POZ Gallery: Hostage Calm House Show
Features: Hostage Calm, Pentimento, Secret Plot, The Hundred Acre Woods
Location: Michael Jordan House - Philadelphia, PA
Photos By: Allison Newbold
Less Than Jake have released a tour sampler for their upcoming summer run. Check out details below after the jump.
Related Stories:
Less Than Jake Currently Recording 10th Full-Length
Our PropertyOfZack the Decade feature has been incredibly fun for us to launch over the past few months to celebrate ten year anniversaries of some of our favorite albums. Today’s feature is going to be a little different though. Anti-Flag are not celebrating a ten year album anniversary this year, but they are celebrating a 20 year anniversary as a band. We’re helping them do that today.
We have commentary from Anti-Flag themselves, Man Overboard, Code Orange Kids, Pentimento, Skinny Lister, The Braces, The Architects, Blacklist Royals, and Modern Baseball on multiple aspects of AF’s career over the past 20 years, and we think it’s pretty special.
SideOneDummy Records is also being incredibly rad and offering POZ viewers 20% off on their entire webstore until Thursday, May 16th with the code “POZ.” So check out the webstore here, AF’s 20 year anniversary tour dates here, and the whole Decade feature below!
Skinny Lister on Anti-Flag’s influence
Anti-Flag has a way of inspiring not just their fans, but their friends as well. I fell in love with Anti-Flag in high school and for years they were the anthem of my youth. Later while playing in The A.K.A.s, I got to meet them and tour with them and was happy to learn that the quality of people in the band ran just as deep as the quality of their music. Anti-Flag will always be a band for the people, and I am honored to call them friends. - Michael Camino (@skinnylister)
Code Orange Kids on A New Kind of Army
The first punk CD I ever owned was Anti-Flag’s A New Kind of Army. One of the first shows I went to was getting to see Anti-Flag in Pittsburgh. Both of these experiences shaped my musical palette as a lil’ guy. I read up on social issues and got in the push pit. It was tight. – Jami Morgan (@codeorangekids)
If there is one thing you wanted people to know about AF that they do not already know, what would it be?
Chris #2: We have fun. A lot of fun! We believe that being in a band should be fun. Not everything is about the politics of the band. That’s why we chose music. Because we are humans, we enjoy life, we want others to as well. In conjunction with that we believe that having a social conscience is important and making a statement is necessary to create change in the world. The truth is that people can have great lives and reach success without fucking over each other and the planet.
Modern Baseball on Chris #2’s bass riffs
My first exposure to Anti-Flag was when I was about 12 or 13 and I first discovered Fat Wreck’s Rock Against Bush comps with the band’s “School For Assassins” on it. After hearing that track, they quickly became one of my favorite bands because they were playing cool punk rock and singing about stuff they were super passionate about, which is a trait that was somewhat lacking in punk bands at the time. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been listening to Die For Your Government and The Terror State for about eight years now and even crazier to think they had been a band for twelve years before that. Not too many bands have it in them to put out records with such energy for so long. When I first started playing bass, Chris #2 was one of my favorite bassists and hell - he still is. Dude rips awesome bass lines left and right in a way that no one else can, which totally sets Anti-Flag from other punk bands like them. I mean, just listen to “Turncoat.” That last chorus is like insane bass riffage. I wish I was that good. Anyway, my point is I love that band and I’m super stoked that they’ve been around this long and I’m even more stoked to see them again at Bled Fest this year. – Ian Farmer (@modernbaseball)
If you could change one thing about your career what would you alter?
Chris #2: That’s interesting. I don’t like to really entertain scenarios like this because no matter what you’ve done, unless its harm someone physically, most of what happens in a music career is based on creative instinct and what is right for you at the time. So, it’s easy to have hindsight, but the butterfly effect of that change could alter everything else. One thing that nags us is that we should have trimmed the fat on some early songs. Some are way too long!
What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment over the last 20 years?
Pentimento have released a new b-side called “The Rain.” Pre-order the band’s record on vinyl here and stream it below by clicking “Read More.”
