Images: Fucked Up, Tony Molina, God’s America October 16, 2013 at Backstage Bar and Billiards

I saw Fucked Up twice back in 2010, at Punk Rock Bowling and Matador at 21, but they hadn’t graced our city since then, and this was their first headlining non-festival appearance in Vegas. So understandably, I was more than a little stoked. The Canadian hardcore band has been riding a wave of hype that started with their critically acclaimed debut Hidden World and has increased with the surprising crossover success of the hardcore opera David Comes to Life. With all the attention they’ve gotten in recent years, both due to their blending of indie and punk styles and their intense live shows that often find frontman Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham bloody and in the middle of the pit, I fully expected the show to sell out. Unfortunately, the turnout was less than stellar – not bad for a late Wednesday show but for Fucked Up, I expected the place to be bursting. Basically, if you weren’t there…I’m disappointed in you.

Playing one of the shortest sets I’ve ever seen, local power violence trio God’s America (playing here as a guitar and drum duo), was up first. I’ve heard nothing but good things about them over the years, (especially from our very own Lance Wells’ review of their latest release, so I was excited to finally check them out. I was quickly won over by their frenzied energy and the fact that they seemed genuinely stoked to be playing the show. I always appreciate a band with a good hustle, and these guys ran with the positives of playing to a diverse crowd, sticking around the whole night to get their music in the hands of anyone in attendance who wanted more.

Tony Molina and his powerpop powerhouse of a band were in the direct support spot. Molina’s guitar work is highly reminiscent of Rivers Cuomo on Weezer’s first two releases and the group as a whole was a lot of fun in that Weezer meets Superchunk pop/rock kind of way. Unfortunately, one of Molina’s guitars went missing right before the band was about to start playing, which put a huge damper on the set as the frontman was obviously stressing over whether it was misplaced or worse.

The shorter opening slots meant more time for Fucked Up, and by the time they took the stage, eager fans were pretty much foaming at the mouth to get up front to share the mic with Abraham. The band kicked things off with the one-two David openers, the instrumental “Let Her Rest” right into “Queen of Hearts,” the whole audience screaming along with the intense growl of “All we need is for something to give: The dam bursts open; We suddenly live. The boot off my throat… Life is returning! The boot off my throat…Let’s all emote!” And I must mention, bassist Sandy Miranda sounds just as sublime in person.

Fucked Up’s whole discography was covered, including “Black Albino Bones,” the single from their second album The Chemistry of Common Life,  David Comes to Life’s catchiest track “The Other Shoe” and the epic “Year of the Dragon,” which clocks in at over 10 minutes. Abraham spent much of the set atop the bar, doing somersaults on the floor, and running around delivering sweaty bear hugs to everyone in attendance. His stage presence is truly a sight to behold. Between songs, he regaled us with tales of trying to get a picture with fellow Canadian Drake (or the “coolest Canadian, since he hangs out with Jay Z,” as Pink Eyes put it), ending up at Fat Mike’s Punk House for a night of debauchery after the two bands shared the stage at Punk Rock bowling in 2010 and giving shout outs to Vegas punk legends The Vermin.

-Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/