Images: Lawn Mower Death Riders, Mercy Music, No Red Alice and more March 25, 2016 at 11th Street Records

By the time I came back to Vegas for spring break, I was aching to go to another show. No shade towards Reno, but the Vegas scene will always be home. There’s just something about this scene that can’t be replicated. Luckily, Charley Fine of local ska/punk band Be Like Max organized an acoustic night for March 25, which happened to be while I was in town. 11th Street Records is one of the smallest venues I’ve been to, and it made for an intimate atmosphere that was almost cute in its quaintness. The acoustics were amazingly good, but that’s to be expected for a spot that doubles as a recording studio.

Sal Giordano, AKA No Red Alice, started off the night with his last solo set “for as long as [he] can.” The crowd was unusually enthusiastic for the first set of a small acoustic show, most likely because Giordano is well known and beloved in the scene. But it’s not just Giordano’s music that makes him popular: the dude is really personable and friendly, constantly smiling and cracking jokes. No Red Alice sets make for an interesting experience, with Giordano’s personality making you want to laugh and his music making you want to cry. It’s one I’ll certainly miss, but I’m sure No Red Alice’s endeavors as a full band will be just as great, if not better.

I immediately fell in love with the second act, BARBALOOT SUITZ, a duo from Ogden, Utah. The band draws its name from the characters in The Lorax, an environmentally conscious story about preserving nature and resisting overconsumption. Fitting, considering the band members are two young hippies from Utah.

I tend to be extremely picky with female vocalists, but Jonali Sorenson’s high and sweet voice really drew me in, and I was equally entranced by trombonist Michael McFadden. As much as I love wild, energetic ska shows, it was refreshing to hear the trombone in a slower, more shoegazey setting. It was their first time playing Vegas, and the fourth day of their Acoustic Armory tour, on which they were accompanied by Uvluv, the next act.

Uvluv is the solo moniker of musician Derek Harman, whom I recognized as the frontman of Salt Lake City ska band the Anchorage. There are definite similarities between Uvluv’s music and the Anchorage’s latest album, Regrowth. Uvluv reminds me of Jack Johnson, if Jack Johnson was good. Harman is a phenomenal lyricist, proven with songs off of his EP like “Cure the Curse” and “Stay Afloat.” He’ll be back in Vegas in May, so if you missed him this time around, you have another chance.

I’d heard so much about the fourth act, Mercy Music—being told by people how great they are, seeing a few of the Stripped Down videos, and even listening to some Lydia Vance—but had never heard frontman Brendan Scholz live, which is probably a rarity in the scene, made obvious by the close crowd he drew. His deep speaking voice surprised me, as I was used to his higher singing voice, which, by the way, is fantastic. I’ll be sure to listen to way more Mercy Music from now on, but I do have a request for the band: please play more all-ages shows!

The last act of the night was local band Lawn Mower Death Riders, presenting some solid folk-punk tunes. They were the only full band that night, garnering constant cheering from an enthusiastic group of obvious fans, who danced and sang to every song. But it was their cover of the Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” that had everyone in the room singing along. Their own songs had a definite “end of the world” theme, which made for interesting juxtaposition between the lyrical matter and the jaunty feel of the music.

The night was undeniably lower-energy than your typical show, but I would highly recommend that even the most rambunctious of punks attend an acoustic show at least once. There’s a special sort of feeling in the air at these types of shows—and the chance of getting punched in the face in a pit is a lot lower, too.

-Julien Boulton

Photos by Margaret Schmitt | http://margaretschmitt.wix.com/margaretschmitt