Ballistics, D.O.A., Portraits of Poverty, Mykee Hates Life, P.A.W.N.S. & NOGOODNIX

Chico locals and one of Manifest Destiny's core bands Nogoodnix got things under way. Beginning with "Father of the Year," a driving, sharp-witted punk rock number, the band slashed and burned through a short, but sweet set. This was my first time seeing them live, and I though they sounded good, though they probably would've sounded even better if they were playing to a fuller room - the majority of the crowd wouldn't arrive for about another two hours.
P.A.W.N.S., Manifest Destiny cohorts, took to the stage next. St. Ann, who had played bass during the Nogoodnix set, took front and center, commanding the band's set with her strong charisma and spirited vocals. While the P.A.W.N.S.' lyrics are good humored and satirical, the music often takes on a downright sinister tone that seems to say that while the songs are playful, there is an underlying severity to them. This came across well during Thursday night's set at The Red Room as Ray DeHated (guitar / vocals), Bizquick (bass) and LDB Clark (drums) laid down ominous instrumentation for their frontwoman's clever, quirky ranting.
Hailing from Richmond, California, Mykee Hates Life followed with their first performance in Chico - hopefully the first of many. Their high-octane rock 'n' roll sound played with punk intensity instantly won me over. Frontman Mykee played thick, burly riffs on his guitar and his vocals, ran through a light distortion effect, sparked the band's intentionally reckless sound. Songs like "Do You Wanna Die?" and "Everything Is Fucked Up Now" provided a welcome, campy break from the previous acts' harsh politics, but perhaps the best part of Mykee Hates Life's set was the performance of George on drums. His every hit was solid, precise and emphatically rendered. To put it bluntly: they fuckin' rocked.
Metal, punk and hardcore sunk to new levels of depravity thanks to the ensuing performance of Tacoma Washington's Portraits of Poverty. With songs like "Piss in the Hippy's Face," "Stoner Punk" and a love song about beer, their music definitely wasn't for the squeamish. Much to my surprise, I found that the band was made up of some pretty tight, flamboyant musicians - the two guitarists played well off one another, busting out screeching arena rock-style leads over meaty punk riffs.
Playing a nice mix of the old and the new - from "Waiting For You" off Hardcore '81 to "Deadmen Tell No Tales" off the new album Win the Battle - D.O.A. played for over an hour and seemingly consumed half their weight in beer and Red-Headed Sluts as they did so. They performed like the seasoned pros they are, and a group of fans in front of the stage showed their appreciation by turning The Red Room's cozy confines into a healthy pit. Bass player Kuba taunted the crowd, the guy working the sound board and the under-age kids outside who pressed close to the window to catch a glimpse, and frontman Joe Keithley climbed the bar, spun around his beat up Gibson SG and shook his head much like a bobble-head doll as he played. I watched on with a bit of awe, thinking what a strange and wonderful country Canada must be where a man like Keithley can sing songs titled "Marijuana Motherfucker" and "Let's Fuck" and still garner 15 percent of the vote in a public election.
D.O.A. left the stage a little after 1 AM, and took a majority of the crowd with them. A few remained to check out Ballistics, who were as young as D.O.A. is venerable. I've seen Ballistics play before, and I enjoyed their blend of new school hooks and old school snot, but this definitely wasn't their night. Still, the band had great command of the stage and should turn plenty of heads as they continue to grow.
It was a good thing this show started just after 8 PM, boasting six bands and running six hours long. If you showed up, paid the $10 cover charge and were a fan of politically driven punk, you definitely got your money's worth.
- James Barone
- Photos by Alyssa Starkey

Bookmark:

Comments down for maintenance.