Pentimento have released a new music video for “Almost Atlantic.” Watch it below by clicking “Read More.”
Less Than Jake have announced a tour with Hostage Calm and Pentimento, Check out the dates below by clicking “Read More!”
Senior Writer Jesse Richman had the chance to catch up with Pentimento at SXSW this past March. Jesse and the band discussed SXSW, Panic Records, new music, touring, and much more. Check it all out below!
First off, can I get your names and what you do in the band?
Mike: I’m Mike and I play the drums.
Jeramiah: I’m Jeramiah; I play the guitar and sing.
Lance: I’m Lance, I play the guitar.
Vinny: I’m Vinny. I play the bass.
So this was your second show at SXSW, right? How did last night’s go?
Mike: Yes, sir. Last night was a party. It was a little overwhelming because we had never done anything like this before; the closest we’ve come is like FEST which is…
POZ: Slightly different.
Mike: A liiiittle bit different than FEST.
Jeramiah: Loading in and parking and trying to drive into the city was much different than we expected it was going to be.
Mike: Everywhere I looked it was like a circus exploded onto the city streets. It was very cool. It’s very different but a great vibe all around. We saw some incredible stuff happen right before our eyes last night. It made me feel like there was magic in the air. So it was really cool!
POZ: What did you see?
Mike: Dude, oh my God! So there’s a guy rapping on top of a van. And down the street from him there’s this little two-piece blues-y type band. So instead of competing with one another to see who could be louder, they just started jamming together. The guitar player and the drummer just started playing with his pre-recorded beats. He was rapping; everybody was dancing in the street. It was one of the coolest things ever. We met some incredible people, I met the singer from Punchline; I’ve been a Punchline fan for a long time so that was cool. I don’t know man, but like I said the vibe in downtown Austin was incredible.
Jeramiah: And we played the Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. All of the guys who run that are out of the Cleveland area. They were really great dudes with their heads in the right place.
POZ: Who else was on that bill?
Jeramiah: This band called Northern Faces was actually on it. It was our first time seeing them, from Albany. They were awesome. And Laura Stevenson also headlined for the night. There was a bunch of great bands, can’t recall the names but it was all really good artists, for sure.
Mike: And that’s the exciting thing about these showcases is that it’s like every single bill is so different and everybody just kills it. Not to put anybody down for what they do, musically, but I have not seen one band that I didn’t like. Whether it was at a showcase or just walking around and checking out what was going on. I just can’t believe the intense feeling that I get from walking around the block. I’ve seen like seven bands within my .5 mile walk that I just took. It’s crazy stuff.
Do you have a band that you’re planning on checking out while you’re here?
Jeramiah: We, unfortunately, tonight we have to go to San Antonio for a show there tomorrow and then we come back and do two shows on Saturday. So sure enough, it’s another festival that we cannot see anybody; we just have to play and drive in the van. But we’re sticking around the Top Shelf Showcase to watch all the bands tonight.
Mike: We’ve been lucky enough to roll in early because of the parking situation to see some of the other really cool bands that have been on the showcase. Today especially. Every single band that played was incredible. And it was awesome to see Candy Hearts, who we’re on tour with right now, a little bit out of their element as well, get a great response. They sounded awesome tonight. That was cool too.
How’s the tour been going so far?
Jeramiah: It’s fun. Allison Weiss and her band are awesome. I think that everyone that’s listening [reading] should listen to that band.
POZ: She’s from Brooklyn. I’m from New York, so I’ve seen her a bunch of times.
Jeramiah: The shows have been really cool. We’ve met a lot of great people and most importantly, watching the music every night has been really, really awesome. It’s been great so far. We’re in Texas and it’s snowing in Buffalo…
We had a few extra Playlists floating around, so we figured we’d put Pentimento, Courrier, and State Champs together for a new POZ feature. Check out their Playlists below while listening to the songs on Spotify and reading everyone’s thoughts!
Our Playlist of music we’re listening to on the road and this spring!
