Reatarded punk returns
October 18th, 2007 by Chad Radford in Backstage Pass
Good punk rock is hard to come by these days. Sure, there is no shortage of sloppy twentysomethings decked out in ankle-tight jeans and studded belts, going through the motions of three chords and a rage of ramped-up emotions. But in the year 2007, the uniform and the sound are as predictable as reggae music. This is precisely what made Jay Reatard’s show at Lenny’s on Mon., Oct. 15, rise so far above the trappings of pedestrian punk showmanship. The secret: good songwriting and a no-bullshit stage presence that’s followed through by the sheer force of a freight train.
Jay covers all of the bases with his approach, and the element of surprise is not to be underestimated. The sound guy barely had time to fade the house music out before Reatard and his freshly assembled crew of hirsute players flipped the switch and became locked in the throes of cathartic, head-banging fury.
The show started seemingly without warning. One minute the band was lounging on stage, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, plugged in and working properly. The next minute, puffy Caucasian Afros were shaking violently.
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October 18th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
The flannel shirts and afro’s are testament to true punk rock- it doesn’t matter what you wear, what matters is what you say.