One Resolution.
As you approach the age of thirty, punk rock shows begin to feel like kisses in a rocky relationship – any one could be your last. As 2012 is the year that my friends and I reach that frightening age many of us thought we’d never even make it to, there is an unspoken pressure to replace youthful pursuits of enjoyment with more adult endeavors.
Tonight was not that night though. A friend and I drove down to Dekalb for the show and arrived at Otto’s a good half hour before it started to a nearly empty venue. The opening band, Lord, played a style of chugging metal that was almost jam band-esque in its execution to a fairly sparse crowd. They had a very tight, technical sound, but as someone with a child-like attention span, Lord’s 5+ minute, predominantly instrumental songs had me daydreaming, only to be abruptly woken by occasional silence and the realization that I should be clapping.
The Holy Mess
The opposite was the case when The Holy Mess played. THM are a-band-you-should-be-listening-to from Philadelphia who play raucous pop punk about drinking and stuff in a manner similar to Off With Their Heads and Dillinger Four. I was really excited to see these guys and definitely wasn’t the only one. During their set there was a cluster of super-fans up front and center pogo-ing and singing. THM’s set was great, consisting of songs from their excellent Ep and 7″ (which is now available as a full length) and some new material as well.
The Lawrence Arms
By the time The Lawrence Arms went on, the venue was pretty full. Despite the mass of people, it never felt oppressive in the way shows in Chicago sometimes do, and I was still able to comfortably reside near the front of the stage, a huge reason why I love seeing bands at Otto’s. One of the best things about a Lawrence Arms show is the Brendan Kelly onstage banter, and it definitely delivered tonight, with talk of “Juggalo shoes” (a reference to a sneaker that was thrown on the stage with a goofy single zebra stripe lace) and dudes’ dick sizes (a reference to, well, you had to be there). The set was really solid, with a mixture of old material and new-ish classics like “The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest Day in the Greatest City.”
The crowd responded in turn and with fists in the air, they sang out every word. It was an almost transcendent experience to be a part of, the kind you can only get at these kind of shows, and one that I don’t see myself or my friends giving up any time soon.
The Lawrence Arms
Lindsey
01/15/2012
Seriously, I’m kind of upset I missed that show even though I had just seen them. That’s the thing about Brendan on stage–it really can’t be recreated with the same amount of hilarity the next day.