April showers bring May flowers but leave the all-ages music scene dry and thirsty for more shows. There were only four shows that I witnessed this past month. I suppose that three shows is actually a healthy amount, but I also know that the local youth crave more.
The first show of the month, which actually took place on March 20, was at Highland Grounds. It featuredFord,Joe's Report, and, from Dischord Records,Hoover. Ford opened with a 45-minute set, but I wasn't able to catch them because I was helping the promoter collect money at the door. The second band was Joe's Report. This was their second all-ages show, and it didn't seem to go so well. Most of the people were there only to see Hoover, so the room was barely populated. And finally Hoover came on. This four-piece from Washington, D.C., embraced the crowd, forced their attention with blaring Marshall full stacks, and with their sincerity begged them to listen to their lyrics. Any person who missed this show should go to the closest record store, buy the latest Hoover record, entitled The Lurid Traversal of Route 7, and pray that Hoover may one day return to Louisville.
The second show that occurred since my last article was at Tewligans on March 26. The lineup wasLotus,Horace Pinker, andEnkindel. Lotus opened with their version of the Touch and Go, Louisville, sound. I do not mean this in any negative fashion. Lotus definitely impressed the people. Horace Pinker from Tucson, Ariz., played next. They really opened some ears with their pop punk style. I guess the crowd expected a band that was comparable to Enkindel's style, but instead found a band that sounded like some of the greater pop punk bands, likeJawbreaker,Samiam, orGreen Day. The final act of the night was Enkindel. This was the first opportunity I had to see Enkindel with their new lineup. I will be the first to say that Enkindel has improved totally in the last few months, and the new lineup does nothing but help.
The next two shows took place at Tewligans on April 1 and 2.Endpoint headlined both of the shows. The first one featuredBlank,Spitboy, andRodan. Blank played a fantastic set, blasting the crowd with their blatant honesty. The second act was Spitboy from San Francisco, Calif. These girls confronted the crowd with controversial topics, letting them know that they were not too young to make a difference. Musically, I would say that Spitboy was influenced by the Washington, D.C., music scene. The third act of the night was Rodan. They played an energetic and incredible set that included most of the songs to be released on their new compact disc. Endpoint was the final group of the night. I felt that we played better than we had in months. The crowd was beautiful; I could never find it in my heart to say negative things about them.
The second night featuredShift,Greyhouse, andRain Like the Sound of Trains. This show had the potential of being the best show of the year, but because of the Louisville police force and the local fire chief, the show almost met a horrible fate. The previous night's show had attracted over 600 people, which was slightly over the capacity set for Tewligans (capacity 112). The authorities were kind enough to allow the first show to finish, but informed the owner and the promoter that they would harass the customers if the second show took place. Both Tewligans and the promoter decided to allow the out-of-town bands to play, as well as Endpoint. But the Catch 22 was that only 112 people were allowed in. Needless to say, this turned away many people who had come to see the show. Some even waited outside the doors, hoping that they could later get in. I decided that it would be a good idea to take donations out front to help the bands get home. With help from everybody, the show was a total success, meaning we broke even. Endpoint did not expect pay on the second night, and Tewligans only charged for the P.A.
I would personally like to thankLarry [Hausman, then-owner of Tewligans] for helping, and not charging a hall rental. The bands all played very well, and were very happy that the show was not cancelled. Endpoint wishes to express a great apology to those who were not allowed in, and hope that no one was too upset.
As far as local releases go, there really isn't much going on. The Rodan record was released on Quarter Stick Records. This record captures the total image and sound of the band. To be honest, the CD did not leave my stereo for two weeks.
Endpoint released a new record, along with a single. I am in Endpoint, so I really can't say how it sounds. [The promotional package we received was very well done. Professional ... and nice. — Editor.]
PUS, a grind band on Grubby Records, has just released a demo. If you are into underground noise metal bands like Naked City, then this demo might appeal to you. I think grind has a big future, especially now that Carcass is being played on WQMF.
Satori has a demo — I don't know if it is out for sale — that has a real Sugar Loaf/firehose feel to it. Satori used to play at the Zodiac, with Andrew Kincade as the front man.
Starbilly released a demo through Slamdek. This demo is definitely worth checking out.
Metroschifter has released a demo, and in all honesty I believe that it is the best thing Scott Ritchard has done to date. Heavy music with emotional lyrics that border on the absurd.
Well, that is all for this month, except for one congratulations. I wish to congratulate WQMF for experimenting with local bands at the top of every hour. I hope they will continue this idea. If they do not, I urge every reader to call and request local bands.
Thank you; have a pleasant month.