Underoath - Reinventing Your Exit
If I could attribute one song to my desire to play music, this may be it. Underoath was my favorite band growing up, and Aaron Gillespie, the drummer, has been the biggest influence on my drumming. - Nathan
The Killers - Mr. Brightside
This song is my jam. I could play it in the car on repeat forever. You can’t help but bob your head and sing along. And it’s just not fair how much fun Ronnie Vannucci (drummer) has playing this song. - Nathan
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Phil Collins circa 1985; a perfect specimen of great song writing and the kinda of production that gets me excited. ”No jacket required” one of my favorite records although it does not trump “Face Value” it is complete brilliance and it’s been on repeat on my iPod for about a month. Again, as a synth nerd, The tones on the record are mind boggling and Sussudio is my favorite of all.
Karen O, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross - Immigrant Song
I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin with my mom (who I owe my music taste to). So, Trent Reznor, who is my favorite artist of all time hands down and synth idol, working with one of my favorite modern female vocalist, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, covering Zeppelin… I almost had a heart attack when I heard it in the trailer for “Girl With A Dragon Tattoo”…. Flawlessly executed. Gives me goosebumps every time.
Radical Face - Welcome Home, Son
This is still one of my favorite songs from the past few years. In fact it was the only song on my iPod for a period of time, whatever that may say about me. I love how the song evolves from a verse/chorus feel to a build in the end. - Austin
Genesis - No Son of Mine
Phil Collins has one of the most convincing voices I have ever heard. You believe every word he sings, and he couples that with a ridiculous sense of melody. I have a new love affair with Genesis, “No Son of Mine” just happens to be my current favorite jam. - Austin
The Monthly Summary
Week I
Albums Out This Month
Week I
Week II
The Weekly Tour Round-Up
Spring-Summer
Exclusives
Austin Carlile Arrested For Felonious Assault
Big Footprints - The Big Comp: 75 Bands, $5 For Charity
Lo Fidelity Spring Line Announcement
March Sadness
Champion: Dads
Interviews
Stick To Your Guns
Weatherbox
Reviews
The Story So Far - What You Don’t See
Alkaline Trio - My Shame Is True
Young Statues - Age Isn’t Ours
Lydia – Devil
A Rocket To The Moon - Wild & Free
Killswitch Engage – Disarm the Descent
Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
Lux Lisbon - Get Some Scars
Perspectives
Stealing Time, Again
Discussions
Bands Who Broke Up Too Soon
Festival Watch
Mixtape Festival Preview: Our Must-See Bands And Acts
Playlists
Team Recommendations
Road Blogs
Heart To Heart
Pentimento
For The Foxes
Contes
The Eagles - Signed Poster + DVD [Ends on April 17th]
Streams
State Lines, Haverford - Split
Some Stranger (ex-Daytrader) - S/T EP
Progress In Color - S/T EP
Video Premieres
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Unnecessary Censorship
1985 - “Love Is Everywhere”
The Venetia Fair - “The Day I Set Them Free”
Track-By-Tracks
Nightmares For A Week - Civilian War
Podcasts
100 Words Or Less: Jonah Ray (Nerdist Podcast)
Showcase
Wolves At Bay
Set The Stage
Gallery
Chuck Ragan, Dave Hause, Jenny Owen Youngs, Rocky Votolato
Dads, Modern Baseball, Emperor X, Omar, Stable Boys
Sponsored Tours
Forever Came Calling, Heart To Heart, Last Call [Now-04/21]
BoySetsFire, No Trigger, Pentimento, Light Years, Maker [05/24-05/26]
Songs Of The South Fest [07/20-07/21]
Pentimento are wrapping up the March Radness Tour, and we’ve got our fourth PropertyOfZack Road Blog from the band as they hit the West Coast and Midwest. Pre-order their album on vinyl via Paper + Plastick Records here and check out the fourth Road Blog below!
