Images: The Decline, MakeWar, Rayner, War Called Home October 13, 2016 at the Beauty Bar

“Everyone is laughing at us and the world’s going to shit, but we’re going to have fun!” exclaimed War Called Home frontman Grant Davis at the start of his band’s opening set. Considering my walk to the Beauty Bar involved passing creepy clowns and Trump supporters, I can definitely back the “going to shit” part, but thankfully, the show certainly fulfilled the promised “fun” quotient.

Unfortunately, since this was a Thursday night in Vegas, War Called Home were playing their hearts out to a painfully empty venue. It was still early, and many people were watching Andrew W.K. give a pep talk down the street at Bunkhouse, or were stuck in traffic following a Joe Biden speech, but if the lack of crowd bothered War Called Home, the local skatepunks didn’t show it. They came out dressed in matching sweater vests and seemed to be shredding just a bit harder than usual (probably to counteract the sweater vests). This included a few new songs, which continues the band’s tradition of borrowing from that tried and true “EpiFat” sound, with bouncing, poppy rhythms straight from Millencolin’s Life on a Plate.

A few partiers made their way over from Andrew W.K. just in time to catch the next band, locals Rayner. And a few fans, myself included, were even up front to sing along to songs released “all the way back in January,” as frontman Dany Panda put it. These songs included “Dreameater,” “Second Son” and set ender “Stairset.” Dany risked life and limb saving most of guitarist Chris Piro’s Coors Light, diving off the stage and onto a wobbly amp after the drink went flying. Dany made it back on stage in time for his band to treat us, much like War Called Home, to some new songs. One found the band getting a little political, singing about sexual freedom. The other came with a Latterman-esq three vocal refrain reminding us that we’re “already living in hell” (if you’re playing along at home, feel free to insert your own Trump joke here). Supposedly that one’s called “Blurred Lines” and I figure hey, if Robin Thicke isn’t making money off a song called “Blurred Lines” anymore, someone should.

New York’s MakeWar was making their Vegas debut on this night. The recent Red Scare Industries signees focused heavily on their just-released Developing A Theory Of Integrity full length, with “Don’t Panic,” “Tiger Lili,” “Ode” and “DTFH” being particular highlights (the latter of which is a tribute to Death to False Hope Records, which released a free, digital EP from these guys under their original name Sad and French). Musically, MakeWar effortlessly blend the raw, emotional passion of their New York brethren Brand New and Taking Back Sunday with gruff vocals and orgcore riffs that recall bands like Leatherface. The real testament to how much these guys rock is that they inspired one longhaired fan to create his own headbanger’s ball, whipping his hair back and forth for the band’s entire set. If the band knew what’s best, they’d hire that enthusiastic fellow to bang on stage every night as their own version of the Bosstone’s Ben Carr.

It was just a few minutes past 11 when Australia’s The Decline took the stage. The skatepunk band balanced their set of punk rock songs, which, as the name implies, sound a whole lot like NOFX, with hilarious stage banter. “Giving Up is a Gateway Drug,” which they dedicated to tour manager Brent Friedman, was followed by the band explaining that despite US propaganda, Australia doesn’t actually serve Fosters (or light beer, for that matter). “You Call This a Happy Meal?” which had a small group of people up front singing along, was followed by guitarist Ben Elliot explaining that “you know it’s a good show when you can hear Shaggy playing off in the distance” (he also let us know that, according to rumors, “it wasn’t him”). And “I Don’t Believe” is when the band finally felt comfortable to declare that they made it through a set without any major fuckups, which I can confirm. They sounded great, and by the end of their set, the small crowd was all smiles, making their way to the merch. Here’s hoping their next Vegas show will be the true rager that they deserve.

-Emily Matview

Photos by Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/