Oddman, Red With Envy, Brain In A Cage & Till Death

Emotions were running high on this particular Saturday at The Brick Works, and not just the angry kind that make young men thrash about like a mix between humanized ninja stars and boisterous ballerinas. No, this was a show to commemorate the end of a metal era, and to mark the last all-local show at the hub known as The Brick Works. It was understandable when frontman Scott Wallace of Oddman stood in front of the crowd, voice cracking, and called himself “a little bitch” for getting all worked up over the band’s last show, and thanked those at The Brick for supporting the band’s journey.
But more about that later. Before all that, three more bands invited by Oddman to share the stage rocked the crowd of revelers - old and young alike - into a sweaty, no-personal-space-bubbles-allowed frenzy that was anything but mellow.
I showed up while it was still light outside, and had missed the opening of Till Death’s set. I was able to catch what I’m assuming were their last few songs - they all sort of blended together with a prevalence of “fuck you”s and “fuck off”s, which really were the only words I could discern, other than the dedications that only the five people “in the know” would truly appreciate. Although good, and definitely rocking, this band could use a little refinement. Lead singer Matt Briner paced the stage like an angry mental patient, and I often wondered if maybe he’d forgotten the words (but screams and “fuck” aren’t that hard to remember, are they?) After some joking around and a botched ending, Till Death ceded the stage to Brain In A Cage, a band we’d all buzzed about in the office the entire week prior.
I wasn’t the only one eager to catch these guys before they make their way to Slayer’s V.I.P. stage. As soon as the first drum beat sounded through the walls, the bar outside cleared faster than if a million stink bombs had been dropped. I watched as people hurriedly pointed towards The Brick, saying things like, “Dude, they’re playing, hurry up.”
If one thing was obvious in this show, it was that any mentioning of age does an incredible disservice to Brain In A Cage. It’s not that these guys are young and can rock, they simply rock. Hard. They’re fast, pounding, loud and on it. Rarely straying far from their microphone stands, frontman Kirk Williams and bassist Cor Vaspra busted into coordinated thrashing moves that brought goosebumps to my arms and a smile to my lips (not very metal-like, I know, but they were just that good). Oddman’s Wallace offered his screaming services for one of the trio’s songs, adding onto the pile of cred these guys have stacked lately.
Red With Envy was another band I’d heard much about but hadn’t been able to catch until this show. Still high with the pleasant surprise of BIAC’s set, I couldn’t wait for another rock bombshell. These guys showed signs of well-seasoned rock vets, like some electronic experimentation and a banner that lead singer Chavez Jarrett would often pay homage to during the more melodic segments of songs. After a couple of times, I began to expect the jolt of rock that would immediately follow these quieter lulls, and the growing crowd came to appreciate it too. A sweaty Red With Envy wrapped up a quick set with an asskicking finale that sucked most of us into sticking around for Oddman, and foregoing that final trip to the bar outside.
This is where the real emotions crept in. Wallace took intermittent screaming breaks to thank everyone, from bandmates to booking agents to the fans, telling them, “even if you don’t like Oddman, you being here is what it’s all about.” Of course they rocked the joint; it was their last show. Standouts included a cover of the Misfits’ “Bullet,” and one of the coolest performances I’ve ever seen: their song “Rockstar,” where the lead singer of each of the night’s bands were back on stage screaming “You’re no rock star!”
Though it was my first time seeing any of these bands, I started to get nostalgic by the end of the show, getting a feeling for the void Oddman will leave in the local scene. Best of luck to everyone who performed that night - thanks for showing Chico the right way to rock.
- Mandy Johnston
- Photo by Alyssa Starkey

Bookmark:

Comments down for maintenance.