Girl at the Rock Shows

I am one of those people who has a unique talent for falling asleep instantly. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, where I am, or what I’ve been up to. When given a chance to take a break, I will be asleep within seconds. I’m sure it’s because I work myself to the bone and never really give myself a chance to just chill, or maybe it’s because my parents are the same way, but after seeing my boyfriend struggle to get to sleep most nights, it’s a talent that I know is special and something that people would kill for. Usually, when I get home from a show, I’m out within mere seconds of my head hitting the pillow, but that was not the case when I got home on Thursday night. It was already a later-than-usual show for me, but as I laid down to go to sleep, I couldn’t drift away. I was amped. I was pumped. I was ready to do the night over again.

New Orleans-based Bad Operation was the first to take the Fine Line stage on Thursday night and instantly set my heart on fire. This band may have had a short time on the stage, but they made every second count, filling every moment with their danceable grooves and ska tones. What I really liked about this band was their lyrical content. It was political and slightly abrasive but entirely in line with my personal outlook, which made it that more perfect. Another thing I really loved was the sheer amount of energy that radiated off the stage throughout Bad Operation’s set. From the way the trombonist made their way into the audience for one of the last songs to the bassist’s Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders quality high-kicks, there was always something to watch and always something to feel. That being said, it was a bit laid back when compared to the rest of the night, but for an opening set, Bad Operation really laid the groundwork and the passion that would lead to a truly fantastic night.

Washington D.C.-based Kill Lincoln was up next, and, like Bad Operation, this band seemed to leave it all on the stage and instantly turned The Fine Line into a ska-style nightclub complete with sweaty people who just could not stop dancing. I mean it when I say the sound of this band was infectious. Sure, having a hype-human whose sole job seemed to be to dance on the stage, jump in the crowd, dance some more, and truly just get the audience going helped, but take that away, and you were still left with a highly energetic show that would leave even the most cynical human with a groove in their heart. My favorite parts of Kill Lincoln’s set was absolutely when trombonist Yasutaka “Ume” Umemoto left the stage, ran upstairs, and ended up playing a trombone solo from the edge of the balcony before ditching the bone and jumping into the audience. The crowd on Thursday night may not have been sold out, but this moment made it feel larger-than-life, and, again, the energy that radiated from this moment and every other moment that made up Kill Lincoln’s set has it in the running for one of my favorite sets of the year.

Everything about Thursday night’s show was a treat, but one of the highlights was seeing Japanese ska-leaning punk band HEY-SMITH perform. I’ll be honest: I had never heard of this band before their performance on Thursday night, but the fact that I was seeing a band all the way from Toyonaka Osaka, Japan, said everything I needed to hear. There had to be something about this band that put them in a position where touring the United States was worth it, and within just a couple of seconds of their set, I got it. HEY-SMITH’s sound leaned in a bit more to the punk side of the ska scene, but there was no lack of horn solos or fun throughout their time on stage. Out of everyone in this band, it was trombonist Kanasu, who I couldn’t take my eyes off of. His antics on stage bridged into the world of bizarre at times with the faces he made and the way he jittered across the stage. I honestly couldn’t tell if he was not sober or if this was just the way he was, but I can tell you that it added that sort of special sauce to an already explosive set.

I’ve been to literally thousands of shows throughout my life but I do not remember ever seeing The Suicide Machines live. Maybe I did way back in the day, or perhaps this is just one of those bands that has always eluded me. Regardless, I was absolutely stoked as this legendary punk band took the stage. The Suicide Machines formed in Detroit back in 1991. Other than a quick break between 2006 and 2009, this band has been grinding and putting out their politically charged ska-leaning punk tunes for all who would listen. I was one of those people way back in the day and obsessed over their 2003 album ‘A Match and Some Gasoline,’ but, for some reason, I kind of fell off the train. I honestly could not tell you why, but I can tell you that by the time they finished their over twenty-song set, I was left kicking myself for ever dropping the ball on this band.

Out of the four bands that took the Fine Line stage on Thursday night, The Suicide Machine’s set definitely felt the most reserved, but don’t let that fool you. Their set was full of life and energy. Vocalist Jason Navarro seemed to spend more time with his head and microphone dipped into the audience rather than in the spotlight, which goes to show the true power of this band among their fans. Although I was only able to sing along to a few of their tracks, there were many fans in the audience who were bursting at the seams as they screamed along to every single word of every single track. Sure, The Suicide Machines aren’t a household name, but I don’t think they were ever meant to be. This is one of those bands where, if you know, you know and if you were there on Thursday night, you felt the brunt of their power.

I stayed awake for at least an hour after I got in bed on Thursday night. I was re-running all of the moments that made up the show on Thursday night and trying to hold on to them for as long as I could because, honestly, it was the first night in a long time where nothing mattered. I didn’t care about anything other than the music and the passion. It was one of those shows where I wish, instead of taking pictures, I could have taken a slice of the feeling to keep in my back pocket for a particularly bad day.

Line Up:

Bad Operation

Kill Lincoln

HEY-SMITH

The Suicide Machines

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 2

Stage Divers- 1

Skank-ability- 11 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- A few bodies; 1 beach ball; 1 trombone

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Bad Operation– 0

Kill Lincoln – 0

HEY-SMITH- 0

The Suicide Machines – 0

Celebrity Sightings –Dante of Space Monkey Mafia

Overall Score – 11 out of 10

Show on Deck — TBD

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