Images: Anti-Flag, Leftover Crack, War on Women and more February 28, 2016 at Vinyl Las Vegas

Pittsburgh, PA punk rockers Anti-Flag have had a successful relationship with Las Vegas since the triumphant release of their latest record, American Spring.  It found the band coming back to town to play a set at Punk Rock Bowling 2015, as well as recording an acoustic album in front of a packed crowd of fans at 11th Street Records that same weekend.  So it was no surprise, upon announcing a headlining tour with Leftöver Crack, with a Vegas date on the list, that the show was bound to be another success.

I got to the Hard Rock Hotel about an hour before doors were set to open, and there was already a line of eager punks awaiting to get into Vinyl, where Anti-Flag, Leftöver Crack, War on Women, Blackbird Raum, and The Homeless Gospel Choir were set to put on an explosive Sunday night show.  Doors were scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m., but since punk shows aren’t allowed to start on time, they were running fifteen minutes behind.  When they did finally open, there was already a sizable crowd for the opening act.

The Homeless Gospel Choir was opening up the evening.  I was completely unaware of who they were, and was surprised when one man with an acoustic guitar around his neck came up on stage.  That one man, Derek Zanetti, then proceeded to absolutely melt my brain.  His nihilistically-heavy, tongue in cheek folk songs captured everyone’s attention during his twenty-minute set.  While most of the audience was unaware of him prior to that night, I stood behind a girl who enthusiastically knew every verse to his songs.  Her sincere positive energy kept me enthralled in Zanetti’s performance the entire time.

Midway through his set, there were technical issues with the sound of his guitar through the venues speakers, and instead of making the audience wait while the house fixed the problem, he instead decided to unplug and perform two songs in the middle of the audience.  As they wrapped around Zanetti, it instantly made you feel like you were at a house show, and not in a music venue inside a corporate hotel chain.  The Homeless Gospel Choir was definitely the highlight of my night.  His latest album, I Used to Be So Young is available on bandcamp, and was produced by Anti-Flag’s Chris #2.

The crowd continued to grow, and people were entering and leaving the venue several times for smoke breaks, and to do whatever it is punks usually do between sets.  Blackbird Raum were up next.  This self-described “bad vibez folk punk” five-piece from Santa Cruz have a strong following within the folk punk community, and have played Vegas on various occasions.  With unorthodox instruments such as accordions and washboards, they played a very interesting set.  While their brand of music isn’t something I would normally put on, I enjoyed it and they definitely have a fun stage presence.

War on Women was the band I was most excited about seeing that night.  Formed by veterans of the Baltimore punk scene, they play music that’s best described as early Metallica meets Bikini Kill.  This feminist hardcore punk band delivers aggressive tunes about the institutionalized discrimination women still face today.  They do it with style, humor, and balls to the wall rage.  They were the first all-electric act of the night and had a pit started within minutes of going on stage.  They are a dangerous sight to behold.  On stage, frontwoman Shawna Potter moves in an almost militant way, expressing her frustration with the unjust treatment of anyone who isn’t a white American male.  War of Women didn’t disappoint and are a band worth catching if they roll through your town.

From the amount of Leftöver Crack t-shirts in the packed crowd, you could sense that they were the most anticipated band of the night.  It had been awhile since the infamous NYC skacore punks played Vegas, and it would be my first time seeing them.  Guitarist Brad Logan had recently visited Las Vegas just a few weeks before with his side-project, Rats in the Wall, who played an excellent show at 11th Street Records.

I had heard mixed things about Leftöver Crack’s live performances, as they tend to drastically change depending on the daily moods of the members.  They must have been in good moods on this night, though, as the crowd was brewing with energy, kids started moshing, and crowd surfing as the band laid into a career-spanning set.  Singer, Stza Sturgoen, was running on all gears, as the rest of the band followed suit.  The energy in the room was amazing and the amount of people at Vinyl was astonishing.  Although, in true Leftöver Crack fashion, the set wouldn’t end without at least one problem.  Near the end of the set, Stza and Logan could visibly be seen arguing about playing a certain song, and Logan seemed upset throughout the rest of the set.  But, all-in-all, my expectations were greatly surpassed.

Almost half the crowd left the venue while Anti-Flag was setting up, which worried me a little.  After making the rounds and saying hello to friends in the audience, I grabbed a drink and watched the crowd pour back in.  As Anti-Flag hit the stage, the crowd was back to its originally packed state.  While I must admit to not keeping up to date with Anti-Flag’s career, I genuinely enjoyed American Spring.  It veered into new territories the band had yet to explore.

Anti-Flag have been at it so long they make it all seem so easy.  Their maturity as musicians hasn’t slowed them down one bit.  Chris #2 was his ecstatic energetic-self, bouncing left and right, with a smile on his face as he scissor-kicked in the air and got the audience clapping and singing along.  The pits didn’t stop for one second.  Justin Sane’s voice is intact through years on the road, and at 43, he’s got more energy than half the kids in the pit.  As a matter of fact, the entire band is at the top of their game.  Throughout their whole set, I was most surprised at how well the audience knew the new material. Between the moshing and crowd surfing, they sang along to new songs like “Fabled World” and “Brandenburg Gates.”

There is no denying that they are absolute professionals at what they do.  You can’t help but applaud and mosh to all the songs you’ve heard for years and subconsciously know all the words to.  They are living in the moment and that sincerity for their craft extends onto the audience, who were wholeheartedly enjoying the band’s performance that night.  This tour has seen the band selling out several shows, and there’s no indication of stopping anytime soon.

-Alan Madrigal

Photos by Anthony Constantine | https://www.facebook.com/anthonycphotography