Dropkick Murphys, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, Reach the Sky & Thug Murder

The amount of money I'm losing at these all-ages shows is getting out of control; I left work four hours early, which is at least one night's drinking money. I need a new job. All bitching aside, I've been waiting awhile for this one. I missed Lars last time, so I was sure to be there.

Thug Murder, a three-piece group from Japan, played first. I think they said they're from Tokyo, but their accents were so thick it was hard to understand the spoken words. Their vocals were easier to understand, but I didn't really listen to them much. I was more interested it watching them writhe and convulse all over the stage; they must be big Rancid fans, cause they've stolen most of their moves. I found myself incredibly attracted to these little girls. I really hope they come back.

Up next was Reach the Sky, from Boston — an East Coast hardcore act more interested in a good pit than a good beer. God, that's alien to me. They were loud, fast and clean-cut. Unity seems to be one of the central themes of the lyrics, embracing punk and hardcore and trying to bring the scenes together in a positive fashion. They've just released a new album on Victory Records (big surprise). I was surprised with the response here in Chico; it's not uncommon for a straightedge band to have a rough time here, considering our local alcohol intake, but they rocked and were treated with love and respect, and would be welcomed back with open arms.

This is the reason I asked to do this review — I really wanted to see Lars and company. The band is a little intimidating, big ugly punx with lots of bad tattoos — especially the bassist Big Jay Bastard, whose parents were in attendance. They were so good I even ventured down into the pit for the first time in a long time. I liked getting sweaty with the kids, but there is no beer downstairs and it was a sad to hear Lars dedicate a song to his recently deceased brother. The set was long, and by the end everyone needed a break.

So after a cheap beer at the U-Bar and a quick joint, I got back in time for the second song of the Dropkick set. The first thing I noticed was that Frederiksen was playing guitar. I hear it was due to injury. He did a good job, but seemed out of place.

I've never been a huge fan, but they play some good drinking music and I had a healthy buzz. I didn't know what songs they were playing most of the time, but it was still a great show. The highlight was the crowd participation at the end; the crowd completely covered the stage, leaving the singer and bass player scrambling. They finished by covering AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds," with the whole place singing along. A great show, but I was drunk by 11 PM, that's much too early.

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