From Jerry Pauly:
3/24 – BERKLEY, CA @ 924 GILMAN
Today was our final show with What’s Eating Gilbert and it was at a kick ass venue. Gilman is one of the longest running indie venues in the US. Stickup Kid opened the show, great band. We had a long drive ahead of us to SLC so we made the entire trek overnight so we could get some solid rest on our off day.
3/26 – SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ SHRED SHED
We stayed in a cheap busted up hotel just outside SLC on our day off and regrouped for the final 13 show stretch of this tour. We went to Pizza Hut AND Burger King for dinner. I put fries on my cheese pizza. Deliciously toxic.
SLC is a crazy looking city. The mountains in the background behind all the modern skyscrapers looked wild to me, I really enjoyed it. Our buddies Lyle and Matt who played in Last Call/Daytrader were out for the night. We had a good show and began the even longer overnight drive to Denver.3/27 – DENVER, CO @ THE MARQUIS THEATRE
We got into Denver right around noon and Illegal Pete’s were kind enough to feed us a free meal as part of their starving artist program. I had a Big Potato burrito, highly recommended. The Marquis is a real classy venue with some delicious pizza, which I also enjoyed later in the night. I enjoyed some rum and cokes and watched Allison Weiss and Candy Hearts. These bands are filled with some individuals that I truly have come to appreciate. You never know what you are going to get when you spend night after night with the same crew. I look forward to seeing these people everyday and it makes for a super fun 5-week tour.3/28 – IOWA CITY, IA @ GABE’S
This was an even longer drive, 12 plus hours. Vinny killed most of it and then I wrapped up the last few hours. We were literally in the van up until load in. Gabe’s is a 2-story venue and bar. We were graced by the downstars bartender with $2.50 irish carbombs. I’ll have a few drinks 1 or 2 nights a week, however, I had to take advantage of this as they are normally well out of my budget ($2.50 isn’t even in my budget, $1 menu for life). A bunch of us from the package enjoyed the good drink and watched some great bands before us play. Lipstick Homicide was a 3 piece with 2 girls in the front that absolutely melted our faces off. Seriously awesome band. We had a fun show and then enoyed some eats with the Candy Hearts post show and then slept in the van.3/29 – ST LOUIS, MO @ THE DEMO
This was our first time in St. Louis. The Demo is a newer spot next to a delicious restaurant that I wish I remembered the name to. Best homemade veggie burger I’ve ever had. Make the Years Last and La Bella Charade opened the show and sounded great. Candy Hearts and Allison Weiss had a great crowd and absolutely killed it as always. We slept in a Waffle House parking lot after the show, only to wake up without enough time to get my $1 egg and cheesey’s before we headed to Chicago.
Today’s Mixtape Festival will be taking place this weekend on Long Island, and PropertyOfZack is gearing up for a weekend of fun, and we hope many of you are too. Just in case you’re not too in tune to the festival already and can make it out, we thought it’d be a great idea to put together a list of POZ’s Must See Bands And Acts that will be gracing the stage this weekend at Mixtape. Reblog and let us know who we need to see while we’re on Long Island this weekend as well!
Defeater, by Alyssa McKinley
On a steady rise since 2008, the Massachusetts natives of Defeater have achieved the level of recognition that they deserved after their 2011 release Empty Days and Sleepless Nights. Their intense blend of punk and hardcore is not only musically genius, but also stands for more than what much of the music of their contemporaries does. Driven by a remarkable amount of passion and complemented by equal amounts of talent, Defeater is even more impressive live than recorded. Their headlining performance during the first day is set to stun fans Friday night.
Modern Baseball, by Zack Zarrillo
Though I was not in attendance for The Front Bottoms’ set at Mixtape Fest in 2012, I’ve heard the stories. A band not too familiar with Long Island and a crowd with high hopes met towards the end of the night and sparks resulted that summed up a continuously growing band’s year. Modern Baseball seem to be in the same place this year, and Friday’s lineup at Mixtape is all but waiting for them to clean up. We expect big things.
