The year was 2005. I was young, but I already knew what my life would be, and that was music. In my family, being shipped off in the summer to spend time with an older cousin is not out of the norm. I chose my cousin Kim in Portland. I was supposed to be looking at schools as I was going to be graduating high school in two years, but instead, I developed a coffee addiction and dragged my poor cousin to many shows that I probably had no business being at with how young I was. One of those shows was on July 23rd at The Roseland Theatre in downtown Portland. It was Alkaline Trio, Rise Against, and Death By Stereo. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember much from that show, but I remember I loved every second of it, and because of that, I have a very special place in my heart for all three of those bands. Fast forward twenty years. I’ve seen Alkaline Trio and Rise Against numerous times since then, but haven’t been able to catch Death By Stereo since then (at least not that I recall). Friday night was my chance, and I was ecstatic that they would be playing at one of my favorite local venues- The Hook & Ladder.
Local crunchy thrash band Powerdam was up first. This band was brand new to me as they kicked into their set on Friday night, but something about their sound felt so familiar. It was very Twin Cities punk, which, like Twin Cities rap and hip-hop, is hard to explain, but let me try. It’s slightly abrasive and full of angst, but there’s a sense of heart and raw emotion behind everything this band presented on stage. Although I definitely got a thrash influence from the instrumentation, the vocals felt more in line with bands like Iron Chic, Off With Their Heads, and, of course, Death By Stereo. It was distinct and powerful, with a raw edge that I found completely addicting and the perfect way to start the night.
Although the next band to perform, The Slow Death, seems to be a staple of the local music scene, Friday night was my first chance to see them live. Having heard some songs from this band just in passing and out of curiosity, I had set the bar high for this group. I was ready for the gritty sound to hit me from all angles and to be blown away by that signature Twin Cities passion, but I started worrying that that may not be what I get. It wasn’t what I thought it would be. By the end of their short set, I realized I had gotten so much more than I bargained for. I got The Slow Death’s signature grit and grime from the vocals and the energy from their instrumentation, but there was just a heightened sense of emotion that seemed to radiate from the stage while they played, which I was not quite expecting. This came through loud and clear with the final song they performed. I don’t know the song’s name, but it was slower and more tender than anything else that happened on Friday night. It stood out but not like a sore thumb, more like a gorgeous flower. It was an interesting way to end a set on such an exciting night for those who showed up and definitely solidified The Slow Death’s place in my heart.
It was time for me to relive my youth. It was time for California-based Death By Stereo. Clearly, DBS has been around for years. They started in 1998 and have never really stopped outside of a few breaks here and there. Even with multiple line-up changes outside of lead vocalist Efrem “The Bean” Schulz and guitarist Dan “The Mustache” Palmer (who joined the band in 1999), this band produced some of the unique and well-done skate punk-leaning hardcore music that California has to offer. Much like the other bands of the night, DBS brought an undeniable sense of emotion and power to the stage, but there was something just a bit more abrasive about their set compared to the previous two. It wasn’t angry or anything like that, but it was clear that the audience was ready to release some steam as they listened and watched this legendary band. There wasn’t a big pit to speak of, but people took advantage of the power, politely pushing and shoving their way through the set.
Efrem mentioned that he may not make it through the set without puking. He went on to talk about how he had been fighting something all day and thought maybe it was food poisoning. Although he was sick and clearly a bit uncomfortable at times, he didn’t let it stop him and ended up making it through the set. All I could think after he admitted to not feeling great was, “If this is them with Efrem not at his best, how freaking flawless are they normally?” Had Efrem not mentioned feeling under the weather, I would never have known, but it added a special sauce to the night. It showed that this band grinds. They definitely weren’t playing the biggest show of their current tour. They could have easily just canceled to rest and get over whatever was plaguing Efrem. Still, they wanted to ensure they brought everything they could to Minneapolis (which they did). I honestly cannot find enough words to describe how perfect this band sounded, which truly made the night as amazing as it was.
Another thing that made Friday night at The Hook & Ladder amazing was seeing Ignite. I’ll be honest: I had never heard of this band before seeing their name on the flyer and didn’t take any time to dig into them before seeing them, but it was love at first listen. Like DBS, Ignite is from Orange County, California, and brought more classic hardcore instrumentation to the night with vocals that left me completely stunned. Ignite has been around since 1993, so to say they’re legendary would not be a stretch. Although only one remaining original member (Brett Rasmussen on bass), this band felt and sounded like a well-oiled machine. Although intense at times, there was a clarity that reigned supreme throughout their set. I could write a whole other blog post about the perfection and talent that Ignite brought to Friday night, but I’ve kept you here long enough, so I’ll just say– make sure to spend some time digging into Ignite. They are solid and absolutely ended this show perfectly.
The audience wasn’t huge on Friday night. Pulling up to the venue to find the parking lot empty had me wondering if I had missed a note that the show had been canceled or had the wrong date. This broke my heart. The two touring bands and the two local bands that performed at The Hook & Ladder on Friday night deserved a sold-out audience purely based on the talent and fire they presented. Even though they didn’t get what they deserved, those of us who did show up got more than we deserved. We got a performance from four bands that didn’t hold back. Four bands that clearly do this because they love doing it. There was no going through the motions for any of these bands, which made Friday night even more special than just a night where I could reminisce back twenty years.
Line Up:
Venue: The Hook and Ladder
Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable
Average Age of the Crowd: 42
Crowd Surfers- 0
Stage Divers- 0
Mosh-ability- 6 out of 10
Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0
Broken Bones- None Noticed
Spotted Flying Through The Air- The singer of Ignite
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)-
Powerdam – 0
The Slow Death – 0
Death By Stereo – 1
Ignite – 0
Celebrity Sightings – Tim of Loss Leader
Overall Score – 9.3 out of 10
Show on Deck — Flatfoot 56 / Something To Do / Loss Leader / Virgin Whores
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