The Scene: There was an unusually large variety in age at the 7 Seconds show at The Marquis on Thursday; fans who showed up to see one of the most influential Punk Rock bands of all time ranged in ages from fourteen to approximately sixty. There were lots of patch jackets, and lots of support (as far as merchandise) for Denver local favorites Potato Pirates as well as a few 7 Seconds patches. Singer of 7 Seconds, Kevin Seconds (born Kevin Marvelli) chatted with people before the show began as fans lined up around him hoping for a photo opportunity.
Opener: Potato Pirates. Denver local band Potato Pirates started the night’s great lineup and fans quickly lined the stage. Keg drummer, vocalist and bagpipe player Scott Risch jumped around the stage during the first song “Knuckle to the Nose,” riling up the crowd, and Steve Stackhouse’s drums sounded amazing in the intimate venue. Guitarist and vocalist Vinny Capaldo-Smith’s microphone could’ve been louder for the second tune “Port-to-Port,” and although Risch was playing the hell out of the bagpipes, their sound got lost in the venue from certain listening points.
The floor filled up by the third song and mainly young kids danced around in a non-aggressive mosh pit. The Pirates had lots of crowd participation, kids sang along and shouted the gang vocals with the band, and the vocals themselves were strong and sung perfectly. The Potato Pirates played a great set, and even included a cover of Minor Threat’s track “Filler,” to the delight of fans who were also excited about the news that the band is releasing a new album in October.
Opener: The Copyrights. Four-piece band The Copyrights from Carbondale, Illinois traveled without the usual drummer for the tour. Luke McNeill was replaced with Mike Yannich also known as Mikey Erg from the band The Ergs! The visiting band had several local fans, and during the first song “Trustees of Modern Chemistry,” a huge Neanderthal man ran around the pit unnecessarily pushing youths. The band played a solid set, including “No Knocks” from their brand new seven-inch. Seeing Yannich play with the band was a real treat, the talented drummer blasted Copyrights songs out at an amazing speed, with precise drumrolls. Adam Fletcher’s (bass) voice sounded great on the venue’s speakers, with perfect tone and pitch.
There was not a lot of crowd participation, Fletcher kept talking to a minimum, but the band overall sounded great live, and less poppy than their produced albums. The gang vocals sounded great, even Yannich screamed out the lyrics, although he did not have a microphone on him. Fletcher dedicated “Planet Earth Nineteen-Ninety-Four” to 7 Seconds and thanked them for taking them on tour, and a room full of fans sang along. Members of the band gave their best performance that night, and The Copyrights’ set was a delight to watch.
7 Seconds: The air conditioning in the venue felt great during the Reno, Nevada-based bands’ long sound check. Kevin Seconds and Steve Youth (bass) have played together since 1980, and know how they need to be set up for the best sound. Age was not a hindrance for the band; they might need to stretch before a show now, but they still play with as much energy and passion as they did thirty years ago. The band started the show with the track “Still Believe,” followed by “I Have Faith in You” from their 2014 release Leave The Light On. Although only a few fans seemed to have known 7 Seconds had new music, the audience thrashed just as hard to the new stuff, and the band proved it could still push out politically charged music and inspire a room full of people.
The band hadn’t played Denver since 2005, and Seconds quipped that some of the people in the room were younger than that, but were hopefully conceived to their music. Fans shoved their way through the crowd to get into the mosh pit when a favorite song came on, hoping to get in before the song ended. 7 Seconds played six new songs total, almost half of the new album, as well twenty classics, a cover of Minor Threat’s song “Good Guys (Don’t Wear White)” and Seconds even dedicated “You Lose” to the women of Punk Rock.
Seconds was energetic and told several anecdotes; someone threw a shirt on stage covering Seconds face, and after he saw the band on the shirt said, “I can’t wear this shit.” The four-piece played flawlessly, the single guitar filled the room and the drums shook the floor. Fans screamed their hearts out for “If the Kids Are United,” a track originally sung by Sham 69, and “Young Until I Die,” “99 Red Balloons,” and “Walk Together, Rock Together” were also huge hits with the crowd. It was such a pleasure to watch the group play, let’s hope they return before another nine years pass.
Energy: A+
Musicianship: A+
Sound: A+
Stage Prescence: A+
Set/Light Show: B+
Overall: A
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