If 924 Gilman was closed down tomorrow I would be sad, but I would be glad that Leftover Crack and Citizen Fish were the last bands I saw there! Last Saturday, me and all my friends got together. We sat in my living room blasting one of my favorite bands, Leftover Crack, getting pumped up for the show that night at Gilman, but nothing could prepare us for the amazing and unforgettable show that we witnessed that night. For all those who are unfamiliar with Leftover Crack, I suggest that you look them up on myspace and listen to their music. The best way I could describe them would be New York-anti-cop-gutter-metal-ska… weird, huh?
We were waiting in line when I start to notice more and more people showing up. Soon the line behind us is so long that it wraps around the block! Already I know its gonna be a packed show. The show begins and you can feel the excitement in the air. The first band was called Devi’ls Son In Law followed by Acts of Sedition. Both bands were actually really good and started the show off with a bang. Then Introspect took the stage and they were also good in a catchy pop kind of way… interesting use of keyboards and they had a very clean sound.
Then the main acts performed. As Citizen Fish took the stage, me and all my friends in the front were suddenly crushed by a crowd of 666 people (per request from the lead singer of Leftover Crack) rushing forward. Now for all those not too familiar with the 924 Gilman venue, the stage sits at about knee level, so it felt like a vice squeezing my legs near to breaking point (I was at the front of the stage)! But the amazing thing was I didn’t even care! Citizen Fish was really amazing. Their up-beat ska sound and songs of global warming and worker’s rights got everyone moving.
After they got off stage everyone went quiet, then the lights dimmed and Leftover Crack got on stage. Everyone in the club went insane, swinging, dancing, pushing and singing. They began with one of my favorite songs of theirs, “One Dead Cop”. In the hour and a half set, they did all their major songs. The club was filled with voices singing along and I was filled with this sense of unity that I haven’t felt in the punk scene in a long time. Half way through their set, they brought a special guest on stage – JELLO BIAFFRA, LEAD SINGER OF THE LEGENDARY DEAD KENNEDY’S! After his guest feature performance, he looked at the no stage-diving sign behind the stage, laughed and dived into the crowd, an amazing feat for someone who just turned fifty!
All in all, I would strongly recommend everyone to check out both Leftover Crack’s and Citizen Fish’s myspace pages… and if you like them, then I’ll see you at their next show!
..Scarecrow..
Jello Biafra With Leftover Crack At Gilman
Stza Lead Singer For Leftover Crack
