30 years of punk show

Saturday was the big 30 years of punk show over at Stage 83 in Lemont, IL. This day-long festival was put together by some of my best friends, the guys from Destroy Everything. It featured a mix of old and new bands spanning nearly every decade of punk rock, though it was much more heavily weighted in the newer punk department.

The club has two rooms, big and small, each with its own stage. The show was set up in such a way that as soon as a band finished on the big stage, the next band in line started on the small stage, this meant there was no waiting around for the next bands to start, you simply walked into the other room to see the next one. However due to the show getting off to a late start thanks to some tardy sound men, the show ran late and there ended up being some overlap between bands playing on both stages simultaneously.

Since getting sick and still not being out of the woods yet, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it out for the show. Conventional wisdom should have dictated my staying home, but I figured the place was so close and we all worked pretty hard to promote the thing, that I didn’t want to miss it totally and if I felt worse, it wasn’t far to go back home or back to a hospital should things go really south for me. As it turned out I was able to make it through nearly the entire show, but it sure took its toll on me as everyone I talked to said I didn’t look like I was feeling well. And they were mostly right.

My pattern of the show was to take photos of a band, then go outside and sit down. This meant that I felt more like I was working rather than just listening to the music, and as a result, I honestly can’t remember details about many of the bands since I only witnessed full sets by a few of them. I will say that there wasn’t a bad band on the bill, and with the exception of a few bands doing uncalled for cover songs of old punk songs (such as SLF’s, “Suspect Device”) that made me mad at them, I enjoyed something about each band. The range was average to great.

So since in many cases I can’t recall specific details about the bands, I’ll just make with the photos and inject any notes I can recall.

Trike

Trike

First up were Trike, a band from my home town. They were rather straight-up hardcore and these young dudes could go! I thought they did my town proud.

The Groodies

The Groodies

Next up, and the first for the small stage were The Groodies. They are an all-female punk band who were quite enjoyable. That and they are certainly very easy on the eyes!

Nor ILL skate demo

Nor ILLskate demo

For the first part of the day, Nor ILL Skateshop had a skate demo going on out in the parking lot. I watched the skaters go for a little while and it made me wish I never quit skateboarding when I was like 18.

The Jerkwads

The Jerkwads

Next up on the big stage were The Jerkwads. I honestly can’t recall what flavor of punk they sounded like but I remember them being OK. Chalk up the lack of memory to the pain and vicodin intake.

Squared Off

Squared Off

Back over on the small stage were Squared Off. I was actually really enjoying them until they played a Stiff Little Fingers cover. My stance on new punk bands covering old ones is well documented. Needless to say I was instantly against them because of it and I went back outside.

Hotlips Messiah

Hotlips Messiah

On the big stage Hotlips Messiah was next. It was shortly before that when Thor showed up and we got some food from the bar and were swapping camera information (in fact it was he who suggested the Canon camera I now use, which was some fine advice). I really like the addition of Traci Trouble as the new singer in Hotlips, she is a perfect fit. HM play some 70’s inspired experimental art-punk. I’ll forgive them for their Nuns cover due to the fact that they have pretty good taste in more obscure old punk rock.

The Frantic

The Frantic

The Frantic played next on the small stage. They were pretty much the same as I saw them a month ago at this same venue, which was good.

The Infected

The Infected

The Infected followed back on the big stage. They play a very metallic hardcore, sort of like you’d hear in the late 1980s when all that crossover stuff was all the rage. I like them in small doses but a full set of them is a little more metallic noodling that I’d prefer. That aside they do have a couple songs in their set that I enjoy and they are all nice guys.

The Scarred

The Scarred

This brought us back to the small stage again where The Scarred took the stage. I honestly don’t remember anything about them but had they been bad, I would have remembered that much.

Dead City Rejects

Dead City Rejects

Dead City Rejects were next. I vaguely remember them reminding me of a UK punk band. I took some pix and then went outside to sit down right away to get fresh air and to rest because at this point I was in a fair amount of pain.

The Hollowpoints

The Hollowpoints

The Hollowpoints were next over on the small stage.

Senor Citizen giving the accident story to “the man”

Rev. Infectious Rex – post head-trauma repair

It was about this time that Thor and I went outside to get some air. We walked over to the parking lot to see a group of people crowded around someone. That someone turned out to be Rev. Infectious Rex of Hotlips Messiah and Lady of 2 was digging into a first aid kit and tending to him. He was holding his head and bleeding profusely. It turned out there was an accident where someone in a car ran over his head! Luckily the wheel didn’t go over his skull or he likely wouldn’t have survived, but he was still pretty messed up. The driver and Traci Trouble took him over to the closest hospital to get stitched up and x-rayed. Luckily all that was required was some stitches and they returned a couple hours later. We were all really worried about him and I was really glad when I saw him walk back in the door. This was the only bad thing of the entire day that I was aware of, other than that it was a pretty smooth operation with very little problems.

Street Brats

Street Brats

When we got back in, Street Brats were playing on the big stage. Last time I saw them was at Riot Fest. They were pretty much the exact same as when I saw them then.

I Attack

I Attack

I Attack took the small stage before the Street Brats were done, due to the show running behind schedule. They are a south-side hardcore band with an old school skatecore sound. I really like them and they never fail to deliver the goods. They definitely were one of the highlights of the show.

The Methadones

The Methadones

The Methadones were next up on the big stage. They play melodic pop/punk that because of the singer having been in Sludgeworth, remind me a lot of that band, but just even more melodic. They have some catchy tunes and the three times I’ve now seen them, I’ve enjoyed them a pretty good amount.

Destroy Everything

Destroy Everything

As we are heading down the home stretch, Destroy Everything took the small stage, a selfless act considering they were the reason this show was even happening. They were as good as they always are (which is always very enjoyable and I’m not just saying that because they are some of my best friends), but the sound was rather sub-par and not mixed properly. They blazed through their half hour set without missing a beat.

Toxic Reasons

Toxic Reasons

Toxic Reasons followed on the big stage, and the rest of the show took place on this stage. Which version of Toxic Reasons was it you ask? Sadly it was the “metal one”. No Ed Pittman on vocals. They started off with some slow metal numbers that quickly bored me and I went outside to sit down. I could hear them still out there and they did start playing some older numbers after awhile, but I much preferred the Toxic Reasons original lineup and only the hardcore songs.

The Effigies

The Effigies

The Effigies played after Toxic Reasons, and they were as good as the last half dozen times I’ve seen them in the past two years – which is rock solid. They really don’t deviate much from the set list these days, but they did play a fair amount of new songs from the new record they keep claiming to be working on. Those new songs fit in nicely with the old, and I really hope that record happens sooner rather than later.

The unconscious couple

As the last band was about to take the stage, I made my way to one of my photography spots and passed by this couple who appeared to have passed out on each other standing up. They didn’t move for what seemed like a really long time, then they seemed to come to and started making out.

U.S. Bombs

U.S. Bombs

This just left the headliners for the day, U.S. Bombs. I wasn’t really much of a fan of theirs, mostly for the fact that I haven’t owned or heard many of their records. What they do, they do well and the crowd there seemed really into it.

U.S. Bombs

U.S. Bombs

After I took a bunch of photos, I was so wiped out and not feeling so well that I made my rounds to say my goodbyes and went home early. It was no small miracle that I made it as long as I did through the show, which surprised everyone who knew my current health issue as much as it surprised me. I went home in a really good mood, though worse for wear. The show was a really fun time, the only bummer was that more people didn’t attend. It certainly wasn’t for lack of promotion! I don’t know why so many people didn’t bother to make the trip out to the show, for they sure missed a fun day. Destroy Everything, Rose Red, and all the bands should be commended for a really fun day with almost no incident.

Lots more photos after the jump! (And I do mean lots!)


The Groodies

U.S. Bombs