I'm starting to find myself going to more and more shows in Rhode Island than before considering the last RI show I think I went to was Ghost Bath at the Met like two years ago. Anyway this was the first time I've been to the bar known as Dusk and gota say it was a cool place that I look forward to returning to. Bonus points for the naked spider girl painted on the ceiling.
Anywho, it's rare that I do hardcore/punk reviews but this one was only three bands with a hard curfew and I was impressed by each band and feel like I won't sound repetitive with it for once. Gotta say, Providence punx really know how to party.
Pummel I have reviewed multiple times and always have a great time seeing. Personally, I'd consider this show probably the best one yet. There could've been a better crowd participation, but they are a little far from home, but the sound is what did it. In the past I believe I've only seen them perform at venues like Hardcore Stadium or the Upton VFW, so this was the only place where I got to hear them play with professional sound. everything was perfect quality and they even sounded heavier than normal. No matter what the song you could pin point the sound of every instrument being played as well as the vocals. Its not always the best reaction you get from the opening band, but Pumms definitely started the night off strong and on the right foot just from the sound alone.
Antagonize may have been the main attraction for many at this show. This was the first Rhode Island show they played and they were welcomed with opened arms. Soundwise they followed suit with Pummel sounding basically perfect, with the crowd casing plenty of chaos all around. Not gonna lie, the vocals may have sounded even more aggressive. Beddard spoke for a little bit stating a few things about the show and how it stands out from a normal one. What caught my attention was he stated how the show consists of three bands, each with no record out, and none of them could care less about the order of who played. Words you could only expect to come from someone thats been involved in hardcore as long as him.
I've seen Antagonize once before when they opened for Ecostrike and Magnitude at the Middle East which I believe was their first show. Personally I think they sounded better here and the smaller space made it even more enjoyable. maybe its just because its the first time I've been to Dusk but Antagonize really brought their A game last night.
Now Hairspray Queen in my opinion stole the show. I've seen their ame on a few shows in Rhode Island but had yet to see them. I checked it out on Spotify and it and thought it was something worth seeing live. Seeing them live is an experience I never would've expected to get from them. First off, these guys, appearance wise, are a colorful cast of characters, each with their own unique style. The moment the music started, I wasn't even sure I was listening to the same band before. These guys are a punk force! The vocalist was rushing all around the venue screaming in everyones face and getting the crowd flying. the sound quality was much more noisey and distorted than the previous bands but you could still pin point each member. What I noticed is some of the guitar effects could go from cleans to different levels of distortion instantly.
Imagaine Dirty from Sonic Youth and Damaged by Black Flag with a little Louder than Love by Soundgarden sprinkled in. You get the noisey but meldoic elements from Dirty, with Black Flag's punk aggression as well as the passion of Soundgarden.
The vocalist's movements are really what did it for me though. Your eyes were always moving, if you were watching him, to the point where they would be rolling around in your head like a 90s cartoon character. On top of that, he was yelling WAY more than he does on record. For the last song, he ran over to the couch on the left side of the room and stood on top where the mic almost wouldn't reach. He stood triumphantly with his fists in the air only to jump down and roll onto the concrete floor and scream as passionately as he can. The crowd followed it with more chaos as Hairspray Queen finished their set.
Take my word for it, these guys are the next Rhode island allstars and they deserve your attention.
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