Images: The Quitters, TheCore., Illicitor (debut show), Narrowed February 1, 2014 at The Artistic Armory

Rumors swirled over the past few weeks as a flyer began circulating boasting a lineup of three of Las Vegas’ finest bands – The Quitters, TheCore. and Narrowed – along with “a band so secret that we can’t say their name yet.” The Flatliners had an off-day on their west coast tour, could the Canadian band be gracing us with their fast-paced punk anthems again? What about Deadhand? Two of their three members are still local and they’ve played together since their unofficial final show last year. Finally, a day before the show, the cat was let out of the bag. The secret band would be Illicitor –  the long-awaited new project from ex-Holding Onto Sound members Vanessa Tidwell, Zabi Naqshband and Bob Gates. And with nothing but a name and a tradition for quality, people were ready to flock down to The Artistic Armory to welcome the trio back to the world of Vegas punk rock. And if that wasn’t enough incentive to get you down to the show, the Armory decided to up the ante by offering free pizza, so really, there was no reason to pass on this show.

But before the main event, we were treated to one of my favorite new(ish) local punk bands, Narrowed. These guys tend to play to a younger audience so I’m hoping that a show like this, still all ages but definitely geared towards an older, drunker crowd, helps cement them an even bigger fanbase. Narrowed play with the kind of fiery intensity that comes with youth, utilizing grungy, three-part harmonies, brash post-hardcore influence and the unique, finger-tapping style of guitarist Dylan Silva to carve out a sound that is so distinctly theirs. It’s been about a year and a half since we premiered their debut EP The Valley and I still get chills hearing “Miles Away” and “Tossed to the Wayside” live.

Next up was the band of the night. The three musicians in Illicitor cut their teeth in one of Vegas’ most beloved punk bands, and being so accomplished in the scene can be both a blessing and a curse. People came out to this show sound unheard based on that pedigree, and it was time to find out if our high hopes were to be validated. The first surprise of their set came immediately, when everyone realized that the awesome voice we were hearing was bellowing from the belly of guitarist, Bob Gates. Up until the Drunks Go Acoustic show late last summer, I had no idea that Gates had any aspirations of singing lead, or that his voice was as good as it is. Here, though, he didn’t sing so much as spit fire into the mic.

All three band members played with the intensity of those who have been away for too long, especially drummer Vanessa Tidwell, the only member who couldn’t fill the hiatus gap with acoustic shows. Zabi’s gruff vocals were fantastic as always, reminiscent here of Paint It Black’s Dr. Dan Yemin with a touch of Midwestern Songs of the Americas-era Patrick Costello thrown in. Actually I got an overall Paint it Black vibe during the set, but with only one listen under my belt and no recorded tracks to turn to, I don’t want to classify their sound quite yet. And besides, knowing these guys – I’m sure they have a lot more musical surprises up their sleeves. So for now, I’ll say they’re spouting punk rock that’s like a more aggressive HOTS without the reggae influence, and they’re doing it with a newfound exuberance that leaves me eager to hear more.

By the time Illicitor’s set concluded, The Artistic Armory was pretty packed, and TheCore. had the unenviable task of following up an act whose pre-show hype and excellent debut threatened to overshadow the rest of the night.  If that stressed them out at all though, it didn’t show, and the foursome kicked things off with a few great-sounding new tracks. The show was filled with friends and, compared to their last all-ages show with Polar Bear Club and Citizen, these music fans’ tastes aligned more to TheCore.’s brand of gritty punk rock. This is one of the hardest working bands in town, and that was rewarded with a smattering of singing fans when they got to old favorites like “Punk Inc” and “Let Them Eat Cake.” And their tried-and-true cover of Bouncing Souls’ “True Believers” of course had the best reaction, with people raising their drinks to sing along with the “whoa ohs.”

The Armory had unfortunately thinned out quite a bit by the time The Quitters took the stage, which is an undeniable shame. A few people made the trek from Backstage Bar’s parallel Authority Zero show by the time the guys got their gear set up and I was particularly excited to see them, as I end up missing far too many of their shows for my taste. Drummer Miqah Mayhem has a unique and frenzied style that I never tire of seeing, and vocalist Marc Roqsberg’s visceral screams remind me a lot of Dennis Lyxzén of Refused, which is of course, a very, very good thing.

After it was all said and done, this was one of those nights where you drive home with ringing ears and an overwhelming sense of pride and optimism about the Vegas music scene.

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