The Fest VI: Day Two Recap
Ladies and gentleman, the wait is over. It’s time now for part two of our Fest VI day-to-day coverage special feature. Onwards my bearded friends!
Saturday was the most action packed day of the weekend in terms of the large volume of bands that were scheduled to play. A full day of music was at hand, with bands playing from 1 p.m. to nearly 2 a.m. There was even an early bird gathering at DIY record shop Wayward Council at 6 a.m. Well, I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared to wake up that early even though I wanted to see just how many people would actually show up. I did, however, get up early enough to hit up the annual No Idea Records yard sale at the label’s headquarters. The event was a little bit different than last year but the hour and a half wait was well worth it. An mindblowing amount of Hot Water Music and Against Me! test pressings and various rare and out-of-print records could be purchased. I could have easily spent all of my money in no more than five minutes but after dropping eighty bucks on some wax, I was ready to see some bands.
The first stop of the day was at Common Grounds for Ringers. I just recently picked up their full-length Curses (1-2-3-4 Go! Records). If you are a big Lawrence Arms or Pinhead Gunpowder fan, you would totally worship this band. A great way to start off the second day if you ask me.
I left a few minutes early to run over to the Market Street Pub to see Strong Island’s Bridge and Tunnel. I, somehow, have missed this band when they’ve played in NYC, even though they opened several shows I eventually attended. It’s quite remarkable since they’ve only been around for about a year too. There is really something special going on with that band. Be on the lookout for a “Best of the Fest” feature on the band very shortly.
After watching a very strong performance from Bridge and Tunnel, I was excited about the early afternoon set from Vaginasore Jr., one of our bands we did a spotlight on prior to the weekend in Gainesville. I walked over to the Side Bar to watch the band with the best moniker in punk rock. As I’ve said before, it’s easy to be fooled by their name. The dudes in the band have been around the block quite a few times with other bands like Clairmel and The Tim Version and they have mastered crafting killer, top-notch, gut-punching pop-punk. Great stuff!
I wanted to watch the Copyrights but the need for food was becoming a pressing issue, so sadly they were among the “can’t see ‘em all” list. After some downtime, I headed over to the Venue to hang out for a bit before American Steel took the stage. Going into the show, I thought this would be one of the band’s biggest shows in their reunion tour. Having seen a brief set in NYC the previous week during the CMJ Music Marathon, I was looking for an extended set filled with a well-rounded setlist. I definitely got what a wished for (along with “Optimist.” Finally!) but I was sort of surprised by the lack of movement with the crowd. In fact, the majority of the people moving around during the band’s set were at said show at the Knitting Factory. American Steel has reached a interesting crossroads it appears. It seems like there are a handful of fans that are torn over whether or not they like the band’s comeback album Destroy Their Future. Were expectations too high within their fanbase or was the band championed by an ultimately unloyal following? I can’t really say but I believe the issue is that even thought American Steel is officially back, title-wise, their style is nowhere near what they were when they first played these older songs all those years ago. It’s a problem that almost every band that changes styles deals with. But in regards to Am. Steel, they are on the comeback trail. I have no idea where it will go from here.
I decided to hang around The Venue for the rest of the night until Dillinger Four came on. There wasn’t really a whole lot going on at this point and I figured I should save up my energy.
The Lawrence Arms were up next on the main stage. I remember a few years ago when I saw the boys open for Hot Water Music and I was greatly disappointed by their performance. It’s obvious the boys love to booze and smooze with their fans and friends beforehand, but I think it had dramatic effects on their live performance in the past. Now, they are a completely different machine; alert, sharp, energetic and cranking out their super-fast tunes with force and precision. The crowd swelled to capacity about half-way through their set, with many screaming along and throwing their fists up in the air. Co-lead singer/bassist Brendan Kelly’s looked overjoyed and his smile could have powered the band’s hometown of Chicago that night.
