Blacklisted/Gods & Queens/The Rival Mob/Give @ The Barbary 3/7/10

This past Sunday I was able to make it out to yet another afternoon at The Barbary in Philly for some matinee hardcore action with a fairly unusual line-up. The most obvious draw for me was The Rival Mob, who seem to get better every time I put on their LP or manage to catch them live. Both Give and Gods & Queens I've never really listened to before, let alone seen live, so I wasn't too sure what to expect. Local heroes Blacklisted were set to headline the show, although I've been pretty down on them since their set at Sound & Fury last summer. I continue to see them over and over, expecting to see something more reminiscent of years past, but to no avail. Although, maybe they would be a little different since the release of their latest LP, No One Deserves to Be Here More than Me.

Coming up from DC, Give were set to play their first show in Philly to a decent sized crowd. Their sound isn't the usual, repetitive hardcore that's been flooding the market lately, which was a breath of fresh air. At times it felt difficult to describe, but they ranged anywhere from The Suicide File to The Bronx to Modern Life is War (Midnight in America era). I wasn't ecstatic about Give, but they deserve plenty of credit for a high energy performance and interesting sound. Eventually I'll have to check out their self titled 12" EP, which actually is already on its second press.

The Rival Mob set up next, as the venue was starved for some old fashioned hardcore tunes. Seriously, this band is only improving over time, and the anticipation for the next EP, Hardcore for Hardcore, is swelling bigger by the day. Filled with witty stage banter and stories, their singer seems to catch lighting in a bottle on stage, only to unleash it on the crowd during each song. Highlights included "Raw Life," "Gene Pool/Cess Pool," "RCBS," and of course "Mob Rules All," along with a couple brand new songs from the forthcoming record. Also, they had the Hardcore for Hardcore Promo tape available, numbered out of 100, and some new shirt designs.

Locals Gods & Queens were due up next, and definitely the largest departure from hardcore of the afternoon. Longer, medium paced songs in a more progressive, part-indie rock, part-hardcore hybrid format seemed to begin to define their unusual sound. It's also been quite a while since I saw a three piece band perform with such a pronounced wall of sound, although at points it tended to drone on.

The lights dimmed, blacklights ignited blue, pouring the color all over the darkened venue as Blacklisted started to play. Going into this show, I anticipated them not playing anything older than the Heavier than Heaven LP, which was unfortunately true. The set was a mix tracks from the past two LPs and new EP, and even though it was exactly what I was dreading, Blacklisted still plays with the same ferocity and intensity as when I first say them around 6 years ago. A firey vocal performance combined with crunchy, thick guitar riffs make songs that I've never really found exciting sound pretty damn good. The explosive performance wasn't without some wierd moments, including backing vocals that sounded like they belong in a He Is Legend song, and DFJ joining them on stage to play tambourine. Closing out in heavy, poignant fashion, they ended with "Memory Layne," "Canonized," and "Wish."

And so another afternoon in Philly came to a close, filled with sweat, noise, and the aftershock of a slight headache. Maybe I'll even have to give the new Blacklisted LP another try at some point.

Upcoming Spring Philly/NJ/NYC Area Shows

Coinciding with the rash of incredible releases coming out all over the country, there's plenty of amazing, talented bands coming through the tri-state area. Whether its hardcore, indie, or punk rock, a little bit of everything is out there, no matter what your musical taste is. Some are at up and coming venues like The Barbary, while others are at local churches and basements, and some at larger spots such as the World Cafe.

3/6 - Coalesce @ Kung Fu Necktie (Philly, PA) - Unfortunately this show sold out pretty quickly in advance, but for those attending it will definitely be something special. With a dark, complex hardcore metal blend in the vein of Converge, these guys are back with a vengeance to tour again.

3/7 - Blacklisted/The Rival Mob @ The Barbary (Philly, PA) - There's not much else you can ask for from Joe Hardcore and company. Philly locals, Blacklisted along with fast-growing Boston hardcore, The Rival Mob, who are blowing up bigger than most of their contemporaries.

3/14 - Reign Supreme/Mountain Man @ Championship Bar & Grill (Trenton, NJ) - Deathwish Inc metallic hardcore hailing from Philly alongside Massachusetts' Mountain Man, fresh off the release of their 10" LP, "One."

3/21 - Raw Nerve/Vaccine/SQRM @ 538 Johnson St. (Brooklyn, NY) - Record release show for Raw Nerve's forthcoming LP on Youth Attack Records, alongside labelmates SQRM. Throw in Vaccine, and you're sure to need a bottle of aspirin the morning after this one.

3/27 - Drunk Driver/Vile Gash/Aerosols/Neon Blud @ Market Hotel (Brooklyn, NY) - Another YA record release show for Vile Gash's new EP, as well as Drunk Driver's new LP on Load Records. Lightning fast, loud as hell Aerosols and Neon Blud (ex-Cult Ritual) round out the bill for a pretty heavy night.

4/6 - Death Threat/Death Before Dishonor/The Mongoloids @ The Barbary (Philly, PA) - Boston and New Jersey hardcore uniting for another banger in the Northern Liberties area. DBD are on the road constantly, and put together a heavy, high energy performance that's not to be missed.

4/21 - Mastodon/Between the Buried and Me/Baroness @ The Starland Ballroom (Sayreville, NJ) - Metal explosion! I haven't seen BTBAM in such a long time, and after their last LP it seems like it might be time to relive their incredibly tight live show. Mastodon is sure to rage on for an hour or two, and while I don't like this venue, it might be just good enough to check out.

5/5 - As Tall As Lions @ World Cafe Live (Philly, PA) - Indie pop infused with electronic elements, ATAL is back on tour again after the release of their third record, You Can't Take It With You.

5/17 - Foundation/Backtrack/Rotting Out @ The Barbary (Philly, PA) - Basically the hardcore equivalent of the Monsters of Rock tour. Three of the best new bands, all from different corners of the country (Atlanta, Long Island, LA), joining forces for US tour that's better than nearly anything else out there.

5/19 - Foundation/Backtrack/Rotting Out/Mother of Mercy @ Stelton Church (Edison, NJ) - Yeah, this is intense enough to go see twice. Add in Wilkes-Barre's Mother of Mercy and you'll swear you dreamed this lineup.

5/21 - Capitalist Casualties @ Kung Fu Necktie (Philly, PA) - The influential grindy, crusty, political, pissed off punk group is back for a couple reunion shows. If the words "powerviolence" or "crust punk" mean anything to you, don't miss out on this one.

There's plenty of other shows out there, but this is enough to keep people busy almost every weekend until June. The tri-state scene is alive and well! More coming soon...