SXSW 2019, Day 6 w Lee Bains, Annabelle Chairlegs, Viagra Boys, Pip Blom, Lunar Vacation, Tallies, Bambara, and A Giant Dog

A Giant Dog

Sleep When Dead

I woke up in the wee hours of Saturday morning and noticed a figure looming in the dark. "Bye, Jimmy." It was Chris Dickman heading out for his early flight back to Jersey. I'd be on my own for the day.

I had one goal for Saturday. That was to make it to A Giant Dog's midnight set at Cheer Up Charlies. This would be easier said than done as a week's worth of sleeping four hours per night was starting to catch up with me. In previous years, I generally took it easy on Saturday nights, turning in early following some shows during the day. But this would be A Giant Dog's first set of the week, and I would kick myself if I left Austin without seeing them on their home turf.

I made myself a Texas-shaped waffle in the hotel breakfast area and walked downtown. Joe Steinhardt from Don Giovanni Records messaged me that Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires would be hitting the stage at The Side Bar at 1pm. After a more than serviceable couple of slices at Austin's Hoboken Pie, I headed over there to catch the set.

It was the Athens in Austin Day Party, so the bill was filled with Georgia bands. I walked in during the end of the set from The Artisanals on the outside stage. Then, I headed into the darkness of the bar for Lee Bains's set. I'd been trying to hook up with the Glory Fires all week long, and I was happy to run into them finally on the last day. The sun streamed through the big front windows in the bar making taking pictures a challenge.

The Artisanals

The Glory Fires did their usual wild set with Bains moving throughout the crowd and handing his guitar and mic off to eager participants in the audience. After that, I dipped back outside for the last half of the last song from Nashville's Katie Schecter. Back inside for a quiet set from Athens's own Thayer Sarrano. Sarrano performed as a duo with a drummer who also handled some bass duties. I dug her set which had kind of a Mazzy Star vibe.

Lee Bains

Katie Schecter

Thayer Sarrano

Austin, like many cities and towns across the country, has been overrun by dockless shareable scooters and bikes. I never could bring my 49-year-old, relatively uncoordinated self to scoot anywhere; but I do love cycling. I borrowed an electric-assisted bike and was over at Hotel Vegas in a flash.

There, I caught the tail end of the set from Austin punk band, Late, on one half of the patio stage. I slid over to the other half and waited with a whole bunch of people for Stockholm's Viagra Boys. I'd been hearing a bunch about them over the course of the week. Post-punk performance art. Songs like "Can't Get It Up" and "Sports" take down bro-y masculinity with the boys staying in character the whole time.

Late

Viagra Boys

Back over to Patio Stage 2 for Austin psychedelic dream rock band, Annabelle Chairlegs. I wrote about them a few years ago. They played Asbury last year, I think. Rosi really dug them on her first day in Austin. This was my first time seeing them, and they rocked.

Annabelle Chairlegs

Joe from Jersey City had been talking up Amsterdam's Pip Blom (the name of both the band and their lead singer) all week. I saw that they were playing the third outdoor stage at Hotel Vegas, and I decided I had to see what he was on about. He was right. High-energy, gritty garage pop. One of my favorite acts of the festival.

Pip Blom

I grabbed another bike back to my hotel. The motor really helped with the giant hill I had to climb multiple times during the week. Why didn't I do this sooner?

Anyway...

Rest time, then one, final stop at Torchy's Tacos to fuel up for the evening ahead.

I walked over to Las Perlas on 7th to catch another set from Toronto's mesmerizing Tallies (one of only 3 bands I saw more than once, the others being The Beths and Dentist). I walked in just in time to hear Atlanta's Lunar Vacation. The young band call what they do "pool rock." It sits somewhere on the dream pop spectrum. Nice. Tallies absolutely slayed again.

Lunar Vacation

Tallies

By now, it was almost 11; and I knew I would make it. I hoofed it over to Cheer Up Charlies and posted up at the front of the stage just as Brooklyn's Bambara were setting up. I'd seen their name on various bills throughout the day, but I'd be catching their final set. Their guitarist noticed my Mets cap as he went over to set up his pedal board, and we had a nice conversation about the 2019 NL East outlook.

