A good punk show can do wonders for an indie rock kid. A nice brake from any art or pretension of any sort, replaced instead with loud guitars and passion. And who to do it better than the increasingly legendary Eddy Current Suppression Ring playing their first US show in three years! Add to the set two rising Texas punk bands and crafted in one hot, June night was an increasingly perfect show.
Fergus & Geronimo from Denton opened the set with some good mid-paced indie punk. The songs were catchy, and a Teenage Cool Kids sound could definitely be heard in them, probably due to them having a member of Teenage Cool Kids in the band. Nothing, unfortunately, grabbed you in the set, but there was entertainment none the less, like when the band pulled out a saxophonist for a few songs or when a guitarist broke a string and frantically ran around the stage trying to fix it. Not as engaging as I wanted, but there was potential to be seen for sure.
The Hex Dispensers brought the punk fury full swing though with their set. The moment their sound check ended they started blasting through their set. Dark, gritty punk rock was pumping out of the Mohwaks speakers at a rate you though might make them break. All the while, all the band members were jabbing and hitting their respected instruments like machines. I had never heard this band until then, despite the fact their from Austin, and I am proud to say I walked out with one of their LPs after the show.
However, it was Eddy Current Suppression Ring that truly unleashed the completely sublime, utterly great set everyone had been waiting for the entire night. From the moment the chords of "Memory Lane" filled the venue, the band took complete control. Mikey (guitar), Rob (bass), and Danny (drums) all played so in sync with another you'd think they were a well oiled clock. While this was going on Brendan sang and moved like a spirit had possessed him. It was like seeing David Byrne fronting a hardcore band. He shook, jumped on speaker, dived into the crowd. He even dived into the mosh pit that (finally) opened up mid way through the set. The band were masters of their craft, and even at their first show on the tour, managed to make it near perfect.
Fergus & Geronimo
The Hex Dispensers
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
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