Days of Rage: Day 2

DAY 2 – January 15 - We March, The Cutter Family, Horrible Creeps, Forced Hand and You’ll Get Yours at The Smiling Skull Saloon

On Friday of that same weekend, I found myself once again at the Smiling Skull for yet another punk show. The first band, You’ll Get Yours, hail from Cincinatti and played pop punk. That’s not to say that they’re pretty boys who cater to a demographic

of 15-year-olds, like most commercial pop punk. Rather, they represent the current wave of Midwestern DIY pop punk bands, which seem more influenced by bands like the Lawrence Arms than by Blink 182. I’ve actually drawn up a chart for easy understanding (click to enlarge):

Anyway, You’ll Get Yours was pretty good, if not a bit sloppy, which in many ways added to their charm. Up second was Parkersburg, WV, punk bandForced Hand was followed by Columbus hardcore outfit Horrible Creeps, who take a different approach than many of their contemporaries. Comprised of a drummer, a vocalist and a bass player, one would expect their sound to be lacking fullness. However, one blast from bassist Elijah Funk’s (also of Le Vansona, Bohemian Grove and Hollow Bones) stack of four bass amplifiers is enough to dispel these thoughts. Horrible Creeps is marked by thunderous drumming, meaty bass chords a squall of noise from Funk’s miserable wall of amps. They also have the most awkward lead singer ever (a compliment), whose stage presence is not the traditional hardcore singer who, while he is angry and surly, is doing stuff mostly for show. The Creeps’ vocalist will literally stand less than a foot from your face, look you in the eyes, shout at you and call you out for no good reason. Frankly, it was one of the most confrontational punk sets I’ve seen, which made them stand out quite a bit in my mind.

Finally, there were two sets from The Cutter Family and We March. The Cutter Family kicked things off, with a lively old-school punk set that saw We March guitarist Curtis Frey taking on the role of lead singer as well, while wildman Zach Fuller assumed bass duties. The Cutter Family bears a bit more influence of The Stooges than We March shows, which sets them apart from their main project.

We March, of course, played an animated, out-of-control set to a large-sized crowd who, for the first time that night, were moving around. Much of this was spurred by Zach Fuller’s antics, which are much lauded and the stuff of legends in the Athens punk scene. Oh, by the way: If you can listen to ANYTHING We March has ever played or recorded and hear influences of Blink 182, it's time to stop writing about music.