Bambara play eerie, gothic, western / southern-inspired punk. Vocalist Reid Bateh throws himself into the performance without regard for his own personal safety, swinging and slamming the mic stand and falling off the edge of the stage into the crowd. It was a wild set.

Bambara

As A Giant Dog took the stage, lead singer Sabrina Ellis gave me and some of the other people in the front row a nod of acknowledgement. They opened the set just as the clock struck midnight with, appropriately, "Sleep When Dead." At one point, during "Lucky Ponderosa," Ellis kicked a drink; and it splashed over a woman's camera. Ellis apologized, mugged for a few shots, and then picked the camera up and licked it clean.

A Giant Dog

I have a soft spot in my heart for A Giant Dog for a number of personal reasons. But I do think they might just be the best rock and roll band in these United States right now. They brought it for the duration of their 40-minute set on Saturday night.

When they were done, so was I. I wanted to stay for the 1 AM set from Har Mar Superstar, but I was outta gas. I trudged back up the hill, got into my room, and crashed on the bed in my clothes, my camera bag next to me.

Every year after South By Southwest, I have mixed feelings. It's a long week away from family, and I do get lonely at times. I run myself into the ground taking pictures and trying to kick out posts; and I'm never really sure who is paying attention. I wonder if I'm making any connections or doing anything really to grow the site.

But I'll tell you something. When I'm down in it, getting jostled around, taking pictures, and screaming along with my favorite band, there really isn't any place I'd rather be.

SXSW Day 6 w/ The Gloomies, Dentist, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Fruit & Flowers, BOYTOY, Sharkmuffin, Kino Kimino, High Waisted, Honduras, A Giant Dog, and Roky Erickson, 3/17/18

A Giant Dog on the big stage.

Rock Or Die

Saturday was the big day of our "Rock Or Die V" showcase. Little Dickman Records, The Garden State Beard & Mustache Society, and I worked on it together; and we held the show at Valhalla Tavern right in the thick of it on 7th and Red River St. The line-up was chock full of friends and favorites with The Gloomies, Dentist, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Fruit & Flowers, BOYTOY, Sharkmuffin, Kino Kimino, High Waisted, and Honduras. All of these bands were super-busy throughout the week, and it was great to be able to get them all for our show.

The Gloomies

Dentist

Lee Bains & Tim Kerr

As for the show, what can I say? With the amazing folks on stage and in the crowd, it was a beautiful day. The Gloomies won me over during their 11:30 time slot, their Southern California vibe a perfect start to the day. Dentist's Emily Bornemann took a pretty serious spill following one of the band's shows on the way down to SXSW, but she played all of Dentist's showcases -- including Saturday's -- like a trooper. Except for the Band-Aid on her chin, you would never have known she was injured. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires played at around 1pm with all of the abandon and passion that you'd expect to see in a packed room on a Saturday night. High Waisted have a new line-up, and brought a rainbow of color to the darkened bar. As Honduras were finishing up their set, a group of us bounced along with the music while cheering CoolDaughter #1 on in her 200 yard breaststroke final as I livestreamed it on my phone. Everyone else was, without exaggeration, fantastic, ripping through 25-minute sets and leaving us all wanting more.

Fruit & Flowers

BOYTOY

Sharkmuffin

And this is the kind of stuff I live for. Lee Bains or Kim Talon (Kino Kimino) bringing their guitar down into the crowd to play a bit in the scrum. Tarra Thiessen asking us all "Are you still having FUN at SXSW??" during Sharkmuffin's "Fun Stuff." The crowd screaming for more from BOYTOY or Fruit & Flowers as the house music came up.

Kino Kimino

High Waisted

Honduras

Almost as important, the show ran on time; and everyone was able to get to their next gig. After packing up and loading out, a bunch of us -- the Dickmans, Matt Beardo, Joe Stalker, the guys from Dentist, and I -- headed over to the big, outdoor stage for A Giant Dog and Roky Erickson. The stage was set up in a vast green space next to Austin's Lady Bird Lake. The photo pit was huge, and that left a giant space between the audience and the main stage.

