You know what I like? I like being RIGHT. Now, OK, I don't need to be right ALL the time, but MAN OH MAN, it sure feels good when the anticipation of a super-smokin'-hot night out on the town came true in full and fine fruition. In my show preview, I made many exclamations as to just why I thought last Friday's show at Neumos featuring Dude York, The Fucking Eagles, and Oblivians would be a must-see for any garage punk fans, and they all were CORRECT, NYAH NYAH NYAH! I am delighted to say that I wasn't the only sonic Nostradamus in house -- the house was packed full of fans spanning a good four decades in age, all with smiles on their shiny, sweaty, beautiful faces.
Seattle's Dude York was up first, warming up the crowd nicely with an endearing mix of melodic Brit power pop and guitar-riffage punk punch, like if Robert Smith of the Cure had gone drinking with the Damned one night and ended up in the studio deliriously happy covered in red lipstick and lagers. Please visit their Bandcamp site, won't you?
(Click on the photos to enlarge and click on the Flickr links for more!)
Dude York Neumos Flickr set 7/12/13
Next on the bill, Tacoma's The Fucking Eagles, who were on FIRE! Not literally, don't panic or anything, but HOO EEE BROTHA! They came out ready to do bizness, all big swagger moves, big beefy sound, a drummer who looked like (in the best possible way) an escaped patient from some kind of state facility, playing straight-up fast bluesy-rock that had everyone movin'. Tons o' fun, party time, get DOWN! Please visit their Bandcamp site, too, won't you?
The Fucking Eagles Neumos Flickr set
By now, the floor was packed at Neumos in anticipation of the Oblivians' set. I had a brief moment to chat with the sweet (and patient with goofy-ass gushing photographer/fan women) Greg Cartwright as he manned the merch table, and thanked him for getting the band all the way up to the Pac NW for us to enjoy. When the band started up in the mid-'90s with the funny-and-nastaaay blastopunk, I was too wrapped up with college and kid wrangling to be able to see more than a handful of shows over those years, so I had never seen them play live, nor had ever seen Compulsive Gamblers or Reigning Sound, so this was a big night for me. You could see faces in the crowd that definitely had been able to enjoy them in their original incarnation, as well as more-youthful countenances who were probably still in diapers and watching Barney at that time. True to the raw garage punk spirit, as the band began their set with "I'll Be Gone" (here's a video from the Burger Boogaloo a few days before), a pogo/mosh party started in a half-circle around the center of the stage. I lasted as long as I could at the front until photography was no longer possible without a personal hovercraft. I moved to the back and the side, and enjoyed watching the crowd enjoy themselves just as must as I loved watching the band. Great, solid set, with both older and BRAND-NEW Oblivians songs from "Desperation" (In The Red), and we got an encore, too! Please go visit their Facebook and DO NOT MISS them if they get around your way!
Oblivians Neumos Flickr set 7/12/13
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman