Kicking Spit: 8/27/10

Full disclosure: I made this flyer

I showed up on time for this show to say HI to people, but then went home to drop off my tools from work and change into more "rock and roll" clothes. When I got back, White Knight had already played, but they were the least of my concerns, considering they are from LA and I could probably see them again soon, if I want to. I heard The Sundowners rather well from the back yard where I was hanging out, catching up with my bandmate in ANS, Mark, who is also in Kicking Spit. The Sundowners sounded pretty poppy, but in a more competent way, they could actually play their instruments and had starts and stops and changes, not trains wrecks of varaying frequency and heroin breaks like most touring poppy punk bands in this country right now.

I had first seen Kicking Spit at Bronzefest in New Jersey last April, and they were decidedly better this time around, being in the midst of a full US/Canada tour and gettin' tight. The default comparison is Dinosaur Jr., with a strong trio in effect and lots of wild wah wah wankery and drum fills going on. Definitely more punk than Dino J, and they play a Discharge song in the set to prove it.

Next was my first time seeing Knifey Spoony in the Bay Area. The first being when Genesis Climber crossed paths with them in Richmond Virginia while we were both in the midst of summer US tours. Knifey is some sort of twisted catchy rock with a dark side, played by a bunch of way shaggy weirdos.

After the show me and members of K.S. and K.S. hung out and ate a lot of MUSHROOMS.