US Bombs & Beanfight

Touring almost perpetually, U.S. Bombs is quickly becoming one of the biggest non-mainstream punk acts of the day, and has managed to earn that standing every time they roll through Chico. But the thing about these guys-and punk rock in general-is that they don't necessarily have to play impeccably to have a good show. This is punk rock; this is all about partying, having a good time and rocking the fuck out. And that's just what the U.S. Bombs did on the 25th.

The last time the Bombs rolled through town, they played at the Oasis, at what was probably one of the biggest and best punk shows of the year in these parts. People were drinking, smoking and even hanging from the rafters at that show, and the Bombs were on point that night-frontman Duane Peters decided that he didn't want to drink before the show so he would be coherent, and it worked out pretty well. This time, however, things didn't go that way, and Duane and the rest of the crew were liberally imbibing down in the University Bar before the show.

Due to personnel problems, the Brick was forced to close the upstairs bar, and since the show was all ages, the club could not serve booze downstairs. Therefore, everyone who wanted to get a buzz before the show had to drink in the U-Bar and keep tabs on the festivities in the Brick via close-circuit television. This meant a slim crowd for the evening's opening act, former local punkers, Bean Fight. This quartet of aspiring gutter punks played a surprisingly long set, while those of us interested in preparing for the meat of the show were in the U-Bar tanking up. This included Duane Peters-who was working on a bottle of spiced rum-and the rest of the Bombs. By the time they took the stage, Peters was well into the night's bender, and was not as sharp as he was during the Oasis show. Still, this is punk rock, and whether he's drunk or sober, he's Duane Peters, and true Bombs fans don't really care how coherent he is when he's on stage, as long as he's there. This time around, he spend much of his time on stage on his knees, singing mainly choruses and not too many verses, occasionally exploding towards the crowd, lunging forward and then falling back to his knees.

The U.S. Bombs were a quartet on the 25th, as guitarist Chuck Briggs could not make the trip. It was an interesting absence, and if anything, it reduced the Bombs to an even more stripped down punk rock sound, the guitar rhythm dropping out while guitarist Kerry Martinez played his solos over the heavy thunder of bassist Wade Walston and drummer Chip Hanna. The group was solid as it has ever been, and provided a strong sound backdrop for the punk ranting of Peters. All in al, it was a pretty good show.

Hell, watching Peters drain a whole bottle of spiced rum to his head and letting the last drops and the glass they were in fall onto his face and then shatter on the floor was reason enough to be at that show-not to mention reason enough to be at the next U.S. Bombs show in Chico (Keep your eyes open for a show at the Brick in July!).

- Philip Bole

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