Finderskeepers, RawRawRiot and NECK @ Luneta Feb. 28
What’s better than an all-local triple threat on a Friday? How about one that also includes an EP release by Finderskeepers.
Finderskeepers, RawRawRiot and NECK packed Luneta for a great time on Friday night. The trio treated us to some of their great new tracks such as “Society in Decline.” Guitarist and lead singer Chris Cook put it best when talking about their new 7 inch EP, Pack Your Bags (which you can stream below).He says, “Our new seven inch has six song, that’s almost a song per inch, it is great value.” The set was full of energy and great punk rock songs, my favourite on this night was “Public Defender.” Going to local shows is one of my favourite things, not only because Ottawa has a bunch of really good bands, but for the camaraderie. Something special about seeing the drummer of one of the openers, RawRawRiot, being front and centre during the set crowding the mic to sing with Devon. As the set ended the crowd erupted for a encore with the unorthodox chant of “Fuck you, suck my dick,” which the band could not refuse. They responded with an absolutely awesome cover of Pavement’s “Frontwards.”
A lot of bands ease into their sets, not the all-girl band RawRawRiot who opened their set with their angst-riddled song “Fucked by Society.” That is how you set the tone for a punk set. Continuing the rock with great songs like the anti-consumerism anthem “better things,” the unofficial theme song of the night, “Drink,” and then the speeding “I Want To Go Fast.” Taking a break from their original content they surprised the hell out of me by covering “Freakin Out,” a song by the historic punk rock innovators, the first “all black” punk band, Death. To close out, lead singer Jamie-Lee Catastrophee said, “These are our last two songs, they are about going to Hell and kicking guys in the dick.” I am glad I got to see this great performance by RawRawRiot, as I was informed that they will not be playing for a while as they take a break to write new music and plan out a potential tour.
NECK‘s straightforward punk rock got the night off to a great start. The trio plays Ramones-esque punk and do it very well. They had my head bobbing from start to finish, most specifically during their song about skinny jeans. I have always been a fan of bands that can master the art of short punchy songs, and that was on display throughout the night on February 28th.
PS: I have to give major respect to whoever’s iPod was responsible for the music between bands, never thought I would hear sounds of my early show going days in Ottawa with Robot Kill City and Million Dollar Marxists.
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