A Giant Dog

A Giant Dog

A Giant Dog played their set and were maaaaaybe slightly more subdued than they were at Hotel Vegas on Monday. They didn't censor themselves at all for the family audience, which was welcome (by me, anyway); and they owned the big stage.

This got me thinking, though. The show was such a stark contrast from the show we just threw at Valhalla and even from A Giant Dog's own set earlier in the week. I missed being thrown around by the crowd at Hotel Vegas as the dust flew up from the ground and as Sabrina Ellis or Andrew Cashen got right in my face. I missed the connection you feel with the band and the audience in those close quarters.

This is no knock on A Giant Dog. Their songs are more than strong enough to bridge much of the divide created by the big stage. And they deserve to be playing the biggest stages in the world. They are that good. But the contrast made me understand what it is I love about going to shows. It's the music, sure. But it's also the shared, communal experience of living those moments -- an experience that doesn't really happen for me when the band is several yards away and several feet above my head. (Aside: I realized that I'm not as comfortable shooting those kinds of shows either.)

Anyway.

Following A Giant Dog's set, we hiked around the grounds in search of some food. I hadn't eaten anything all day. We got back in time for the set by psych-rock pioneer, Roky Erickson. Both times I've seen him, the experience has reminded me of seeing Brian Wilson in recent years. Neither is the same as they were when they were younger (Who is?), but they are surrounded by a band that seems to know all of their idiosyncrasies. And the chance to hear classic songs ("Night of the Vampire," "Don't Shake Me Lucifer") performed by the person who created them is a chance I never like to miss.

Roky Erickson

There was a lot more stuff going on late into Saturday night and into the wee hours of Sunday morning, but I had walked / stood / bopped / bounced / taken pictures about as much as I could for the week. My flight was at noon the next day (Which, in SXSW time, might as well be 6am), so I went back to the hotel to pack and get some rest.

And so my third year at SXSW drew to a close. As I've said before, if I were better at this music website thing, I probably would have had a bunch of artist interviews or photoshoots or whatever; but I'm first and foremost a fan. I pretty much just went to shows and took it all in. There were bands I missed for one reason or another (A Place To Bury Strangers, METZ), and I had some pangs of FOMO as I watched the Instagram feeds of my friends who stayed through Sunday for the "hangover parties;" but this was my most rewarding year in Austin. By now you know that I'm all about shared experiences, and there's just something so cool about being away from home and sharing this experience with friends. I hope I can do it again next year.

I've got a ton of pictures to edit, so keep your eyes peeled for a few big photo blasts in the coming days. For the most part, though, it will be back to our regularly-scheduled programming.

Wednesday Evening Things from Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Daddy Issues

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires at Asbury Lanes in 2015.

Cool Stuff for a Hot Wednesday

Been running around a bit with some CDMHQ- and automotive-related annoyances today. My Internet connection has been acting up too, but I did manage to come across a couple of cool things to make it bearable.

This past March, at South By Southwest, I spent an afternoon at Side Bar where I got to catch sets from Alabama's Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Nashville's Daddy Issues. Both of those bands were impressive on that day, and they both released some interesting stuff today.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, "Underneath the Sheets of White Noise"

Lee Bains III at Austin's Side Bar

I've had the chance to see Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires play live several times, including that afternoon in Austin; and, just about every time, they get my heart pumping and a lump welling up in my throat as they deliver a heartfelt message about breaking down society's power structures and resisting oppression. This all comes wrapped in the sounds of fiery southern rock.

With the first single from their upcoming release, Youth Detention, the band keep that up. "Underneath the Sheets of White Noise" rails against the systems, narratives, and stereotypes that are reinforced every day by TV news, tabloid journalism, and pop culture; while it acknowledges those people -- especially those people in Bains's home city of Birmingham -- who push against the inertia of those age-old systems every day. And like everything else Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires do, the song simply rocks.



