Union of the Dead and Hit by a Semi

Due to the recent student exodus, downtown felt especially bleak and quiet as I pedaled past businesses on my way to LaSalle’s, but the blasting sounds of Hit By A Semi’s opening set was as a beacon guiding me nearer. It was an unaccustomed, middle-of-the-week outing for me, but a worthwhile one, considering it was the last chance for communion with Union of the Dead and their substantial audience of friends, listeners and fellow punk musicians. Undeterred by the evening’s gloom and the ever-present, notorious smell of dog shit just outside of LaSalle’s, I quickly locked up my bike and sought the sounds inside.

Immediately entering LaSalle’s, I met with a wall of resonance from Hit By A Semi’s performance and after screaming into the doorman’s naked ear, I was waved through.

The crowd was moderate but good, considering both that it was Wednesday and the thankfully depopulated condition of Chico now. The black T-shirt-clad foursome of Hit By A Semi was well at work making waves of raw, disturbing and energetic vibrations throughout the room. I’ve seen them perform before, mostly in backyards, and enjoy their adherence to classical punk-rock form.

Their classic-punk aesthetic was evident in the strong-necked, long-necking frontman’s indecipherable vocals, rhythmic emphasis on drum bursts and unwavering bass lines and belting guitar chords. This ensemble epitomized punk rock down to the bassist’s asymmetrical Mohawk and the vocalist’s irreverent speech ("We’re ready for tits and ass, how about you guys?") between songs. Their vigorous sound marked their set except for the welcomed addition of two female vocalists to a few songs.

The word is, a few days back U.O.D. was already packed and ready to leave for San Diego, where they plan to transplant their sound to the So Cal scene, when they were reminded of an overlooked and unsure date to play at LaSalle’s. Lucky for us these good ol’ boys keep their word, and we were treated to one last show.

Unlike the irreverent, classic-punk aesthetic of Hit By A Semi, U.O.D. sounds a bit rockabilly and ready for the mainstream. The vocals still remained unclear in good punk fashion, but gratefully the band’s changing rhythm and melody made songs more distinguishable from one another. This trio does much with just a few instruments: Fred bangin’ holes in eardrums and drum set at dynamic speeds; Gerardo modestly jerkin’ about stage with bangs askew, forcibly fingering his guitar; and Cliff keeping a lively pace on bass, his low, growling vocal style reminiscent of the Misfits. This sweaty bunch put in a good last show, attracting many more to the dance floor crowd and not clocking out until after midnight. They will be sorely missed here.

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