now you sound like an authority! Yr the one saying that
its NOT COOL FOR A BAND TO CALL THE AUDIENCE OUT!
Why are you trying to dictate whats cool?
Yr the one who said “We all know its not cool!” Do we really?
You should have actually tried to watch the Sweet 16′s before
writing a review of them!
They were like Darby Crash on hallucingens!
Besides that they were really nice and not pretentious at all!
People at Grand Rapids are just too wrapped up in looking cool,
its as simple as that.
A real punk band challenges that.
I think we need to get over the whole basic bitch-fest that most punx
devolve into tho, please don’t think of this as an attack
I’m just challenging you with my opinion, and I think
your a little inaccurate in what you assume is going on.
That doesn’t mean I dislike you.
I think you all are great, just be prepared to be challenged
I’m not just be one of those punx that go “Uh-huh, uh-huh,
yr right you’ve got yr finger on the pulse of punk rock,
yr right when you say The Sweet 16′s suck fer challenging the
audience, bands play at punk shows and say things like
‘I LOVE YOU GRAND RAPIDS! YR SO COOL GRAND RAPIDS,
CAN SUCK YR COCK!’
And Punks should never challenge each other,
we should just trying to convince ourselves that grand rapids can
do no wrong so MRR will look at us and jack-off
with punk rock glee!
Oops, mistook myself a bit, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES see!
I can admit it.
Anywayz what I meant to say was would you like punk bands
to cum to GR not challenge anybody and be like:
“WE LUV U GRAND RAPIDS! CAN WE SUK YR COCK?”
Thats how corporate bands are. Punk bands
are supposed to challenge yu more.
Don’t be soft.
ONCE AGAIN, BEFORE WE GET IN A PUNK
BITCH FEST WITH EACH OTHER
LET ME REITERATE THAT EVERYTHING I’VE
SAID HERE IS ONLY MY OPINION!
You have a very interesting one too, Claire
I might add…
I like alot of yr review,
just be prepared fer someone
to challenge aspects of it if your
going to have statements that kind of throw
a huge blanket opinion on what other peoples
opinions are.
I believe punk is to challenge people
into doing/thinking something different,
but that’s not the only extent to what I think of punk.
Yes we do this fer ourselves, I agree
with that as well. Is it wrong to agree
with both of those things?
The major idea behind Aethestic Existentialism
(which in its own helped create a fountain of ideas
behind early punk rock bands) was
that every man/women
creates their own reality by every action they take,
so whenever we make a move were making
it for every man/woman becuz our actions produce
reactions.
So we have ‘Punk’, a name that was orginally
used to make the weird scene seem stupid,
and penned by some random journalist
who prolly didn’t like the scene.
I like alot of things/bands that I consider Punk that others
don’t
like Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Chrome, and The Chameleons…
As for comix, sum punx don’t read ‘em, but
I like Weirdo by Robert Crumb, Eightball by
Daniel Clowes, The Hernandez Bros. did Love &
Rockets didn’t they?
I know you guys/gals like them cuz
Hopi always liked this band in Love & Rockets
called Religious Disorder…thats where yu
got yr band name right?
I luvvvvvvved how you reviewed Lightening Bugs
and The Poppets in this review!
What yu say is spot on!
You an I just have differing opinions, and
bless that fact becuz I pray to Athena
that every punker has a differing opinion
in this town. We don’t want clones right?
I’m so glad theres always a different way of lookin
at things…I’m guilty of trying to sweep people
under a generalizing blanket as well,
in my review after yrs I say something
“We all know that red letters on checker-
board designs is done too much fer punk tees”
That was kinda presumptous of me.
Only my opinion!
Thats what these reviews are!
But yes I don’t want to debate ‘what punk is’
and I’m sorry fer my above comment
becuz Punks different fer everybuddy,
there is no definitive ‘Punk’ guide we have to
read, and who would want to?
They sell those Hot Topic I think.
Anyways I like yr opinions, in my opinion tho,
I think G.R. needs to try and dance more,
and sum people agree with me.
I mean when a band from outta town sees grand
rapids audiences, there a representation
of what Grand Rapids underground scene is.
Of course its up to every person to make
that choice, I just think alot of punkers kinda
resemble in their complacency.
Once again, my opnion, that when I looked around
alot of people looked like they were
waiting fer a bus throughout
the ENTIRE SHOW!
glad you had fun and it was real great to see you! i think the next show im gonna put on is this band TEEN ANGER from Toronto…you should check em out!
thanks andy! love you.
wow whats really crazy is one man can post that many times, and also respond to his own posts hahahahaha. By the way the first post about you sitting down is from me Ryan the other is claire. I did watch them. I am just joking around, but really you get the award for most posts EVER! Congrats! Maybe I will start a josh posting section. This section will only have you writing things and then fighting for or against the post with yourself. The section will just be labeled JOSH AND JOSH!
Ha! There not just to me, but that is funny! I’m just worried you might misinterepret somethings becuz I’m a writer an I’m a little obsessive compulsive
about how things come out.