Youth Detention is due from Don Giovanni Records on June 30th.

Daddy Issues, "The Boys of Summer (Don Henley)"

Daddy Issues inside at Side Bar

One of the first live shows I ever saw in my life was Don Henley on his Building the Perfect Beast tour with Katrina and The Waves. Back then, as a 14 year-old, I was in love with the Mike Campbell (Tom Petty's main Heartbreaker)-penend "The Boys of Summer." And, whatever you think of Don Henley, it's still a damn good song.

Daddy Issues lent their take on the song to the Cover Your Ass Vol. 1 compilation. According to a press release, "This first volume of The Cover Your Ass series is a tribute to the dedication shown by countless doctors and nurses who make real measurable differences in millions of people's lives." The series aims to support the goals of preserving women's reproductive rights and ensuring access to healthcare for those who need it. This first installment features additional contributions from Speedy Ortiz, Hinds, Porches, TEEN, and lots more. 100% of the profits from Volume 1 go to support Planned Parenthood.

Daddy Issues transform the cold distance of the original into something more lo-fi and organic. "The Boys of Summer" also appears on Daddy Issues' upcoming, Jake Orrall-produced Deep Dream; and the song displays a clear family resemblance to other stuff coming from the Infinity Cat label (Colleen Green, JEFF the Brotherhood). I like that.

Anyway...

Here's the song. Cover Your Ass Vol. 1 will be out via Lionfish Music on May 26th, and Deep Dream comes out on Friday.

SXSW, Days 4 & 5: Labels, Beach Slang, Mastodon

Mastodon

Saturday Catch-Up

I'm going to try and cover the last two days here so that I can get back on track. Sunday is going to be a travel day, and I just don't know if my brain could take recapping Thursday on Monday.

Anyway.

My hotel is a relatively short walk from what's arguably known as the best barbecue in America, Franklin Barbecue. I walked over and stood on the then pretty short line for a few minutes until someone from inside came out and told us they were out of food. Huh. Oh, well.

I made my way down Red River St. and got a not-the-best-barbecue-in-America brisket sandwich from a food truck. From there, it was over to the Merge Records Showcase at Barracuda.

Sneaks (a.k.a Eva Moolchan) were just setting up, Moolchan on bass and her partner on beats. Spare, short, jagged, confrontational songs that Moolchan delivers while playing bass or dancing to the beat. It was a good pick-me-up for a set that was, as Moolchan repeatedly described it, "early as fuck."

Sneaks

Coco Hames followed, and so did one of the annoyances of Barracuda. Hames and another guitarist played through a set of her country-tinged pop while the Secretly Canadian party went on outside. Every time someone opened the doors separating the spaces, Hames was nearly drowned out by the drums and rock happening on the patio. Still, she persisted; and her set was pretty enthralling. Similarly, Mark Eitzel -- solo, with just acoustic guitar -- had to compete with the noise outside, but his fans up front didn't seem to mind.

The final two acts of the day were two that I'd specifically identified as ones I had to see while here. Allison Crutchfield and The Fizz were great during a set that featured many of the songs from Crutchfield's excellent Tourist in This Town. The day, though, and maybe the whole festival belonged to Austin's own A Giant Dog.

Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz

A Giant Dog

The band tore through their 30-minute set of glam punk with an abandon I haven't seen in a long time. Singer Sabrina Ellis -- despite saying, "I'm pretty docile today" -- was absolute manic energy. Guitarist Andrew Cashen may not be as front and center as Ellis, but a glance over in his direction reveals that he's almost as kinetic. Their set was relentless with Ellis declaring that she nearly dies every time during one song or saying, "Ooooh, you really don't like me today," when the band called out another. I got a little choked up by their passion.

Sweaty and pulse still racing, I headed a block over to Velveeta Room to meet Brooklyn's Baked for an interview (yet another thing I have to edit). A couple of slices of from Hoboken Pie (not bad -- for Texas) and it was back to Velveeta for the Exploding In Sound Records showcase. I finally got to check out some Brooklyn bands that my buddy Joe is always raving about (Jackal Onasis, Stove); and I caught the set from Baked, whose Farnham, I've been enjoying immensely over the last couple of weeks.

