What do you do with one day left in your Thanksgiving vacation? If you're Metal Mark, you throw a punk rock matinee at El Torreon and call it Pot Luck Fest. Everybody brings leftovers or some other food, and you get a chance to chow down one last time, see four bands, and still be home in time to watch the Simpsons.
Unfortunately, it didn't seem like very many people knew about the 3 p.m. show, as there were roughly 20 people in attendance by the time Iron Guts Kelly took the floor at 6 p.m. Yes, I did say "floor," because bands were set up in the club's northeast corner. IGK knocked out a quick set of old-school hardcore to the fan and bands still remaining. They played the title track to their most recent album, Axe to Grind, as well as numbers like "The Killing Fields."
It doesn't matter how many times I see the band -- I am never short of amazed at how tight they are. They can turn on a dime, and it seems like bassist Shawn Reynolds and guitarist Josh Leon don't even have to look at drummer Sean Riley to know when there's a change coming along. They just go, and hit hard as they move. And it's almost a blessing that frontman Boj's vocals were turned down, or the echo-y concrete box that is El Torreon would've given even more of a reverberant pummeling.
Bonus points to the band for covers of both Slapshot's "What's At Stake" and the closing hardcore version of "Caught In A Mosh" by Anthrax, featuring impromptu guest vocals by Ryan Leach.
Check out the rest of the bands, as well as a video from Fists Up!, after the jump.
The opening acts put on a good show, too. It was a varied bunch. Right before IGK was Warrensburg's Enemies Laid to Rest, a metalcore outfit with a singing drummer. Drummer and vocalist Cam managed to voice some positivity, telling folks that they needed to pass along word that there were shows happening at El Torreon again. He made a good point when he talked about how El Torreon had influenced him, and given inspiration to a lot of kids to follow their dreams. Bands like Enemies Laid to Rest thrive at all-ages shows like Pot Luck Fest, because that's the music the kids go for. If parents can be sure that their kids aren't gonna sneak beers and get high, they're way more likely to let them see music than if it's a loft party at some sketchy house show in the West Bottoms.
3PAC is both a play on Tupac and an acronym, as it stands for "3 Pricks and a Cock." That's because there are three dudes (including the Sex Offenders' drummer Britt Schitt and former Punchline frontman Ryan Leach on guitar), with JJ Leach on vocals. JJ is a woman, but she's got balls. I mean this literally, as they hang from a chain the frontwoman clips to her belt loop. The four-piece hasn't quite nailed down a sound yet. At times, they channel Melt Banana vocals backed by Babes in Toyland, and at other times, they're hardcore with female vocals. It's heavy, no matter what, and with song titles like "Anal Vapor" and "Bitch Go Home," the band doesn't lack a sense of humor. There was a nice little tender moment when JJ introduced the song "Tracks" as being written for her children -- who were in attendance -- saying "Mommy loves you." 3PAC then launched into the song, whose chorus features the line "Stay on this side of the tracks."
Fists Up! opened, and were the only band that I was able to get any video of. Pop punk's not as low end as hardcore, so they didn't blow out the mic on my camera as much. They rocked a short set, barely thrity minutes. It was enjoyable, and fun, and they're rapidly becoming one of my new favorites in the local punk scene. Check out a video of them performing "Empty Bottles" below.
Fists Up! "Empty Bottles" (live at El Torreon) from Nick Spacek on Vimeo.
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