Don’t have a shit ton of bands on a weekday lineup. People got work tomorrow! And yes, I just got back from Less Than Perfect,
and Blood Across The Sky,
and Stacc Styles,
and Carnal Contempt,
and Endpass,
and Hed PE
on a weekday. That’s a ton of bands for a 7:30pm start time and I don’t think you need to be an introvert to find that exhausting. Although, being an introvert helps.
It also helped that Hed PE headlined and Hed PE is worth the fucking wait. They’re good musicians who play what’s fun instead of what’s relevant and have a blast doing it. And I have a blast consuming it because I’m sick of of safe, optimistic, only use these approved lyrics and chord progressions of modern day label rock. Hed PE’s energy is very infectious which, tonight, meant good vibes and moshing despite the, you know, big ass fucking lineup on a weekday night.
Instead of bitching a ton about this, let me break down an introvert’s perspective on what happens when you go into a show thinking it’ll be done by 10:30 and the headliners don’t even take stage until 11:
Less Than Perfect, local openers, remind me of my love for local music. Timid and shy to start but end their set with energy and confidence from nailing their opening songs. They end their set on a high note which means the audience does too – a perfect segue into the next band!
Blood Across The Sky is that next band. I’ve seen these guys before! They’re gonna kick ass! Wait, they have new members! I just told my foreign friend these guys are intense as fuck – did I lie? No! Still intense! It’s like Blood Across The Sky is simply a brand name – it doesn’t matter who’s in the band, if you see Blood Across The Sky, you will see primal and intense aggression! Oh boy, another perfect segue, this time for Carnal Contempt!
…Oh, a DJ on stage. Is this the MC? Is there some sort of transition into Carnal Contempt? Why is there a dude rapping? How unexpected. I see Carnal Contempt over by the merch table, why aren’t they on stage? Why is this rapper from Tuscon here? Why does he have to rap fast every song? Why can’t he just play some music and get off stage? Yeah, you’re DJ can do literal magic and you can rap fast, great, I was told Carnal Contempt is next, where are they?
Finally, Carnal Contempt! Maybe I can finally figure these guys out! Handing out porn to the audience checks out. Weird faces and sex themed music checks out. Maybe I can finally get a handle on these… nope, I’m mentally exhausted. Seriously, who was that rapper and why was he here? At least Hed PE is up next…
Or not? Did Hed PE get sick? Who is Endpass? The poster said Less Than Perfect, Blood Across The Sky, Carnal Contempt, and Hed PE. WTF is an Endpass? I just want Hed PE! I’m gonna go sit and sulk until Hed PE decides to come on stage.
…Finally, Hed PE! Time to get up!… I’m so tired. I wish they played sooner when my energy was up and the crowd hadn’t left to get some sleep before work tomorrow. The stories that could have been told if that had happened. But alas, the show’s promoters, I’m assuming, put a shit ton of bands on the bill during a weekday lineup for some unknown reason.
This type of shit sucks. Not just for the crowd, but bands too. The original lineup – Less Than Perfect, Blood Across The Sky, Carnal Contempt, and Hed PE, would have kicked fucking ass and someone probably would have bashed their head open on the pillar in the center of the mosh pit that The Rickhouse didn’t bother to put a pad on. It would’ve been great.
Similarly, Stacc Styles, Endpass, and Hed PE would have also probably kicked ass. There probably would have been less blood, but it would’ve been an enjoyable evening of learning new bands while moshing with Hed PE. I bet Stacc Styles and DJ Swamp would have been a lot more entertaining as an opener instead of a random shoehorn. And I could have actually listened to Endpass instead of loudly questioning if Hed PE was ok.
But all these bands together? I have fucking work tomorrow, I came for Hed PE, I need to save my energy for the one or two songs I can stay for before going home to sleep before work.
In researching this review, I realised the poster did in fact have Stacc Styles on it. In a very hidden way. Come on. Not even I have that bad of graphic design and I’m fucking terrible at graphic design. Besides, it didn’t have Endpass regardless.