Baked

It was nearing midnight, so I bopped over to Valhalla for the set from Aye Nako. I caught the tail end of Sammus's set; and, with fans in the crowd rapping right along with her, Sammus rode a real wave for those  last few minutess.

Sammus

Valhalla was bathed in red like some pizza joint from the fifth circle of hell, but that didn't phase Aye Nako who played through a set of their angular indie-punk to close out my evening.

I decided to give Franklin another try on Friday, heading over well before anyone would consider eating lunch, only to find a line of people who'd obviously been camped out in lawn chairs for hours. Defeated, I headed towards downtown and happened upon free breakfast tacos and beer provided by Comedy Central. Score.

Then, it was over to the Midgetmen's annual showcase at Side Bar for Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires. I could have seen them the night before in Satan's Sbarro, but I knew this one was on the schedule. A combination of southern rock and punk politics, they're another band that put a lump in my throat; and you just have to check them out when you can.

Lee Bains III

I hung around for the set from Colleen Green, who's been one of my personal favorites for the last couple of years. She was playing to tracks on her iPad but had to cut her set short when the device overheated in the sun.

Done there, I met High Waisted for another interview I'm going to have to edit and then took a dinner / shower / nap break to refuel for the evening.

It was back to Barracuda for a set from Louisville's White Reaper whom I've been trying to see again since they blew me away at Asbury Lanes a couple of years ago. I caught a few minutes of one of their SXSW sets last year from behind a bunch of Joe Jonas fans, but this was my real second time seeing them. Just good stadium-sized rock from a band in a bar. Fun.

White Reaper

Finally, I crossed the street to the Mazda / SPIN / Stereogum / Whatever space to catch Potty Mouth, Beach Slang, and Chastity Belt. Mastodon were headlining the evening, and almost every band I'd seen that day had asked the audience, "Are you seeing Mastodon tonight?"

I hadn't planned on it because I thought the crush would be too huge, but... ...It turns out I had access to the photo pit. I was thrilled to be able to bypass the crowds -- for the first three songs each anyway -- and get shots of all the bands. As usual, for Beach Slang, I was screaming along behind my camera.

Beach Slang

The crowd went absolutely apeshit for Mastodon. I'm not a metal fan; but, damn, were they good.

Mastodon

Things cleared out a bit for Show Me The Body. I'd shot the Queens hardcore band once before when they opened for Single Mothers at Baby's All Right. There wasn't a Mastodon-level crowd there, but the SPIN stage in front of the couple hundred people who remained was still an impressive step up from two years ago.

Show Me The Body

I lumbered back to my hotel and absolutely crashed. This afternoon, I'll head over for some pancakes and rock at Little Dickman's Saturday showcase. Tomorrow, it's back to frozen Jersey.

Buzzcocks, Doug Gillard, The Obvious, Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires, Asbury Park, 4/17/15 (PHOTOS)

Buzzcocks on Pete Shelley's 60th birthday at The Stone Pony.

Making up for Lost Time

Friday night was going to be my first night at a show in a while. I hadn't heard live music or taken any pictures where I had to struggle with the lighting (except, maybe, inside a few Italian churches) for over two weeks. It was an evening packed with shows by bands I love to see including Smalltalk, Lost In Society, dollys, and The Ribeye Brothers. I chose to stick around Asbury Park and take in Buzzcocks at The Stone Pony followed by Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires at Asbury Lanes.

I figured that the Pony would be pretty packed out, so I did my usual thing of arriving at just around doors and staking out a spot right along the rail. My ankles, calves, knees -- which still haven't recovered from over a week's worth of walking and sightseeing -- were not happy about the prospect of standing for around five hours. Too bad, dudes. This is how it is.

