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!
Ahh Gilman, what can I say? This is one of my favorite venues in the area, not only because if its ability to maintain a club that is run by the community and remain open for so many years, but also because of the variety and talent of many of the acts it books on a weekly basis. But recently my mind was literally blown out of the back of my skull when a performance by the bands Judgment Day and Ninja Academy was held there on May 9th. I’ll start with the first band I saw that night, Ninja Academy, now I have seen them perform live before and always enjoyed their music, but that night they put on a good show. They had a very refined and crisp sound, probably because they play the same set every time they come! Now for those who may not know about this band let me describe them to you, this trio of musicians consist of one female Taiko Drummer, one standard drummer and a bassist and they’re all dressed like ninjas, well at least the two male players are. They play an all instrumental set, except for a song which begins with the bassist screaming, “Your Kung Foo Sucks!” which is also the name of the song. They have a very good and interesting sound that is very hard to describe so I’ll just let you make that judgement for yourself. If I had any criticism for this band it would probably be that their songs are all very similar. But all in all they played a great show and I would definatly recommend them.
Now for the main act, Judgment Day. O My God! They were simply amazing! This Band Consists of a Violin, Cello, and Drums. They call themselves a ” String Metal” band. What comes out of these three artists is some of the most interesting, beautiful and raw sounds Ive heard in a long time. This is also a all Instrumental band, meaning there are no lyrics, but while listening to them you wouldn’t even really notice. This is some of the best music and best metal Ive ever heard from 924 Gilman. They also command a stage presence like no other, the pit in the front was so insane I came out with a busted lip and what I suspect to be a minor concussion. The music has a quality that possessed me and most of the people at the show. These guys are going places no doubt in my mind. I will see them every time they are within 20 miles and playing a show, I would defiantly recommend them to everyone and anyone. Check them out!
Well thanks for reading and many more reviews to come, but remember reading reviews can only take you so far and I hope you check out your local clubs and venues,and also remember there are alot of bad shows but don’t be discouraged eventually if you keep going you’ll see a band or artist that might just change your life.
Hey everyone this is Scarecrow this is my first post of a new section of our blog that features reviews of live music here in the Bay Area Rock, Punk, Hardcore and other music scenes. For my first review I had to choose the recent Presidents of the United States of America show at the Great American Music Hall in SF. Although this show happened almost a month ago, it was such and amazing performance that it has stuck with me and remained clear in my mind till now.
Some of you may remember this band from the 90’s, that’s when they released their most recognizable songs such as “Lump”, “Peaches” and “Some Postman” but even after all this time they still remain one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. When I first arrived at the show I had my doubts, first of all most of the crowd appeared to be in their late 20’s to 30’s and the first band that opened for them wasn’t very good in my opinion, they were like a boy-band that was given instruments and played typical MTV Emo crap.
But as we were waiting for the Presidents to set up and start I began to notice more and more young people coming up to the front. This made me hopeful because I’m so used to the mosh pits in the many underground venues in the East Bay and was hoping for a good one here. Then the Presidents took the stage and there was this feeling of raw energy and excitment in the air. They played alot of thier old songs and big hits along with some stuff from thier new album and all of it was good. The crowd went crazy and got really into the music. In my experiences with live music I find that the crowd has as much of an impact on the quality of the concert as the band.
All in all it was a amazing show and I would highly suggest anyone who has the chance to see them to do it!
Posted by alldayplay 
Posted by alldayplay 
Posted by alldayplay 