We really dig it when cool people help us cover areas and bands we may miss. After getting an e-mail from this guy "D2" near Bluefield, asking us why we don't cover the Bluefield area, we thought Friday's punk show @ The Rock-It Club featuring our friends in The Concept was a good chance to expand the coverage, so to say.
David Webb, as he is also called, also writes for this new zine called Attack!, and they were there too. Here's his dispatch from Friday's show...
The Rock-It Club is my hometown bar. When I want to hear or play music, that’s where I go first. It’s located a quarter mile off Hwy 460 on Rt. 19 and it hosts the best live punk, metal, and rock music in West Virginia. This quaint bar always delivers good beer, good times, and a great atmosphere full of interesting people. Friday night was no exception.
The show got off to a late start due to Charleston punk band The Concept running behind schedule. It was actually a blessing in disguise because it gave ATTACK!, a new zine from Beckley, a moment to shine. The publication, whose first issue was released at Friday’s show, focuses on veganism/vegetarianism, punk rock, and politics. Currently it only services the Southern West Virginia area and is only available upon request for little or no fee. If you would like a copy you can e-mail ATTACK! at attackzine@yahoo.com for all the details.
Once The Concept arrived it was a panicked race to set up and get the show started. The crowd was slow to warm up but I attribute this to the fact that we had all been setting there for at least an hour or two wanting to see a show but getting more of the jukebox instead. That tends to offset your enthusiasm a bit. But even with the quick setup and a semi-vegetated crowd they still managed to warm things up and play through an energetic set.
Once patrons began to move around a little more it was time for Pogo to hit the stage. I had never heard of Pogo before last night but I’ll be keeping an eye on them from now on. I’ve actually never heard anything from the Lynchburg, VA area and if that scene is built around bands like Pogo then they’re on a solid track. Vocally it’s not my preferred style but it mixes very well with their old school raw punk sound and brings the whole thing to life.
The third band of the night, The In-Crowd, was making a stop on their “Blood, Sweat, and Beers” tour stretching from their home state of Florida all the way to New York. They played at The Rock-It Club almost a year ago and apparently made a memorable impression because at this point everyone in the bar was at the stage.
Musically The In-Crowd was very tight and played a lively set full of catchy rally songs. They had a familiar sound as far as modern Punk goes but it was idiosyncratic at the same time. It was obvious how they had made such an impression on the locals and why they came back for another show.
The night was winding down but the final band was still to play and they were going to make sure you didn’t wait in vain. Due to the late start it was around 1:30 a.m. before The United Waste went on but they brought the most energy of the night. Blasting into their set they carried on the night with their usual comedic onstage banter mixed with the serious lyrical overtones in their music.
The United Waste was ATTACK!’s first ever band of the month and if you have ever seen them live you would see why. Self-described as “Punk Rock fucking Power Metal while Hardcore tapes it” they never disappoint and tonight was no exception.
As far as “Punk shows” go, this was one that had a little bit for everyone, but that’s how the Rock-It Club usually works. Take this weekend for instance. Friday was Punk driven, Saturday will be a very Metal evening with This Machine and Keep the Victim Warm, both from West Virginia, and Sunday will be a mix of Psychobilly, Rock, Punk, and Metal as The Goddamn Gallows, Born Empty, Cactus’s, and my band, Late Night Zero, take over.
If you ever find yourself looking for a few new good bands or shows to hit up, check out The Rock-It Club, you’ll be digging up goodies for hours!
--- By David "D2" Webb
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