Punk Goes Pop Tour Review at the Orpheum...Ybor City Baby!

Well, I broke the “cardinal rule” of concert going and dared to wear my Queers shirt at the September 25, 2009 “Punk Goes Pop” concert. TA-80, The Leftovers and the Queers rocked the Orpheum in Ybor City Friday night and proved that perhaps it isn’t so terrible for punk to go pop….occasionally.

With mohawks, leather-clad fans and converse hi-tops abound, the ambiance was set for a loud and proud night. I hadn’t seen the Queers perform in at least 5 years, although I will tell you that it was in the one, short year of my life that I lived in South Florida, in which I fell in love with their music. It was a kind of homecoming feeling, and I knew Joe Queer wouldn’t let me down.

The last time I watched them was in Eugene, Oregon at the WOW Hall, a venue much like the Orpheum but without the bar view of the stage. Still, The Queers were great at picking places that were simple and intimate, so as to really connect with the audience.

TA-80 opened with an incredibly punkish vibe. Their first song was less than a minute long, but the female bass player’s vocals were strong and powerful. The singer and keyboard player put on a space-like helmet adorned with a Mohawk on top and just started going crazy on the stage. TA-80’s energy was great, and they fell into the ideals of the quintessential punk rock show – loud, blaring, and leaving your ears ringing after only one song.

With two guitars, the bass, keyboard and drummer, this 5 piece kicked off the evening with deep and droning bass lines and succinct, punctuated guitar riffs that had the tattooed crowd slowly moving towards the stage to nod their heads in approval. The stage interaction was great between the band members and TA-80 was a worthy opener for the Leftovers and of course, for The Queers.

Next, the Leftovers took the stage. The Orpheum had just filled in and the beer was flowing. It was a good crowd and the four members of the Leftovers dominated the stage with their energy. After going to enough punk-rock or pop-punk shows, it’s important to walk in with no expectations for the openers, because you just never know, and in the case of the Leftovers, I was blown away.

Not only did the dueling guitars, bass, and drums connect to make some outrageously fun songs, but the band is made up of the kind of eye candy that made me remember why I married a musician. It was difficult not to swoon…or stare and drool.

The Leftovers put the rock, in “punk rock” and added their own signature sounds to each and every note. The fast drum beats, pulsating bass lines, pronounced guitar solos and overall talent rocked the audience and left them wanting more. There were many fans who immediately hit the merchandise table after the set to grab some CDs and a sticker or two.
After front man, Kurt, told a great story about the new guitarist, Matt leaving his internship as a paleontologist to go on tour, he announced “Dinosaurs are dead but rock ‘n’ roll still lives!” What else is there to say to describe how hilariously cool The Leftovers are, both in stage presence and musically?

Finally, we reached the moment where The Queers took the stage. This ensemble was slightly unfamiliar to me. A new female bass player was added and the drummer, Adam, from The Leftovers took the stage behind Joe Queer. A mosh pit broke out almost instantly, and despite some new faces on stage, they played like the very Queers I remembered.

Although I ran into a skeptic in between sets, feeling as though there was no indication that Joe Queer was even there and that perhaps the Queers just wouldn’t be what he wanted, Joe Queer took the stage and captivated the audience in mere seconds. The area in front of the stage filled, the crowd response was a positive one and everyone, on stage and off, was moving around and having a blast.

Joe Queer said they were only playing “Pop” songs so as to go along with the tour theme, but “We don’t quite know what the f*** we’re doing.” Even with the new additions they still had the same old Queers sound, especially when they played such awesome classics as “Noodlebrain,” “F*** The World,” and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker.”

True to form, and the idea of punk going pop, The Queers set was short but sweet and left the crowd fulfilled and satisfied. The early night at the Orpheum, ending at only 10:30 left the fans, and the bands ready to party in Ybor City. I mingled with the band members here and there and left remembering why I fell in love with Punk as a teen, and followed it no matter where it decided to go, whether it was going pop, or not!

WMNF Celebrates 30 Years at the Ritz Ybor!

