Mike Moosehead is the hardest
working man in punk rock, and this weekend he’s playing shows with five
different bands. Four of those bands are playing a special show to commemorate
his and his wife Xtene Moosehead’s 10th wedding anniversary. The two are both punk rock
bass players, though Mike plays guitar quite a bit also.
The Cobra Club in Brooklyn is the venue where the show will
be. It is in a now-trendy area of Brooklyn where the remnant industrialization
means a greater chance to find parking if you are driving there.
Full disclosure: I’m playing guitar in Beer Drinking Fools, the opening band of the night that
features Mike on bass. The name of the band pretty much gives you the story:
songs about beer. But there are some really great songs not directly related to
beer that make me love Beer Drinking Fools long after I left the drinking life.
Songs like ‘Work Sucks’ and ‘Let’s Get on Welfare’ offer common anthems for
anyone frustrated by the standard dirge of working life. And even if you don’t
drink, ‘Drinking 40s on the Subway’ is a great homage to the spirit of freedom
that makes life worth living.
The second band playing that night is a special guest, and
the name of the band will not be announced in advance. I happen to know what
band this is and I can say first-hand that they will be in keeping with the
spirit of local New York punk and hardcore with a sense of humor and chaotic
stage performance.
Skum City features Mike on guitar
and Xtene on bass. They started this band in 2007 and played their first show
in 2008. Some former members are going to be coming back to play, and it will
be a great time. Skum City blends old school punk rock with West Coast style
early era hardcore. If you are looking for down-tuned grunge music to fall
asleep to, look elsewhere.
Mike is also a guitar player for World War IX. World War IX was a
band I learned about from reading their founding guitar player JustinMelkmann’s biographical comic strip of G.G. Allin in the New York
Waste. They have been friends and comrades for years and they made my punk rock
dreams come true when the inspiring Renaissance man Philthy Phill became their lead
singer. I have had the honor to play some villainous characters in a few of
their music videos. Who will they
proclaim to be the King of the King of the King of Beers? I’ll have to find out
(will not be me).
Headlining the night is Philadelphia’s Loafass,
a band I have loved since I saw them open for Murphy’s Law on St. Patrick’s Day
in 2003. Their lead singer, Fish, was the officiant at my wedding. Few bands
are able to harness the sense of humor that punk music requires as well as
Loafass. If a ramshackle jalopy with Pennsylvania license plates careens across
the highway in front of you in a blaze of marijuana smoke and empty beer cans,
the band playing on that car’s stereo is Loafass.
The show is only $5 dollars and requires you have an ID that
says you are 21 or older. Mike and Xtene have put together a great show and the
longevity of their band and marriage is a testament to the notion that making
great music together can make a lot of people happy. I hope to see you there.
No comments:
Post a Comment