Under The Gun at Rock City Icehouse

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Saturday at Rock City Ice House, local Austin based punk rock act Under The Gun performed to a small crowd for what was another Austin Insite night. Although the night was about some metal/rock band called Point of Contact, I was there for some punk rock. The fact that it was an Austin Insite night helped in my decision to head out as Insite nights always seem to have a couple good bands on the bill worth checking out.

I was there super early as the flyer advertised Under the Gun going on at 8:30. Well at 8:30, there wasn’t anyone on stage. I am not sure what happened, but it turned out that Under The Gun didn’t play until closer to eleven. It was worth hanging out though as Under The Gun is always an energetic and excellent live.

Due to the scheduling or booking mix up, they had to keep their set short. It was solid none the less. “Triple A” and “Drinking My Life Away” are my personal favorites. As always they ended their set with “Six Pack and a Bong”, a punk rock party song with a little bit of a reggae vibe to it.

Under The Gun exudes the spirit of the old Warped Tour I used to go to in the 1990s when I was in high school. You will never catch them in skinny jeans or with any kind of guy liner. Will Campbell (bassist) can’t fit in skinny anything at 6’4 and 235 lbs.

They sing about drinking and “the end of apathetic ass holes”. For a three piece, they come hard despite Will and Dennis Mauk’s (guitarist and lead vocals) silliness. I think if their current album “Drinking My Life Away” had come out in 1995, I could have seen them on Warped Tour. For now, you can catch them around the Austin and central Texas area. Show up early as they worth drinking to.

I wanted to conclude by saying that I have a lot of respect for them. They play on despite recent drummer changes, switching from a five piece to a three piece band, and other of life’s obstacles that have been thrown their way. That’s real punk rock. They will continue on as long as they have a place to play and a bar tab. Real punk rock fans will love them. They are just one of many solid punk rock bands the Austin scene has to offer. Hang out on Red River with me any given day and see for yourself.