Vinnie Caruana, by Alyssa McKinley
Returning to 89 North solo, Vinnie Caruana is sure to fill the venue with as much energy as he did with I Am The Avalanche a few months ago. This Long Island native never fails to deliver an unforgettable performance, but those shows that take place in his own home are always more incredible. With a new EP adding only more brilliance to his extensive and diverse catalogue, Caruana is one of the most authentically talented veterans of the Long Island scene. His acoustic set will be just as attention demanding as the full bands on the hardcore-heavy bill that Friday promises.
Citizen, by Zack Zarrillo
This is the last season Citizen is going to fly under anyone’s radar. We’ve been promoting the band on the site since 2010, when members of the band were just halfway through high school, but things are finally in full gear for the five-piece from Michigan. They’ve been taking everyone by surprise on the Suppy Nation Tour, and Long Island won’t be any different. Coming soon will be a full-length that should be nothing short of incredible and a run on the Vans Warped Tour, so get into this band now if you’ve yet to.
Hostage Calm, by Alyssa McKinley
After the October release of Please Remain Calm, it has been hard to ignore the well-deserved acclaim of Hostage Calm. The politically charged lyrics and raw musicality of this band are a refreshing reminder that punk is nowhere close to dead. With a live performance that is as true to their recorded sound as it gets, Hostage Calm’s Saturday performance is sure to garner the respect of anyone who hasn’t already fallen in love with them.
Pentimento are still out on the March Radness Tour (not to be confused with POZ’s March Sadness tournament), and we’ve got our third PropertyOfZack Road Blog from the band as they hit the West Coast. Pre-order their album on vinyl via Paper + Plastick Records here and check out the third Road Blog below!
From Vinny Caito:
3/17 Tulsa OK
The drive from Austin was a long one. SWSX was fun but very tiring. By the time we got to Tulsa everyone was spent. It was a cool show for a Sunday but the long drive ahead to El Paso and smokey club definitely put a damper on the evening. We like to get our driving out of the way when we have off days. We are good at being lazy all day
3/18 Las Cruses NM
Our merch guy Mike/The Horse was kind enough to waste some free hotel points on us and get us a decent place to stay. Showers are always the first priority when we get to rooms. Hopefully you call first dibs. We decided to get a nice “family dinner” this night as well. It’s not very often that we get to sit down as a group to leisurely eat our meal. Unfortunately it was Applebee’s where there are no real winners. The night ended as most do, wild parties, bad decisions….NOT, I was the only one awake by 1030pm.
3/19 El Paso TX
This is a day that I know the 4 of us were looking forward to for a couple of reasons. The last time we got to visit El Paso we made a lot of friends and had a great time. This was also the first day of What’s Eating Gilbert joining the tour. The show was at the War Room. This is a tattoo shop with a small warehouse space in the back that works perfectly as a DIY venue. This was a great show with great friends. Not to mention Chico’s tacos and burritos afterwords. You may hate yourself for it but its a must.
3/20 Meza AZ
The Nile Underground was host to not only our tour package on this day but we met up with Forever Came Calling, Last Call, Heart to Heart and a few other bands. The show was held both upstairs and downstairs so kids could finish watching one band and another could start very shortly after. Lots of fun to meet up with old friends and some new ones as well.
Today PropertyOfZack is launching our fourth Decade feature in honor of AFI’s Sing The Sorrow, which just celebrated its ten year anniversary. The band has been quiet for a few years now, but the anniversary of one of the band’s most popular releases can’t help but bring memories back for AFI fans. We have commentary on the album via team members Josh Hammond, Marc Gary Gray, Deanna Chapman, and Adrienne Fisher, in addition to special words from Mike Hansen of Pentimento. Enjoy and reblog to let us know your thoughts on Sing The Sorrow ten years later!
Legacy of Sing The Sorrow
In reality Sing the Sorrow has two legacies.
To begin with the album serves as a major fork in the band’s career in terms of referencing their sound. With Jerry Finn and Butch Vig at the helm of production, their sound would shift from the horror punk and hardcore sound that fan’s had become accustom to, forming a more industrial and alternative sound flooded with synthesizers and samples. Combining the brilliance of both storied producers, AFI’s new sound caught the attention of media and fans alike. The album caught fire and built a buzz like the band had never experienced.