WMNF Celebrated its 30th Birthday in a big way on Saturday September 12, 2009 at the Ritz Ybor. My mission, and I chose to accept it, was 3 rooms, 12 bands, and about six hours worth of music: GO!
The night had a line-up of amazing talent and I wanted to hear it all, or as much as I could of each band at least. The Ritz Ybor was divided into three stage areas: Main Stage, the Royal Room, and the Rivoli Room. Main Stage opened with Have Gun, Will Travel, followed by the Legendary JC’s, Paul Thorn and closed the night with Nervous Turkey. The Royal Room had scheduled Sarasota Slim to open, followed by Knock Down Drag Out, and Barley Pink. Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers were also scheduled to play but were cancelled throughout the course of the evening.
The Rivoli Room hosted Suite Caroline to open, followed by Amanda Shires and her Roaring Fiddle, Tribal Style, and Ray Olan and the Jazz Ole Band. After being shown the Ritz Ybor’s layout by my Tampa-native concert buddy for the evening, we sat down and came up with a game plan to ensure we saw each band. The music kicked off at Main Stage around 6:45pm and patrons were filling in.
The atmosphere was awesome. There were smiling faces and crazy outfits abound, and WMNF had dressed up the Ritz Ybor itself with “Happy Birthday” banners, signs, and celebratory glitz and glamour, not to mention a giant birthday cake to be drooled over for at least half the night. I spotted a few familiar faces from my GrooveFest experience proving that WMNF certainly had its faithful supporters, and was certainly 30 years strong.
Have Gun Will Travel found their places on Main Stage after dropping their set list below them, which was written on paper plates, and readied the audience for the big night ahead. The 5-piece band included the stand up bass, a viola, drums, electric and acoustic guitars and lap steel guitar. They are an indie-folk band by reputation but at times felt a little bit country or rockabilly. The vocals were very simple in melody, but strong nonetheless. More amusing to me was that none of these guys really looked like they would play in an indie-folk band, although the lead singer’s voice was very indie-rock, the storytelling was relevant, real and heartfelt, and every member rocked their instruments, even something so simple as beating on an upside-down, empty popcorn tin.
Keeping with the flow we moved to hear Sarasota Slim, which was made up of a group of older gentlemen who played loud and proud. The crowd loved it and the Royal Room was packed. You could barely move in and out. Sarasota Slim was very bluesy with a few hints of rock slipping in and out. This trio, with your basic guitar, bass and drummer, eventually brought on a harmonica player to further rile up the interested audience. With only two bands down, it was apparent that the music of the evening had really risen to the occasion.
In the Rivoli Room was a performer I was particularly interested in giving a listen: Suite Caroline. This little 12-year old belted out something fierce! Finding a voice like that on someone so young was no doubt impressive, but her stage presence; even moreso. Suite Caroline informed the audience that one of her band members was in fact her guitar teacher. “How cute is that?” I heard from one woman and her friend responded, “I know!” Then I heard another audience member say, “She is so much older than her years.” It was at this point that Suite Caroline explained her next song was about the little bumps in the road and that life was hard, not always easy. I then heard a woman say “She’s 12, what would she know about it?” The overall reaction of the crowd to this crazy talent and strong-voiced 12-year old was positive. Not only was she adorable but she could sing, and play the guitar like nobody’s business. You could see her passion, and love of music in her eyes as she was playing. The room was mesmerized, and so was I! We moved back towards Main Stage after hearing her perform a song called “LOL” and were hyped up for the rest of the night.
The Legendary JC’s came out after a quick note from a WMNF representative that “U put the ‘U’ in Community radio,” and the crowd was ready, and even thicker than just an hour prior. The Legendary JC’s came armed with a saxophone, trombone, guitar, drums, harmonica, and bass. The very funky lead singer must have channeled a little bit of James Brown because his stage presence, and performance was amazing. He could not stand still and was constantly leaving the stage to invade the audience, at one point giving one woman a hug, and another a huge kiss on the cheek. Everyone was dancing and the Legendary JC’s huge instrumental opening really intensified the already positive vibe throughout the room.
This 8-piece band was soulful indeed but definitely had that funk twist. They slowed it down at one point and a small group in the audience started chanting something along with one of the songs. The lead singer took notice and insisted they really commit, then had the rest of the audience follow suit and he said, “Ah take the damn show, I don’t care!” However the Legendary JC’s took the show back and kept the whole room moving.
