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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Live Reviews Live review: 25 Minutes to Go
Posted By Jenny Lou Bement on Tue, Dec 27, 2011 at 11:33 AM
25 Minutes to Go, Joint Damage, Mauser, No Power
The Milestone
Dec. 20, 2011
For the first time, at least in its recent history, the Milestone decided to book an all-bar-stage show. It was either going to be a fantastic treat or a sweaty, overly packed fandango of people trying to make their way towards the stage to see the music. There isn't much of a middle ground when the chaos is by the bar. “Somebody's gonna die,” Jonathan Hughes, Milestone owner and front man of 25 Minutes to Go, claimed for weeks before the occasion. And considering that his band was opening a night of heavy variety, it was quite possible that if the turnout exceeded the capacity comfort level of the bar area and patrons got too rowdy, it would happen.
It was almost strange to see 25 Minutes to Go open the night. Usually by the time they reach the stage, everyone is already covered in beer and ready to bro-down to the punk jams that radiate through the Milestone family. However, seeing as it was early, it was "bro-down light" — people feeling the music and getting into it, but not nearly as intensely as they would with several tall boys and whiskey in their system. But it made one thing apparent, it's not the booze that makes their fans enjoy their music, they were still rocking out to the solid and fluid, fast-paced jams, loving the moment and the band felt it. Jonathan, animated as ever, raised his hands between strumming on his guitar as he belted his heart out while AJ held down the solos, KP maintained the catchy bass line and Trey pounded on his drums furiously.
To everyone's delight, they busted out a new song, the first written and performed since AJ joined the band a few months back. “Mudduck (This Train Had Sailed)” was fresh and heavy with KP dominating the microphone, creating a line of nodding heads, leaned against the bar, intensely listening. Foreign to familiar, they then flung themselves back into the songs the crowd knows, loves and sings along to, running in circles and flailing their arms in the air. Feeling the love, Jonathan was in a hilarious mood, making jokes left and right.
At the beginning of “War” he traditionally asks a few questions before he delves into the song — “When I wake up this morning am I going to ask myself…” this time Jonathan threw in, “… Am I going to find myself in the position where I can save a man's life by putting my mouth on his genitals?” Everyone laughed hysterically as he turned it around to, “ARE YOU READY FOR WAR?!?!” then proceeded with the jam fest. We even had a guest appearance from King Doob, bringing his deep, throaty vocals to hellacious breakdowns before they transitioned into “Amen” and called it a night.
All in all, 25 Minutes to Go took a fire that was kindling with excitement and threw gasoline on it, creating the perfect start to a rowdy night of bar room fun. Although it got a little packed towards the end, the night swelled with Joint Damage's heavy punk, Mauser's thrashy noise metal and No Power's noise rock led by hyperactive Rob. No ambulances and no blood, just bros. It was a perfect reminder of why Charlotte and the Milestone are so great — it's not just a music scene, it's a music family.
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