By snoadmin
Three punk bands ignited Alex’s Bar with some of the craziest drunken stage theatrics.
All the performances were vibrant with loud, punk energy and shouting. Everyone was probably paying more attention to some of the outrageous movements of the band members.
The opening band, The Harbortown Saints, started the night off with raunchy bar tunes. The lead singer, Paul, took off with a loud monologue that sounded nastier than anything The Hold Steady could ever think of. Drummer Maximus started the concert with an infectious, swinging beat for Paul to snarl along to.
Although each song tended to sound very similar as the performance moved on, the Long Beach group kicked off the night for the first heavyweight band, The Black Tibetans.
The four-person punk rock band thrived on a load of energy from the get-go. Its punk rock was an adrenaline-packed jam of fast guitar chords and riffs.
It was a loud collection of songs about motorbikes and rock and roll. Forty to 50 people cheered for the group as they moved from song to song, blowing the crowd away with its dark punk rock. It sounded as edgy as an album by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
The Black Tibetians’ lead guitarist, who was swaying on stage the entire time, drove most of the performance. He kicked the nearby trash can on the floor and somersaulted off the stage. He hung his guitar on the black bat decoration hanging on the stage ceiling. He even took down the zombie on the back wall and threw it on the floor.
Admittedly, the performance was more or less a haphazard mix of elaborate stage theatrics with loud punk rock. It kept the crowd begging for more music.
Unfortunately, half of the audience left to chat outside while The Stitched Lips took the stage. The act literally exploded with blazing fast drum rolls, electric guitar strumming and loud shouting in the microphone.
Lead singer Ricky Guzman, had a blast at the microphone. He sang off stage, knelt down and waved his arms and chest frantically. Sergio, the guitarist, worked hard playing through all the guitar chords and riffs while Guzman went crazy.
The best moment of the performance probably took place after Guzman sang the chorus for the second time. Then, the lead and bass guitarists struck their best spread legged pose and played their hearts out on their instruments. The drummer, Luis, slammed the intense beats that kept the tempo on overdrive.
Even when the audience had no idea what the hell Guzman was singing, they loved every second of the epic performance. Shagg has an incredible stage presence for a singer. Even when he mumbles lyrics too quickly, the singer makes up for it with head-banging movements on and off the stage.
The entire night felt like a drunken haze of harebrained events that amazed everyone watching. No one will probably remember all the injuries and animosity which emerged from this ludicrous concert. One thing is for certain: It was one hell of an insane punkfest.
Updated 10-27-09 at 1:35 a.m.
