On March 26 I headed to Seattle’s High Dive club to see a new band called Bad Animals. This concert was to celebrate the release of their new album All the Shakes. Bad Animals are a conglomerate of two previous Seattle bands. Wallace Brown (guitar & vocals) and Cory Johnson (drums & vocals) were in a band called the Remnants and guitarist Eric Stallard was from the ska band It Gets Worse. Add Lucas Chalcraft on bass, some solid rock and roll with a heavy punk flavoring and you have Bad Animals. I heard trace elements of New Found Glory.
Bad Animals are a lively band. Wallace’s vocals ranged from smooth to sounding like it was going through a meat grinder. He emoted non-stop. Bad Animals are a wall of sound band. Eric churned out guitar chords, his black ski cap firmly in place. Bass player Lucas was no slouch in the energy department. He swaggered and strutted about the stage constantly while Cory wrapped it all up in a neat package with his steady drumming.
Bad Animals were a very enjoyable band with songs that suck you in immediately. I will be seeing them again.
Prior to Bad Animals was a long-time Seattle favorite of mine, Dreadful Children. Dreadful Children was one of the first bands I reviewed for EPB back in 2011 and they have aged beautifully like a jar of good salsa with extra peppers. Dreadful Children is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Lonny Bristle. Right away you’re drawn to their zany energy. Both Lonnie and bass player Johnny Mischief sported cheesy plastic sunglasses with white frames their entire set. Drummer Kevin LaBarre slammed like a crazed mad man, his raggedy mop flying in front of his face constantly. Then there’s Lizzie who sings harmony and often takes over on lead vocals. She not only breaks tradition by being a female guitar player, her voice and demeanor are so sweet I almost wanted to ask her what a sweet girl like her is doing with such a scruffy looking lot. The contrast totally adds to the band’s entertainment value. Bass player Johnny Mischief is everywhere. He holds his bass like a machine gun, he twirls it almost like a baton and never misses a lick. This is just a sampling of what you’re in for at a Dreadful Children concert. They play catchy, energetic punk songs with a tasty coating of pop punk and I am never disappointed when I watch them play.
Prior to Dreadful Children was another band new to me, Question? No Answer. This baby band (they don’t even look like they’re 25) lit the stage on fire. Front man ChuKy Charles (vocals & guitar) was a bundle of energy with a very outgoing personality. At one point he hopped off stage to give everyone in the audience a hug, before jumping back on stage. His vocals traded off singing and then screaming in true punk fashion and he even engaged the crowd in singing harmony. They played original songs but threw in a few covers including Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation, which was sung by bass player Nellie with ChuKy providing backing vocals and screams of, “NO! NO! NO! Drummer Das Hoots slammed so ferociously I expected chunks of flesh to start flying off his body. They put on a very fun filled, energetic show and I am going to keep my eyes peeled for future gigs.
Starting the night was begun with Shaolin Hunks. This four-piece is as much hair as musician. I arrived about half way through their set. They played some solid, tradition rock and roll with a touch of seventies country rock (a dash of the Eagles) tossed in.
When it was all over I was not only surprised the club hadn’t been shaken to its foundation, I was surprised the entire neighborhood was still in tact. The only thing left to do was to let the steam escape through the open front door as people streamed from the club.
