Spy Device was up first. This band plays poppy punk songs with more hooks than an Alaskan fishing store. They reminded me a lot of Pointed Sticks and punk songs I used to listen to when I first discovered punk in the late seventies to early eighties. Their songs are very catchy and danceable. This Seattle trio is very worth checking out.
Next up was Jaguar Paw, a five-piece band with a female singer with a voice as smooth as ice but as gutsy as Janice Joplin’s. This band also boasts a female keyboard player and a bass player with long, dark hair roaming down his back that constantly fell into his face as he bounced about. This was no stoic bass player (as bass players typically are) and he definitely had that rock star look, adding to the uniqueness of this band. Jaguar Paw is a bit more pop than punk, but there was a definite punk flavor tossed into the musical mix. Imagine The Go-Gos and Missing Persons with Ari Up and you have a pretty good idea of what Jaguar Paw sounds like musically. They put out a lot of energy on stage and throw out some mighty fine tunes. Jaguar Paw is definitely worth checking out.
The final band was another I’d never seen nor heard of, Demolition Kings. The second they hit the stage I was blown away by their power. The Demolition Kings are, Sean Burnell : Guitar, Mike Ditmore : Drums, Daniel Macellar: Bass, Spot : Guitar, Dave Eronemo : Vocals. It is the showmanship of singer Dave Eronemo that steals the show. He came on stage clad in two scarves and a blower’s hat and strutted about the stage like Jagger on steroids. Demolition Kings are a guitar heavy, hard rocking and tons of fun band. I was surprised the stage didn’t catch fire from their energy. In their music I heard elements of The Stones and elements of The Ramones and Sex Pistols. As the show wore on, Demolition Kings sounded a little less like The Stones and a little ore like hard-core punk. They even performed a cover of the old Psychedelic Furs song “Pretty In Pink” with guitar taking over for the memorable sax played by Duncan Kilburn over thirty years ago. Demolition Kings are a lot of fun and should be seen by any fan of old school punk and old school rock (The Stones were the punks of their time anyway). I cannot recommend any of these bands enough and am so glad I had the opportunity to witness the fine performances from all of them.
All photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
