Toronto, Canada’s Fucked Up have impressed me since their earliest EPs. In their nearly 10 years of existence, their sound has evolved over time — from the straightforward and aggressive hardcore/punk attack of Police, to the more experimental series of 12-inch singles based on the Chinese Zodiac, to The Chemistry of Common Life, Fucked Up have pushed the boundaries of punk. By constantly defying genre boundaries as it suits them, the band has succeeded in producing a sound that is powerful, original, and catchy.
One of my current favorite bands, Nation of Thieves, were the opening band, and the first song they played was a brand new track, “Young of Heart,” that has a much more straightforward hardcore sound to it than their previous songs, yet remains simultaneously melodic and technical. Their second song, “Road of Legacies,” was a newer cut as well. Both of these new songs will be out on a new EP, forthcoming this fall. After “Road of Legacies,” the band went into “Wolf Parade,” followed by my two favorite Nation of Thieves songs, the linked “The Silence…” and “…it’s Deafening.”
Next up: Cleveland, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings. They set up and waited around patiently until finally getting the go-ahead to play. I hadn’t realized that they’d already set up until they started playing, as they were borrowing cabs and heads from Nation of Thieves and Fucked Up, plus, their drummer plays one of the most minimalist kits I’ve ever seen: using only a snare, a floor tom, a hi-hat, and a crash/ride, he played facing sideways, with his kick drum propped into the guitar cabs.
Cloud Nothings play a fusion of power-pop, dance, and modern indie rock that has made them the darlings of the blogosphere. From my perspective, they sound much better live than the intentionally grainy, lo-fi sound of their recorded efforts. They played a mix of buzz-worthy songs including “Even if it Works Out” and “Hey Cool Kid,” as well as “Weird Son,” from the forthcoming Leave You Forever EP on True Panther Sounds. The band got a good response from the crowd, though it seemed as though this show was the introduction to Cloud Nothings for the majority of those gathered. It certainly won’t be the last they hear of them: the band just signed to Carpark Records, who will be re-releasing their debut, Turning On.
After Cloud Nothings the room began to fill to capacity. Fucked Up opened with “Two Snakes,” and vocalist Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham did what he does best: sing his lungs out and put on a stage spectacle. During the first song, he took the mic out into the audience as far as the cord would reach and circled through the packed crowd with a smile on his face as he sang into the faces of individuals in the crowd. After “Two Snakes,” the band went into “Here Lies Are,” off their split with Serena-Maneesh, followed by “Twice Born,” from The Chemistry of Common Life.
The packed crowd maintained their restraint until the band launched into “Black Albino Bones.” The dance floor opened up with bodies flying everywhere — and Abraham in the midst singing. “David Comes to Life,” from Hidden World followed. As the crowd surged back and forth, the awkward set up of Lilly’s Pad became an issue. The sound board was situated to the left side of the venue on the edge of the dance floor where the crowd was packed in. A metal fence, slightly above waist height, was the sole barrier between the audience and the sound gear, and the sound guy and two bouncers ended up having to stand behind the fence as anchors to keep the crowd from inadvertently destroying the equipment.
At some point in the middle of the mayhem, Abraham climbed up on top of one of the small bar tables in the back of the room and sang down to the crowd, an impressive feat of balance, considering his large size. He faked as though he were about to dive onto the crowd — who flinched in unison and braced to be crushed — but Abraham grinned and leaped away from the crowd, landing on a clear spot on the floor.
After “David Comes to Life,” the band played “Holden,” a song of particular significance to Abraham, named after his son. “Crusades,” from the Hidden World LP, was the next song to get the crowd moving, followed by the popular sing-along anthem “I Hate Summer,” the B-side off the Crooked Head seven-inch. “Solomon’s Song,” a B-side from Year of the Ox, was a special treat that Fucked Up is playing on this tour.
The band pulled out the popular “Baiting the Public,” as well as “Police,” from the seven-inch of the same title. “Son the Father,” from The Chemistry of Common Life, concluded their set.
Though sweaty and exhausted, the audience had not had enough. Calls for more began to grow until one of the guitarists began playing the riff for Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown.” The other two guitarists shook their heads in disagreement, but he continued playing — with a shrug of their shoulders and a roll of their eyes, the rest of the band joined in and played the cover. Chaos ensued one last time, and then it was over.