REVIEW: A Rowdy Night at the East Coast! Fuck You! Tour
4/30 @ Empire Live, Albany
Feat. The Bouncing Souls, H2O, Dave Hause & The Mermaids, School Drugs
“Fans new and old all celebrated these pillars of the punk/hardcore community through shouting, flailing, dancing, singing, and everything in between...”
A bit unwillingly, and likely similar to many of you, I took an unintentional hiatus from live shows this winter. The cold, the dark, work piling up, assignments due for online classes – all seemed like valid excuses to “sit this one out.” But when I heard about the “East Coast! Fuck You!” tour, I knew I needed to drag my sorry self out of this rut and get there. Four absolutely insane bands: School Drugs, Dave Hause & The Mermaids, H2O, and The Bouncing Souls. So on Wednesday night, there I was, front and center at Empire Live.
Unfortunately, due to a later night at the day job than planned, I missed School Drugs, though I’m sure they killed. I walked in the doors approximately 60 seconds before Dave Hause and his crew went on, though the crowd was small enough that I easily found myself right up in the third row. For 45 minutes, Hause gave an intense performance, peppering in older classics like “Saboteurs” with newer tracks like “Hazard Lights,” as well as an unreleased tune, “Revisionist History.” He held nothing back, from his critiques of modern politics and greedy billionaires to his harmonic yet gritty vocals. It’s an aspect of his music that I’ve always loved, and it was just as rewarding to hear live.
At times, Hause looked serious, nearly angry, running across the stage and motioning to the crowd to get louder, and “come on!” Soon after, though, you’d see him crack a smile at his bandmates and realize he was never mad, simply in “the zone.” Even more impressive was the fact that Hause had guitar issues for a majority of the set, so guitarist and brother Tim Hause held it down for the group.
While I was sad to see him go, you could tell the crowd was jittery for H2O. “Boston Straight Edge” shirts were scattered among the room, an homage to the band’s commitment to the straight edge movement. As soon as the first note hit, moshers seemingly flew from all sides of the venue into the center. I, admittedly out of practice since my last punk/hardcore show in September, got totally smacked as I tried to finish one last message before the set began. I’m pretty sure the 10-year-old boy with the mohawk standing next to me was more prepared.
And, yes, there was a kid or two at the show, and it was pretty cool to see. With H2O and The Bouncing Souls being decades old, this tour created a sense of nostalgia for plenty of audience members who revelled in the tunes of old, as well as some newer tracks. Toby Morse, who sported a bright orange sweatshirt with the face of Sinead O’Connor on the front and the famous “Fight The Real Enemy” quote on the back, stunned with astonishingly crisp vocals for such an aggressive sound. Furthermore, the harmonies between him and guitarist Rusty Pistachio came through the energy, adding an extra fullness, proving that they knew precisely how to poise themselves.
It was all a balance between clean and loud, striking that perfect center for each song. Even the environment struck up that balance: the crowd was wild, but in a positive manner. How can anyone be negative during “One Life, One Chance” or a rousing cover of “Guilty by Association”? Even the more reckless crowd surfers respected the vibes. The bands had requested the barrier to be removed pre-show, which allowed for audience members to hop up at any point. Up they would go, do a quick wave or dance, then dive into the sea of fans.
When The Bouncing Souls took the stage, the trend continued, with bassist Bryan Kienlen remarking several times, “I fucking love no barrier!” as people threw themselves back into the crowd. The set was electric in every sense of the word. Even the acoustic tracks had a hum of power to them. I found myself dancing along to songs I had forgotten I liked: “Lean on Sheena,” “Sing Along Forever,” “True Believers.” Greg Attonito had no quit in him – his voice had that sweet pop punk, harsh-melodic quality – while Pete Steinkopf stepped into his own spotlight with relentless guitar riffs that hit so well with Kienlen’s thumping bass.
However, if anyone deserves the award of the night, it’s drummer Greg Rebelo. All the energy, power, and beautiful chaos would not have stood a chance without Rebelo’s expert playing. He surged to bring the charge up a level, then dropped back when Kienlen’s bass was intended to be the highlight. He steadied the crew as Attonito and Kienlen deftly maneuvered themselves, their mics, and their instruments amongst the stage-goers, all of them embracing, nay, living for, the rowdiness of the room. In the final tracks, members of all three bands ran on and off of the stage to join in the fun, adding to the fluid feeling of the set.
When the night ended, sans an encore, there was no disappointment or reluctance to leave. It seemed that everyone left fulfilled and tired – fans new and old all celebrated these pillars of the punk/hardcore community through shouting, flailing, dancing, singing, and everything in between (truly). Needless to say, this concert has officially ended my live show hiatus. And boy, did I realize how much I missed a damn good show.