All three singles from the album (“Girl’s Not Grey,” “The Leaving Song Pt. II,” and “Silver and Cold”) landed significant radio attention, help the album climb the charts. Peaking at 5 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, the album would grip the industry in a way not completely expected from previous releases. High praise from the media would also help drum up exposure for the band, eventually leading to a Platinum Record for Sing the Sorrow. The album would slingshot the band into A-List status, changing the face of the career of AFI. With bigger venues, larger audiences and more exposure, the band’s speaking voice would quickly shift into a yell. – Joshua Hammond (@endless_rambles)
Most important song on Sing The Sorrow
Sing the Sorrow showcases a pretty standard evolution that plenty of bands undergo - the move from hard to soft, from aggressive to introspective. AFI caught their fair share of flak from underground supporters for the shift, as it came in suspicious conjunction with their new major label home and with a host of songs that had mostly all but abandoned the hardcore punk style that was adopted on their previous releases. “Girls Not Grey” and “Silver and Cold” made for popular singles while deviating the furthest in style from the core aggression by which AFI had come to be defined. And while one can make the argument that the most popular songs are the most memorable, I’ll suggest differently.
“Dancing Through Sunday,” while not belonging to mainstream rotation, is a fan-favorite and does the best job of demonstrating the group’s sonic evolution while still keeping one foot firmly in their punk roots. A fierce, upbeat song, it lyrically toys with juxtaposing the ideas of dance and sadness; the dark-and-twisted overtones are pretty exaggerated and won’t be winning over any adult fans here a decade later. However, the song most notably incorporates both the shrill vocal stylings of the AFI of old along with the deeply hooky chorus, contributing to the band’s newfound accessibility - “ohhhhh”s aplenty! Not to mention the presence of a hammy guitar solo following the bridge, which I may or may not have had playing the first time my dad ever took me to drive on a real highway…it totally shreds. – Adrienne Ray Fisher (@adriennerayfush)
How the album changed the band’s future
Sing the Sorrow was the sixth release from AFI, but one of the firsts to have mainstream success. It opened up the band to a larger audience as they charted on Billboard’s top ten. Songs such as “Girl’s Not Grey” and “Silver and Cold” became increasingly popular. The band even won a VMA for the “Girl’s Not Grey” music video. This album gave the band their first mainstream success, which carried over into their next album, Decemberunderground. Being noticed on the charts and being exposed to a larger audience had definitely changed their future. They went on to get a slot on Saturday Night Live, headline festivals, and play in stadiums. Needless to say, Sing the Sorrow greatly helped the band’s future success. – Deanna Champman (@deechapman21)
Pentimento are still out on the March Radness Tour (not to be confused with POZ’s March Sadness tournament), and we’ve got our second PropertyOfZack Road Blog from the band. Pre-order their album on vinyl via Paper + Plastick Records here and check out the first Road Blog below!
From Lance Claypool:
March 10 - Orlando
What’s the best news ever? You won the lottery. What’s the second best news ever? You’re going to Disney World. Today is apparently the second best day of my life..I’m definitely winning the lottery someday so the best day of my life is already reserved for that. Seriously though, a lot of strings were pulled and we can’t thank those people enough for giving us a fun day out while on the road. Due to long lines and time restraints we had enough time for a few rides including Soarin’ and of course the Tower of Terror, and then it was off to the venue. Our good friend Garrett Elkins takes great care of us whenever we’re through and this night was no different, a great show and end to a solid day. Thanks to our friend Sarah for coming to hang with us and let us crash at her place, thanks again!
March 11 - Birmingham, Alabama
Fast forward a lot of coffee, 9 hours of driving, and more than a few 90’s one-hit wonder tracks and we have arrived in Birmingham. It was a floor show this evening and we had the pleasure of pairing up with touring friends in the Tired and True and Carridale. Both those bands are great and we are meeting up with the Tired and True a few times this tour and I’m excited to watch these guys rip through their set a couple more times. In fact, we are very lucky and appreciative to be out on the road with Candy Hearts and Allison Weiss who are some of the most solid and intelligent musicians I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. And just like we came, we left with a heavy amount of driving ahead of us, SXSW or bust.