Asbury's The Obvious were the openers for the night, and they absolutely blew away the early crowd. They played most of last year's Duress, throwing in a new song ("Luck?") and a blistering cover of Nirvana's "Aneurysm." Frontwoman Angie Sugrim has the energy, presence, and personality of a full-on rockstar. GayGuy / StraightGuy drummer, Bob Paulos, filled in for the band and provided a healthy dose of thunder to the set.

I wasn't aware until Friday morning that Doug Gillard (formerly of Guided By Voices and Nada Surf) was also on the bill, and it was a nice surprise. I had no idea what a great guitar player Gillard is; and, backed by a drummer and bassist, he did the virtuoso thing all through his 10-song set. He played songs from past and future solo work and closed with a cover of GBV's "I Am a Tree," noting that singing and playing it at the same time was no easy task. He made it look very easy.

Buzzcocks took the stage a few minutes behind schedule, which wasn't really a problem except for the fact that I had plans to head over to Asbury Lanes for a 12:15 set from Lee Bains III. I settled in after the first song or two, though, and forgot all about the clock.

The band did a career-spanning set covering their 70s and 80s classics along with several songs off of 2014's The Way. As I said, I was right on the barricade. I felt a small surge at my back for most of the night, but things got much more personal during "Why Can't I Touch It." The people behind me began using my back to brace themselves against the push behind them, and one guy put his arm around me and kissed my shoulder when the song was over. There was never anything violent or bro-ish about it; and I, honestly, found it all very communal and fun.

During the encore, Steve Diggle reminded those of us who didn't already know that Friday was Pete Shelley's 60th birthday. We all joined in a rendition of "Happy Birthday," and the band followed with new song "In the Back." They then proceeded to rattle off a quartet of songs that Shelley had been performing since about the age of 22: "Harmony in my Head," "What Do I Get?" "Have You Ever Fallen in Love (with Someone You Shouldn'tve)?" and "Orgasm Addict." The place went nuts. My new friends were climbing up my back. When it was all over, we shook hands and high-fived. I headed to the Lanes.

Since seeing them perform at the "Home for the Summer" after-party in July, I'd been looking for another opportunity to catch Alabama's Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. Their show is an all-out, sweat-soaked affair with Bains jumping down from the stage into the crowd throughout. Friday was no different.

The crowd at Asbury Lanes wasn't anywhere near as large as it was Post-Bouncing Souls on a summer weekend, but Bains and his band kept the needle in the red just the same. The live renditions of the southern-fried garage punk on the band's Dereconstructed LP are pure energy and emotion. And almost all of the band's songs have a political edge to them making clear that Bains holds a strikingly different set of opinions on many issues than what we Northeasterners perceive about many in his home state. I love it when rock music has something to say. That, paired with the commitment The Glory Fires show on stage, gets my blood -- and my fists -- pumping every time.

Photo stuff (for those of you who read this far and care): I used two cameras on Friday night. The shots at The Stone Pony were with my Panasonic Lumix LX7, an "advanced point and shoot" with a small 1/1.7" sensor but a very fast Leica 24-90mm, f1.4-2.3 lens. At Asbury Lanes, I used my Sony NEX-6 with its APS-C sensor and the Zeiss 24mm f1.8 lens. Totally different venues and lighting conditions -- and you can see the differences in quality -- but I'm impressed that the little Panny held its own against about $1500 worth of camera / lens. Love that thing. It's around $300 on Amazon if you're looking for a great little compact.

Anyway...

Pics. The rest are at Flickr.

The Bouncing Souls Played The Stone Pony Summer Stage w/ The Menzingers and Ted Leo, 7/19/14

Home for the Summer

The Bouncing Souls celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band on The Stone Pony's -- a venue celebrating its own 40th anniversary this year -- outdoor Summer Stage on Saturday. The band had help from Ted Leo and The Menzingers. It was a cool and beautiful evening, and the whole night really brought home for me what a wonderful little musical community we have here in our area.

I'd won tickets to the show from Live Nation a few days before. Swim meets and poor planning, though, meant that CoolMom couldn't join me; and my +1 went unused. Heading out solo did give me the opportunity to leave early and stake out my place in the front. I knew I'd see plenty of familiar faces.

