1/8/10 Friday Free Week Pick: Lower Class Brats, Krum Bums & Sober Daze at Red 7

Tonight at Red 7 is probably the one show I have been really looking forward to more than any other Free Week show this year. Three of the absolute best punk rock bands Austin has to offer are playing together for this amazing show and of course for free. I almost feel guilty picking this show as I know everyone who would be interested in this show already knew about it. That's how punk rock fans are, more specifically Austin punk rock fans. Still, the best show tonight features non other than Lower Class Brats, Krum Bums and Sober Daze.

Lower Class Brats (LCB) have been around a long time and are still an Austin heavy hitter. With a loyal fan base, respect of all the other young bands and a new 7 inch to promote, LCB keep on truckin' in 2010. Even if you aren't a big punk rock fan, Austin music aficionados should at least see LCB as some sort of required right of passage. It might as well be free. They headline the show so be sure to make plans to stay out late. It will be well worth it. I'm stoked because the last time I saw LCB was when they opened for Rancid in 2008.

Playing before LCB are two sick punk rock bands, Krum Bums and Sober Daze. Both bands are personal favorites of mine and I have been following both for a few years now. Krum Bums could easily headline their own show anytime they want as they draw well on their own thanks to their crazy live sets and solid album catalog. Sober Daze on the other hand, are an up and comer that started in the punk rock house party scene. They had a big 2009 when they opened for The Vandals and got featured in Austin Vida. I posted links for you to check out below this video we captured for Austin Vida of Sober Daze at Red 7. The video is on the outside stage, but tonight's show will be inside.



Helpful links:

Krum Bums;a decade late the punk don't stop by Alysha Hernandez

Sober Daze, the next big thing in punk rock by Ian Morales

My Second Free Week Pick: The Applicators

I just read on myspace today that my favorite Austin female punk rock group, The Applicators, are reunited for Free Week. They will be playing at Red 7 on January 10th with another local favorite of mine, The Lower Class Brats. You can check your listings, but I assure you that there is no better Free Week show that night. The last time I saw The Applicators play was at last year's Free Week inside Emo's. They played right before Cruiserweight that night. I still listen to their album, My Weapon, from time to time. I figured that was all I had left of my sweet Applicators as they supposedly played their last show during last year's Free Week. I remember reading something about one of them going to school or something. If you are in the San Antonio area, you can check them out at Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar on January 9th. I am not sure they will play again, so take advantage folks.

New Album from Sober Daze

Every time I go to a local punk show, I wonder if I am going to see anyone new or buzz worthy. I have wondered for a longtime who would fill the shoes of great veteran punk bands like Lower Class Brats, Born to Lose or the Krum Bums. There are plenty of good local punk bands in Austin. One band that will surpass the up and coming status soon, and I mean sooner than later, is Sober Daze. I got first listen to their new release, No Brainz, No Headache.

Full Review...

Rancid Live at La Zona Rosa

Friday the 13th is always a good night to go to concert. It's as if the day, which is supposed to be bad luck, is made for hardcore rock shows of some sort. This Friday was no different. Punk rock veterans Rancid came through Austin to play at La Zona Rosa. I knew it would be awesome because I have seen them twice before, but that was over ten years ago when they were on Warped Tour. I have never seen them like this, in a smaller venue where they are the headliner. I looked forward to it all week.

I first started listening to Rancid around my freshmen year of high school when "...And Out Come the Wolves" came out. That was their third album, so yeah I got on their bandwagon a little late. Oh well. I have ridden that wagon ever since.

The opening band on the bill was a local punk act I was unfamiliar with, called "Ill Spent Youth”. I had heard the name and remember seeing their name listed on the Red River page in The Austin Chronicle. I also saw them on a flyer for a party over at the Sober Daze house.

I arrived at La Zona Rosa just as they started. I listened to a couple of their opening songs and my first impression of them was that they were just "alright" to me. No they didn't suck, they just didn't "wow" me. I did like the songs they had with the trombone player. I wish I could tell you the name of those songs, but I since drank those brain cells away. Honestly, the most memorable part of their set was how quickly and abrupt it ended. I remember hearing, "We got one more" and then they had to walk off for some reason or another. In all honesty, I did want to hear that last song as most bands save their best for last.

Lower Class Brats, another Austin based punk band came on after Ill Spent Youth. I noticed these guys looked a little older than Ill Spent Youth and had the necessary mohawked member that all punk bands should have. Like with Ill Spent Youth, I had heard the name plenty of times and seen them on myspace before. I was actually interested in seeing them simply because they were the and right before Rancid, so I figured they had to be decent. I always love discovering good local punk bands. What I did not expect was for them to be as good as they were.

I mean, where have I been? Can I join the L.C.B. army? These guys were seasoned punk rockers. Their style is more for the hardcore punk rock crowd, as compared to the Green Day or Blink 182 punk loving crowd. I doubt you'd hear them on local radio except for niche market punk rock shows every now and then. I could be wrong. Someone fill me in if otherwise. They sparked the first big circle pit of the night and pretty much had it like that during their whole set. It was during their third or fourth song that people began to push and shove. It was at that point that it became a real punk rock show. I remember hearing crowd responses such as "we don't need your dictionary" and "ultra violent!". Ultra violent (name of song) must be a fan favorite as people were really into that song more than others. Their lead singer, Bones DeLarge, was also the only performer tonight to jump into the crowd as this picture shows. Kudos Bones. Great set.

Thankfully after the Lower Class Brats finished up, there was a few minutes in between sets. I needed to rest my arms and move closer to the front so that I could capture a brief video clip as Rancid came out. I got one clip from the whole night. Check it out:

Right from the get go, the Rancid show became one big pit-push and shove fest. I didn't expect anything less as I have been to plenty of punk shows before. I didn't figure a Rancid show to be any different. It was hard to capture photos as I could not keep my arm up and beer was flying all over the place. So, I engaged in the pushing, shoving, crowd surfer dodging and singing along. At that point I needed to ring out my t-shirt. It was awesome. I stayed up front for a while before I decided enough was enough and I had my fun.

I needed a beer and went to the bar in the back to enjoy the show. It was a lot easier on my old body and the beer sure tasted good. Plus, being that La Zona Rosa isn't that big of a venue, I could still see Rancid well from the back. Being back there got me a different view of Rancid I had never seen, not even during those 90s Warped Tours I went to. I actually just got to "listen" to them live and was blown away. They had a cool background as they had a projector displaying different images behind them. They concluded with my favorite Rancid song of all time, "Ruby Soho". It was the song that made me a fan in high school and it still sounded amazing my third time hearing it live. It was the perfect way to end the night.