March 13 - Austin, TX - SXSW
Thanks to our new friend Jeff we were invited to play the Weapons of Mass Creation showcase. What a party, an awesome outside venue right in the mix of downtown and all the madness that is SXSW. This music event envelopes the entire downtown area and is a dream come true for any music fan. There’s literally bands playing every available venue along the street, we even watched a guy on top of a truck rapping while the guitar and drum duo down the street joined in the mix. There was dancing in the streets, and all the alcohol and weird smells you can handle. Our first night was great, tons of great bands from all genres, Northern Faces and Laura Stevenson were especially good. It was a nice surprise to catch up with a lot of old friends from home as well as meet all the beautiful new people that we came across that night.
3/14 - Austin, TX
SXSW- Another great opportunity came thanks to the guys at Top Shelf Records for having us on their showcase held at the Pearl Street Co-Op. This place was different in the fact that it was a collective living arrangement with a lot of people sharing the same space, including an awesome outdoor courtyard with a pool that was used as a backdrop to the awesome bands that played all night. There was also free beer and hot dogs provided.. the stomach issues that ensued later were also free. After ingesting my fair share of questionable food items, No Somos Marineros from Mexico City came up to play, and holy shit, they were amazing, please check those guys out. Weatherbox also played brilliantly and my vision and memory got a little hazy after that point, stay away from hot dogs kids.
SXSW has come to a close, and it’s a good thing because Jesse Richman and the rest of our friends down in Austin had just about hit empty by the time Fall Out Boy walked off-stage for the last time in Texas. In our second to last blog update, Jesse discusses his day with Allison Weiss, spending time at a Bridge 9 showcase, Fall Out Boy and much more. Check it all out below!
Trying to piece together a daily schedule for SXSW is a challenge even on Day 1. By Day 5, running on four hours sleep for the fourth straight day, it’s a math problem way too complex to do in your head, and there’s no such thing as an SXSW Calculator.
So instead, I let someone else worry about all the craziness. I spent virtually the entire day with the awesomely talented, awesomely nice Allison Weiss, tagging along as she crisscrossed Austin to play four different sets in a twelve hour span, at wildly different venues: a private video session, a big outdoor day show, an indifferent bar, and a house party rager. Along the way, we chatted about a life that’s taken her from Michigan to Georgia to Brooklyn and from her bedroom to stages across the country. Allison’s hotly anticipated No Sleep debut, Say What You Mean, comes out on April 16th; between now and then, you can catch her live as she continues a national tour with Pentimento and Candy Hearts.
Speaking of Pentimento, my day with Allison Weiss landed me at the Pearl St. Co-Op just in time to catch them tear through one of the best performances I’ve seen at all of SXSW. Set up on the floor and surrounded on three sides by a wall of kids, the band tore through tracks from their self-titled release with astonishing intensity, and despite the fact that they clearly weren’t playing a venue designed for live music, they sounded fantastic. Also playing the Co-Op were what might be my favorite new find this week, Mexican twinkly act No Somos Marineros, who combined incredibly intricate guitar-work and crushing riffage with sing-along breakdowns so awesomely hooky that they didn’t lose their power even though I didn’t speak the language.
I caught a smattering of other sets throughout the day as well, including Candy Hearts, Lemuria, and Weatherbox, all of whom I had the opportunity to sit down with for interviews. And I got the chance to watch one of my most-anticipated acts of SXSW, What’s Eating Gilbert, the 50’s-stylin’ solo project by New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert that I’ve been complete obsessed with since the day he began dropping tracks on Tumblr nearly two years ago. Live, the songs took on a little more of a punk vibe than on record; the band he’s assembled sounded tight and full, and Gilbert seemed to be enjoying the chance to finally play this batch of songs. It made for a perfect break in a busy day.