Amanda Shires and her Roaring Fiddle were now in the Rivoli Room and that’s where we were headed next. She definitely roared on her fiddle. The room was packed. We could barely see the stage but Amanda Shires’ sweet and sultry voiced carried well above the crowd. She sounded very folk in her story telling, and with her fiddle but also had a strong indie sound to many of her songs. With her accompaniment, the guitar and drums, together they captivated the audience. She had the cute face to match that cute voice, which was soft, yet strong and definitely had something to say. At one point she said “I hear 30’s a big year…” and the crowd laughed as I heard someone behind me say “She’s 25!”
Across the hall Knock Down Drag Out bellowed out their pure rockabilly sound. These guys had great energy, with even better outfits to boot! This 5-peice had the stand up base, the guitar, drums, a few fancy cowboy or western shirts, the piano player had amazing hair and a white and black spotted faux fur lined jacket, with the lead singer was adorned in very tight leopard pants with a matching black shirt with little leopard diamonds. Not only did the music rock, it was loud and made you want to dance, but the stage presence was outstanding. Knock Down Drag Out were at the middle point of the evening; the place was packed and the drinks were flowing!
Tribal Style followed Amanda Shires and her Roaring Fiddle. This 6-piece consisted of bass, keyboard, electric guitar, a saxophone player, drums and percussion such as bongos and congas. They were very reggae, smooth and vibrant with simple bass lines and great vocals. We were grooving and all of the sudden a woman went up to my concert buddy and told her “You dance to reggae like you have chewing gum on the bottom of your feet, watch!” And she did…so we did, for a bit at least. Everyone else was swaying to the island beats and enjoying the vibe.
Main Stage had Paul Thorn on it and he sang some soulful, blues-rock. WMNF had cut the cake so we grabbed a piece before it was gone and enjoyed the sugar-high and chocolate-goodness while digging the music. The dance floor was packed but we found a spot in the back to take it all in. Paul Thorn and his guitar were just one piece amongst the 5-member ensemble with the bass, another guitar, keyboard and drums. Many of the chords and riffs were familiar with essences of classic rock and a few blues songs within them. Paul Thorn was a big crowd pleaser. The audience was anything but tired; they were still waiting on more to keep the birthday bash going.
As almost experts at maneuvering from one act to the next, we went to see Barley Pink. This 4 piece band had dueling guitars, a drummer and a bass player. They had quite the following and the ladies loved them. They played some very, very loud rock ‘n’ roll music with a very high energy. The lead man had a very soft, high voice that was easily complimented by the other guitar player’s harmonies. Everyone was dancing and the room filled in quickly. Barley Pink was the hardest rock act of the evening and the fans in the Royal Room ate it all up like the WMNF birthday cake!
As the last act in the Rivoli Room, Ray Olan and The Jazz Ole Band played some pop-salsa that really made us move. The 5 players jammed on guitar, keyboard, bongos/congas, steel drums, cymbals and the lead singer had a cowbell and a few other instruments like maracas to keep the Latin grooves fresh. This was the point in the evening when everyone, including myself and my concert buddy, were really dancing. The beats were great; the perfect sounds to end the evening in the Rivoli Room, which transformed from dancing with some space, to dancing and getting to know your neighbor quite well. Although most of the lyrics were in Spanish, the feel was still there, as was the energy so it didn’t hinder the music. Ray Olan and the Jazz Ole Band left us to dance over to Main Stage for the final act.
Nervous Turkey, a trio, took the stage with a keyboard, drums and guitar. At this point someone who’d spotted us a few times throughout the night came up to enjoy the band with us and described Nervous Turkey, as “awesome” and said we just had no idea what we were in for. This blues-roots band blew us away; the perfect finale. At one point, the lead man, with his amazing classic-looking microphone, sang a very Marilyn Monroe-esque version of “Happy Birthday” to WMNF. The lead singer was powerful, with a deep, grainy voice and he rocked the harmonica in a few songs too. Certain aspects of their set were like something out of a sermon, and the red lights created great ambiance. Nervous Turkey really got the crowd going, and finished the night strong for WMNF’s epic birthday bash.
WMNF is now 30 years old. Although most don’t handle the 30th birthday very well, WMNF did it proud! Every performer brought their all to ring in year 30 right. Here’s to another 30 WMNF! Bring it!