Recently we have seen bands like the Damned, the Misfits, and now T.S.O.L start touring again. Are all these bands from the 80’s just tapping into nostalgia, or is punk still relevant?
They say April showers bring May flowers. This is definitely true in Colorado. This year’s Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival, headlined by The Offspring fell on April 28th. The day filled with craft beer, tasty tacos, Lucha Libre style wrestling, and live music started at 73 degrees – shorts and flip flop weather in Denver – and by the end of the show the crowd saw wind, rain, and a 32 degree drop in temperature.
Sabroso Craft Beer, […]
Punks and old Metal heads of all types showed up to the Summit Music Hall on Monday night to see one of the most influential Punk bands of all time. The venue quickly filled with some of the scariest dudes in Denver, the type you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Cold Monday nights do not usually result in large crowds for concerts, but that was not the case this week when the Suicidal Tendencies kicked off their tour here in Denver.
On August 16th, droves of Denverites came out for the Punk/Ska/Rock extravaganza that is the SummerGrind festival. The one day event, featuring 25 bands spread across three venues on S. Broadway in Englewood, was jam-packed with great acts – including big names like Morning Glory, Reno Divorce and The Suicide Machines, and a whole deluge of amazing local acts, creating a perfect storm of musical mayhem. Though it was hot at the outdoor stage, the AC in the Gothic offered a welcome retreat into a whole other world of madness.
Seeing Black Flag was equivalent to checking a band off of a bucket list for fans that were too young to have seen the band in it’s heyday. The somewhat disappointing concert was overpriced, with one terrible opening band; the main act was more like a Black Flag cover band that happened to have an actual former member. They played well but lacked the spark that previous members of the band created and it certainly wasn’t what Henry Rollins described as “the perfect soundtrack to a full scale riot.”
Outcasts of all ages came out to Summit Music Hall last Wednesday night, all with the same thought: new Misfits are better than no Misfits. Though only one original member remains and the vocals have deteriorated, after 35 years, the band still knows how to get a crowd moving. The show wasn’t without it’s weak moments, but all in all, the Misfits delivered a commendable performance with support from locals Plan-B Rejects and Straight Outta Luck.
After a beautiful day on Saturday, Sunday brought the rain to Byers, Co and Riot Fest. Sunday’s headliner, Blink 182 didn’t hit the stage after midnight due to a long weather delay and the mud that was caked onto everything brought out the inner Punk Rocker in everyone. Clothes were soaked with water and blood but the hardcore fans stuck it out. Rain or shine the tickets said, and many wouldn’t have traded anything for a weekend that brought acts like The Replacements, Iggy and the Stooges, Public Enemy, and Rancid to the Mile High City.
On a rainy Monday night last week, Rise Against assaulted a roomful of rabid fans at The Fillmore with a sound that straddled the line between Metal and Alterative. They blasted the crowd with images of political symbolism on giant LED screens and lead singer Tim McIlrath kept the crowd in the palm of his hand as he used the entire stage to dance, jump, and scream. Was it really a true “Punk” show? We aren’t so sure about that, but there is no doubt it was a high quality concert extravaganza!
Accidents happen, but the accidental conception of the raw and fierce punk band OFF! in 2009 has, so far, rendered no regrets. With over thirty years of experience under his belt, legendary Circle Jerks / Black Flag singer Keith Morris fronts OFF! with his signature style of brutal and confrontational vocals. Meanwhile, Steven McDonald of Redd Kross handles low-end duties and Mario “Ruby Mars” Rubalcaba of Earthless, Rocket from the Crypt, and Hot Snakes, takes on the drummer post.