Girl at the Rock Shows

Going into shows completely blind and not knowing anything about any of the bands performing is a dangerous game to play. Maybe you get lucky and get introduced to your new favorite band, or maybe you leave feeling completely unfulfilled and like you wasted a night that could have been better spent being a normal human and getting chores done around the house, or spending time with neglected friends. It’s a dangerous game, but it’s one that I play often, and I found myself rolling the dice on Monday night. Was the show going to be a disappointment? Or was it going to be mind-blowing and leave me completely infatuated with two new-to-me bands?

When Salt Lake City-based Dogma Society took the stage, I wasn’t overly impressed. The vocalist came off as tired and a bit like they would have loved to be anywhere other than on stage. Sonically, Dogma Society’s sound in the first song felt like nothing new. It was slightly unique, but the attitude that I was getting from the band overall just killed any sense of excitement that I could have had about their sound. I stood there and impatiently waited for this first song (and subsequent set) to be over, and started thinking about all of the other things I could have spent my Monday night doing. That’s when it happened. Sure, the first song felt sleepy to me, and it felt like there was a lack of heart, but the second song knocked me to my butt. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what switch was flipped or how there could be such a stark contrast between the first and second song, but by the time Dogma Society was done performing their second song and continued into their fiery set, I was absolutely in love, enamored, and obsessed with this group.

Sonically, Dogma Society is all over the place. It was very much a KennyHoopla kind of vibe (only this band actually has talent and, yes, that’s a cheap jab at one of the few musicians out there who doesn’t appreciate it when I show up at one of their performances) but with an almost nu-metal kind of energy and a punk styled attitude that, at times, reminded me a lot of Turnstile. It’s really impossible to describe Dogma Society’s sound without sounding absolutely batshit crazy, but that’s the magic of it. This band doesn’t care what kind of music you want to say they play. They don’t care if a particular bassline doesn’t quite go with the intensity of the drums or if the vocals feel a bit more subdued than the electrifying guitars. Clearly, all that matters to this band is the release. The release of emotion, energy, angst, and happiness. This comes from not only the stage, but also the audience. I watched in awe as I saw a packed 7th Street Entry release everything out into the air. From people who were clearly using this moment to let out a wee bit of aggression with the way they started pushing and shoving each other in one of the sweetest and nicest looking push-pits to people, like myself, who couldn’t help it but just stand there and let a sense of admiration flow from their souls to the stage, the energy in the room was flawlessly and beautifully on fire.

I never wanted Dogma Society’s set to end. Sure, it may have had a rough start in my mind, but by the end of it, I was desperate for more, and I wasn’t the only one. Although the audience wasn’t standing there chanting for “one more song,” it was clear that, like everyone in attendance, this band wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the energy of the night. After ending their set and a quick pause, they announced, “Fuck it, we’re going to do one more!” and I had never been happier about a surprise encore. The final song was short and still not enough. Nothing would have been enough. Although sad, my time with Dogma society had to end. I am beyond excited because they mentioned a couple of times how much they loved this audience and how they would absolutely be back. I will definitely be holding them to that.

As mentioned, I knew nothing about the two bands performing at the 7th Street Entry on Monday, but after what Dogma Society had done, I called it. The show had been won, my night was done, all I needed to do was stay long enough for the headliner to get some usable photos, and then I could leave. That’s when alexsucks happened. Honestly, I was at this show because of the headliner’s name. There was just something slightly humorous to me about a band called “alexsucks.” Maybe that’s my love of self-deprecating humor, or maybe it was the fact that the name was in all capitals on the flyer I saw, which gave me this odd sense of excitement. Either way, the bar had been set high by Dogma Society, and I didn’t think there was any way it could be met, but alexsucks met it and then some in their own perfect way.

I’ll never see The Libertines live. I’ve come to terms with that and, although it breaks my heart, maybe it’s better off that way. Watching alexsucks powers through their set on Monday night felt the way I assume seeing The Libertines would have felt if I had gotten the chance. Why am I comparing this super youthful and fun band to such a throwback? Because that’s what their sound reminded me of. It was very 90’s UK indie-pop but with this explosive punk edge that I would like to imagine The Libertines had in their live shows. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a Libertines cover band in any way, shape, or form. alexsucks has their own brand of indie sleaze that powered through the speakers and into the air with ease. It’s just the name that came to mind as I stood there in complete awe of alexsucks.

It wasn’t just the music of alexsucks that had me. Honestly, I think the performance had me more. Vocalist Alex Alvarez is absolutely a showman, but in a “I’m too cool to pretend like this is a hard job for me” kind of way. From the way he leaned into the audience for certain words, phrases and songs as if just trying to get them all riled up before stepping back into the stage to let the audience do what they would with that pent up energy to the moment that he started hanging and swinging from the rafters above the stage, Alex was a force of a front man and something that I wish I could experience every night of my life. The rest of the band was not to be ignored. They all absolutely held their own, but Alex was just such a force, such a presence, that it was hard to take your eyes off of him for even one second (if only because you feared you may miss him climbing around in the rafters again).

I don’t know what songs alexsucks played on Monday night. What I know is that every song seemed to be the audience’s favorite. Although I hated the fact that all I could really do was stand on the outskirts, get my pictures, and wish I had been a bit more prepared for this show so I could sing and dance along, watching a room full of fairly young music lovers get so sweaty and excited about this show was more than enough to end my Monday night on a high note. There was chanting, there was moshing, there was dancing and there was screaming but, more importantly, there was the feeling of the power of live music.

Take a chance. Roll the dice. Go to a show you know nothing about. It’s a risk, I know, but sometimes you end up at a show that completely blows you away, and sometimes you end up seeing bands like Dogma Society and alexsucks with a live performance that will absolutely be one for some end-of-year lists.

Line Up:

Dogma Society

alexsucks

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 19

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 9 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – 0

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

Dogma Society – 0

alexsucks – 0

Show on Deck —Dream, Ivory / Rew

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