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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Live Reviews / News Live review: Dirty South Revolutionaries, All Rise, The Letdowns, German Shephard
Posted By Jenny Lou Bement on Tue, May 31, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Dirty South Revolutionaries, All Rise, The Letdowns, German Shephard
The Milestone
May 28, 2011
The Deal: Our local rowdy punk bands, DSR and All Rise had been on tour for the past few weeks, traveling all the way from home to the west coast, bringing their “I don't give a fuck” attitude across the country to every city they went. Before I knew it, they were returning home and playing their last date at the Milestone on Saturday May 28 with Wilkesboro's The Letdowns and Pittsburgh's German Shephard. I was excited to greet the boys upon their arrival home, feel the rowdiness they create and experience some punk for the first time since Moss and Liz's wedding.
The Good: The Letdowns opened up the night already wasted out of their minds. These boys were so drunk; I was surprised that they could even play. Seemingly destructive, they began throwing high speed and reckless punk jams our way. Erratic vocals led the simplistic, thrashy symphony. The crowd response was not as fruitful as they would've liked, as their guitarist kept egging everyone on by insulting them. “Is that all you've got, you fucking pussies?” he shouted into the mic as he almost broke the stand. Their vocalist jumped in the crowd attempting to get them going but unfortunately there was still little reaction. The boys continued to drink until the end of their set, still rocking out regardless of people's energy.
German Shephard was up next and I was immediately taken aback by their awesomeness and difference in style from their predecessors of the night. They were certainly of a different genre, almost to the tune of indie or alternative rock. Their music was laid back and creative with riffs similar to older Deftones with a hint of contemporary indie pop. Although it seemed they had the smallest crowd of the night, I really enjoyed their set. Any band that sings songs about the History Channel is good in my book. They showcased their abilities and caught the Milestone regulars' attention, drawing them to the room to experience what they were hearing. After seeing them at an all-out punk show, I would be interested in experiencing them again in a different setting with crowd response and fans of the genre.
Since being on tour, I must say that All Rise has progressed in certain ways. Their set was a bit tighter and their image has gotten a little more towards that of the stereotypical rock star. In front of a small crowd, they gave us their all, happy to be home with their friends. Although their set was great, still making me feel destructive in the best of ways, I have to admit, I enjoy them more when the crowd is packed and ready to get rowdy. A pit started for a brief moment and a few joined in to support what they were seeing but all in all, this was a night of stiff boards and a few head bangers.
DSR headlined the night ensuing the energy of the musicians but with a little more crowd participation. You could tell that everyone had gotten enough booze in their system to let loose as fans entered the big room and immediately headed to the front of the stage to celebrate the return of these boys in one piece. DSR has a strong following and it was very apparent as they had the biggest crowd of the night. The rowdiness began as people began belting out their lyrics, husband and wife, Moss and Liz chanted back and forth to each other from the crowd to the stage. All in all, they were the most appreciated of the night. A combination of booze, punk rock and love took hold of everyone and they managed to get down.
The Bad: I love DSR shows for many reasons but most of all, the rowdy atmosphere they create. Very seldom, there is not a fight or someone gets injured getting down to the music. Although there was a bit of drama towards the end of the night when Moss punched a guy for being lewd to ladies, the stories that are typically carry over after their shows are not as tame as those experienced this night.
The Verdict:
It was very comforting to see our own make it all the way out to the west coast and return in one piece. The stories they brought with them are ones they will tell until the day they die. It was a fantastic adventure for them and I don't think that they could've made a better choice for their final stop. On top of that, discovering German Shephard would've been worth my time, regardless of the occasion. Now that All Rise and DSR are a bit more seasoned in touring, I urge you even more to come see them. Spending such a lengthy amount of time with each other and playing consecutive shows has made their music more solid. These boys, as well as The Let Downs are local and easy to catch. Let's just hope things get a little more chaotic next time.
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