I’ve seen Richmond, Virginia’s proudest punk rebels Avail a handful of times and they never disappoint. I must admit though they weren’t among my “must see” list going into Fest VI. After their performance, I was mad myself for even thinking such thoughts beforehand. Tim Barry, Beau Beau and the crew were electrified by the huge turnout and the apparent jubilation that had obviously taken over the sweaty hordes on the floor. The band had never played a Fest before and this performance was long overdue. Performances like this one are probably equivalent to going to the doctor’s office for a routine checkup. They’ve survived their share of bumps and bruises out on the road but on Saturday, Avail looked like they could continue on for another fifteen years.
Ah, Dillinger Four. You tease us by saying the new album will be out by [place month here] or whatever year. You ensure us tours will happen soon, that you are definitely coming to our town in the near future. You break our hearts thought and we are left crying in our laps while listening to Midwestern Songs Of The Americas on repeat. We still love you though and I will always call you the greatest fucking punk band on the planet. [Cough] Anyways, part of the appeal of going down to Gainesville every year is getting to see, uh, the greatest fucking punk band on the planet, Dillinger Four. Axl Ros…I mean Paddy Costello and the boys may tease us with the prospects of a new album but honestly, I could hear the same songs on repeat and still love every second of it. After a year of waiting, I relish in another taste of hijicks, drunken ramblings and naked behinds and loosing my voice. After ripping through what I was believe was “O.K. F.M. D.O.A.” [It was actually "Let Them Eat Thomas Payne"-Thanks Kate!], guitarist Bill Morrisette’s amp blew out. Clearly frustrated by the ordeal, the band made up for lost time by having Paddy pass the time. If this would have happen to any other band, you would probably walk away and just go watch some other band at another bar, but Paddy’s ramblings are an essential part of the D4 live experience. So, in turn, you really are still watching the band when he talks, just another aspect of it. After about ten minutes and more of problems, the band only got about twenty minutes of playing in before it was announced the club had to be empty by 9:30 p.m. Not completely satisfying, but I’ll take twenty minutes of the band over nothing anyday.
Not as sweaty as I thought I’d be, I celebrated the fact that the night was still young. Word on the streets was that Common Grounds, where Ruiner, Shook Ones, Circle Takes The Square and Muncipal Waste were playing, was already at capacity. Modern Life Is War was suppose to be amongst the already jam-packed lineup but was forced to cancel their appearance last minute. I didn’t have much interest in seeing anyone until Paint It Black later so I moved onto the Side Bar to watch Dear Landlord and Modern Machines.
I really enjoy Dear Landlord. The band’s split with Chinese Telephones is a great example of modern day pop-punk. I managed to pick up their new split with Off With Their Heads in my travels. I look forward to hearing more tunes from these guys in the upcoming years.
There was some debate whether or not to go push through the crowds and go see Paint It Black. Ultimately, the right decision was made. I managed to get inside despite the venue being filled to the brim. As we stated last week, PIB was by far one of the best performances I saw at the Fest this year. I sadly missed their much-talked about house show the previous night but at least I got to see to witness this insanely-powerful set.
Still finding silly string in odd places on my body (someone shot it when PIB started playing), I moved back to the Side Bar for the rest of the night. We walked into a scene that could be perfectly described as a sweaty-covered gypsy rally on acid. The band, Monotonix, was playing on the floor, and engaging the audience with a racket comparable to Gogol Bordello. For the next twenty minutes or so, they moved throughout the bar, conducting experiments like making everyone sit down just because and even climbing up on the bar for the final song. Seeing how it was nearly 1 a.m., I don’t think a lot of people knew exactly what was going on but most went along with it anyways. Sweaty dudes in bands are compelling, that’s for damn sure.
Modern Machines had a hard act to follow after Monotonix’s set, no doubt. With their status as a band still walking on shaky ground, the band looked absolutely thrilled to be back on the stage. Drummer Mikey Erg has come to the rescue with this band as well and lead singer/guitarist Nato told the crowd that the much in-demand leader of the Ergs! had “saved the band.” The performance was more of a celebration beyond anything else but I couldn’t think of a better way to top of a long day of bands.
The clock read 2 a.m. and there was a very odd and somewhat nerve-wracking mix of people outside the bar after the show, so it seemed like the perfect time to call it a day. Two days down, a wrist covered in drinking wrist bands, sweaty and tired, I needed a few hours to prepare for the final day.
You can check out more pictures from day two here.
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