Almost immediately upon arriving, I saw the guys from Corrina, Corrina right up front. I'd be seeing more of them as the evening progressed -- mostly as they surfed atop the crowd during the sets by The Menzingers and The Bouncing Souls. I met our barricade neighbor from one of last year's Home for the Holidays shows leaning on the rail just like she'd been in December. Scotch LaRock showed up, his boy wearing the shirt he'd had autographed by Greg Attonito at the Play Date show a few weeks back. Chris from Speak Into My Good Eye joined us for a while before disappearing into the sea of bodies during The Menzingers set.

Ted Leo came out at around 6:30 and did a solo electric set featuring favorites like "Timorous Me" and "Me and Mia." He played new songs -- one so new, he had to stop a few times to remember the chords -- and a song or two from his project with Aimee Mann, The Both. He talked about seeing The Bouncing Souls in Newark when he was younger and noted that this was the first time in the band's twenty-five year history that they'd ever shared a bill. He had several fans (like me) up front who clapped in time in all the right places and sang along. Even those less familiar with his work looked like they were won over by the end.

The Menzingers took the stage at just about 7:30, I guess. Things went absolutely bonkers in the pit. The band played a full 15-song set; and, almost from the first guitar notes of "I Don't Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore," people started cruising overhead into the waiting arms of the beefy security contingent manning the buffer zone. Hey, Brian! Hey, Luke!


Everybody around me sang every word. The LaRocks headed for environs more appropriate for second-graders; and Chris R. disappeared into the fray, fist-pumping and screaming along. I held firm and tried to take some pictures. A few security guys came into the audience to set up a perimeter around the mosh pit, but there was plenty of leakage.

Little did I know that what I'd just experienced was only an amuse-bouche when compared to what was coming for The Bouncing Souls. My December friend from the front directed a couple of guys and me to set up a bro-proof wall around her so that she could enjoy the show in relative peace. I did my best; but, as the band broke into "Hopeless Romantic" after taking the stage at around 8:45, the heave of the much-larger-than-indoors crowd brought me to the realization that my efforts at protection (and picture-taking) would be futile. I did what I could through, I think, "East Coast! Fuck You!" but I beat a path toward the back soon after.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the set. Compared to the eclectic sets the band usually play in December, Saturday's show was a nice greatest hits collection that included "Lean on Sheena," "Manthem," "Lamar Vannoy," a cover of "Do You Wanna Dance," and "True Believers" among others. And I do prefer getting sweaty up front to watching things from a distance, but at some point -- and after a couple of Converse-induced near concussions -- self-preservation comes into play.

The band and The Stone Pony shared a cake in celebration of their respective anniversaries. Family and friends of both were onstage for the entire set. I found the LaRock boys again and we sang along with the rest of the show from a safe distance.

When the show was done, the gates to the street were thrown open and I made a bee-line for the boardwalk and some Korean tacos. As we all walked away we could hear the exhortations from the stage to be respectful to the surrounding community, and I'm sure everyone had no problem abiding by that one.

After tacos, it was over to Asbury Lanes for the after party where a good chunk of the familiar faces from the Pony had made their way. A young man getting ready to ship out for navy bootcamp asked me if I'd seen any of The Bouncing Souls come through. He wanted to get his poster signed before he left home. I pointed him in the direction of Pete Steinkopf. A few minutes later, he came by -- absolutely beaming -- to show me Pete's signature.

Alabama's Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires and local favorites Lost In Society each delivered rowdy and sweaty sets to the big, late-night crowd. Bains was among the crowd, mauled as he shredded away on his SG. Lost In Society's Zack Moyle scaled one of the speaker towers, leaping back down to the stage at the end of his band's set.

It was an uplifting night -- a party from beginning to end that celebrated the thriving music community we have here in our backyard. I'm really happy that -- over the last two-plus years -- I've gotten to know some of the people who work so hard to keep it going. They've all given us a great summer of music so far; and I'm glad that, thanks to The Bouncing Souls, they got a night to celebrate.

You can see my pictures from the night up at Flickr. See you at the next show.