Merry Krampus To All

Something about this holiday season has felt weird. I don’t know what it is but I’m just not feeling the holiday spirit. Blame it on the unseasonably warm weather, maybe the lack of snow, or maybe just the fact that life keeps on getting in the way of everything– whatever you want to blame it on, it just doesn’t feel like the holiday season. Thankfully, Friday night’s show with Impaler changed that. Some people use cheesy Hallmark holiday movies to get into the spirit, some may use the smell of freshly baked cookies or a nice fire in a fireplace– for me, it was the Merry Krampus show headlined by Impaler at The Turf Club that finally got me into the holiday spirit.

It looked like Santa had thrown up all over the upstairs of the Turf Club when I walked in on Friday. Christmas lights and tinsel garlands were hanging all over the stage giving the typically dull and dark venue (that’s not a knock on them, The Turf will always be a favorite of mine) a sense of life and a festive look. Add to the overall scene the sense of undeniable energy and fun radiating throughout the large crowd there and you were left with a feeling that was enough to get even the Grinch into the holiday spirit.

Kicking the show off was the local duo New Rocket Union. It has been quite a while since I have seen this band but, as soon as the two men took the stage, I was reminded just how much I love this group. There are. no-frills when it comes to New Rocket Union’s sound and that’s what makes them so perfect. Their sound dabbles between rock and punk but, regardless of which genre you pick up on throughout their set, you are given a solid and bombastic sound that is as catchy as it is flawless. Being the opener on a stacked four-band bill, New Rocket Union didn’t have long on stage but they made every second count and definitely got the night started off on the right foot.

Plague of Stars was up next. This is another local act that it has been far too long since I last saw them. They brought a sense of rage and power to the stage that was undeniable but also brought a sense of beauty through the vocals provided by vocalist Liz. Although I know a couple of the members of this band and have seen them before, watching them perform on Friday night was watching a whole new band. There was just something so polished and serious about their performance. Don’t get me wrong, there was still passion clearly coming through with every note but this band was super into their music leaving an almost serious feeling set. Although I was in party mode and was ready to have some fun, the clear dedication that Plague of Stars showed throughout their set had me stunned and falling in love with the band all over again.

It was honestly a bit odd to go from the seriousness of Plague of Stars to whatever you want to call Dumpster Juice but it also made the night so perfect. I have written about Dumpster Juice multiple times before but seeing them never gets old. Whereas Plague of Stars took themselves a bit seriously (while still giving the audience a great performance), Dumpster Juice is far from a band that takes themselves seriously. I mean, come on, this band is known for a vocalist that uses his belly as a drum. The band was up to their usual antics on Friday night and it wasn’t long before Rowland (their vocalist) had taken his shirt off to expose the “drum”. I knew it was coming yet it was still so fun. Musically, the band never changes. For better or for worse, I feel like they always play the same songs but that’s fine by me. They are a fun group with hilarious on-stage antics and sometimes that’s all you need on a Friday night.

Between Dumpster Juice and the headliners, Impaler, The Turf Club was treated by a visit from Minnesota Krampus. I won’t get into the whole backstory of the half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes children who are naughty at Christmas but feel free to look into it yourself because it’s a super cool folk story. Long story short, Minnesota has this Krampus group that has the most intricate (and terrifying) costumes depicting this monster and they go around to different functions to add to the holiday spirit. Okay, that may not be accurate but that’s what their visit did on Friday night. Although these creatures scared the absolute crap out of me and I may or may not have had nightmares about their glowing eyes as I tried to sleep, having these amazing creatures at the show added a little razzle-dazzle to an already stunning night.

Closing out the festive celebration were the kings of the shock rock world- Impaler. I have truly lost count of how many times I have seen this band perform live so I won’t bore you with the backstory of this band but, long story short, they are legends and the fact that I live in the same town as them and get to see them perform time and time again is truly a dream come true. Much like Dumpster Juice, Impaler was up to their usual games on Friday night. Their set came complete with glam-rock leaning metal-infused music, live on-stage wrestling, and vocalist Bill dripping with blood after chewing on the neck of a severed head (that’s one that you just have to be there to see for yourself).

Although Impaler’s set was more or less the same as I’ve seen from them numerous times, something is exciting and thrilling about seeing this band time and time again. I honestly can’t quite put my finger on what it is but I could see Impaler do the same set night after night and never get bored with it. Maybe it’s their energy or the way the members of this band play with a sense of precision while giving the audience a true show. Regardless, their set on Friday was flawless to me and, with the festive decor scattered around the venue, definitely had me finally feeling the holiday spirit.