Your God Is Dead To Me

Thursday night was one of those nights when leaving the house wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. It’s been a great week but a busy one, and between work and all of the shows, all the while still recovering from the festival last weekend, I was just a bit spent, but I was excited for the show on Thursday night. One of the bands playing was one I had never heard of. The other one was one that left me completely and utterly perplexed after their set at Punk Rock Bowling out in Las Vegas last year. Sure, maybe leaving the house wasn’t the easiest thing for me to do, but once I did and once I got to the venue, I was sure glad I did it.

The one opening act on Thursday night at The James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW Post 246 was Sadplant from Connecticut. A band forged by friendship, the love of skateboarding and punk rock music, and love in general, it was super easy to fall head over heels into this band and their sound. Sonically, Sadplant is a very light and fluffy skate punk band. Okay, maybe calling them light and fluffy sounds like something bad, but I promise I don’t mean it in a bad way. Their songs are just super fun and fresh feeling, and come at you with a sense of positivity and love that will strike you right in the heart. That’s what I latched onto with this band. Sure, their infectious beats and ripping guitar solos were stellar, but it was their songs like “You Got This” that told me everything I needed to know about this band, and I was quickly enamored by them. They are the kind of band that will pick you up on a bad day. The kind of band where, even if you’ve never met the members, something about their words feels as comforting as a pep talk from your best friend.

It wasn’t just the message behind this band that was super sweet, honest, and real; it was also the band members. Calling out to an aunt and uncle of one of the members who were in attendance (and this was their first ever punk song) but then quickly performing a song about getting too high to be productive (a really funny transition that I don’t know if even the band caught on to) to a quick, ten second birthday song for a birthday boy in the audience, the charm of Sadplant was oozing out of every note, every word, and every charming smile the the members of this trio flashed at the audience.

Sadplant’s set was short but ended with a bang as the band did a super flawless cover of Charlie Daniels “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Although, as the band admitted, this was a super hard song to perform, they nailed it, and the unique twist on the classic track really solidified Sadplant’s talent and creativity. All in all, Sadplant was truly amazing, and they are definitely a band I plan to spend some more time with.

As I mentioned, I was super perplexed the last time I saw Leftöver Crack live. It was at Punk Rock Bowling out in Las Vegas last year, and it was the first time I really spent time with the band. I had had an ex who really liked the group, but I just never got into it. I feel like this band is a constantly morphing band. From what I remember, that performance last year read as pure chaos and unorganized chaos at that. What I heard on Thursday night felt a bit more organized. Don’t get me wrong, it was still chaotic in a Leftöver Crack kind of way, but I feel like, after Thursday night at The Uptown VFW, I kind of get the obsession and why the crowd was going crazy over every song the band played.

Formed in 1998, it’s not hard to call this band legendary. This band that spans nearly every genre imaginable came to fruition after Choking Victim broke up. They are a political band with a crazy kind of attitude and live shows that are truly legendary. Don’t get me wrong, there have been lots of ups and downs with this band over the past few decades. From various line-up changes to controversies that have left the band banned for life from various venues across the country, Leftöver Crack seems to be on a constant rollercoaster ride. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t a fan of them last year, but loved what I got on Thursday night. Maybe the Punk Rock Bowling performance was just a low, and Thursday was a high. I don’t know, but I do know that this was a heck of a way to spend a Thursday night.

There was something almost abrasive and aggressive about the delivery of some of Leftöver Crack’s songs on Thursday, which leaned into that chaotic kind of vibe that resonated throughout the room all night, but, at the same time, there was this strong feeling of community. I know this is what punk is all about, but I feel like there are very few bands that still give off this feeling as perfectly as Leftöver Crack did during this show.

Unfortunately, this show ran on punk time, and Leftöver Crack didn’t take the stage until nearly 11 PM. This is all fine and dandy on a weekend, but on a weekday and on the week where my hours at my day job shifted up ever so slightly, I was just not having it. I couldn’t stay, and I hated that. After a handful of songs, I made the call to head home because, at that point, I could still get home, get through my photos, and be in bed by 1 AM (which is always the goal especially with a 6:30AM clock in time), I don’t know if the vibe remained as beautifully chaotic as I had felt or how many songs the band ended up playing but I know that I was so glad I gave this band a second chance.