The BowelTones, P.A.W.N.S. & WE BITE!!!

Being that the punk rock scene has dwindled down to mainly hasty gatherings at Warner Street’s Hell House or random backyard jamborees, Thursday night’s lineup of bands at Off Limits seemed more like a gleaming beacon than a random bar show. And with an impending performance by a group whose drummer played with one of the most influential punk rock groups of all time (Operation Ivy), hopes seemed high that the proverbial swift kick in the ass would be achieved. It was easy to tell that the hordes of mods, punks and pompadour-sporting hipsters would be rallying every ounce of their angst and sweat into a fitting response to such stellar music. WE BITE!!! have been resurrecting the punk rock of yore for a while now and have been gaining fans city-wide with their spot-on tribute to legendary rockers Misfits. And even with all of the praise, all of the anticipation and all the might of my frail will, I still missed their performance. My only impression of the band was brought on by seeing the members (donning skeleton makeup, lots of leather and devil-locks) bellying up to the bar and instigating a fledgling mosh pit while local politi-punks P.A.W.N.S. ripped into another aggressive set. P.A.W.N.S. brutally honest miasma of all things D.I.Y. grabs and shakes you like your older brother would after he found you sneaking around under his bed. St. Anne’s vigorous onstage persona highlights the usually listless efforts of her bandmates, but that doesn’t mean that their music emerges as any less powerful. The group’s infectious and volatile noise permeated the crowd and incited ample doses of rage I’m normally not a gigantic crust-punk aficionado or fan, but there’s something engaging about a P.A.W.N.S. set; they always consume the crowd’s energy and feed off of this ever-present despondency that’s so synonymous with local shows. The group ripped through their set and paved a golden path for the rockabilly juggernaut The Bowel-Tones. I suppose I deduced that since Operation Ivy was one of the originators of street-ska and sloppily produced (though fucking incredible) punk rock, that The Bowel-Tones would be some sort of deviated rip-off collective. Then the group began playing, and immediately, said calculations were swallowed down my esophagus along with a generous portion of the nectar of the gods. Heightening the already impressive level of energy in the room was drummer Dave Mello (the aforementioned former member of Op-Ivy) who not only excelled at a unique approach to percussion, but actually looked demented while he played. Standing up to blast his crash cymbal one minute, violently shaking his head side-to-side the next, he brought to light a once forgotten level of hostility towards playing his drum kit. Vocalist Stanly Black absolutely shredded his hollow-body guitar with flaming solos and punchy chord progressions while bassist Octavia Destructo swayed and plucked at the cues from Black. They made the trek out to 16th Street worthwhile.

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