Before I arrived at Evel Pie I stopped at Frankie’s for a tiki drink. Then I stopped at Oddfellow’s for $2 wells. It might be Tuesday night but Pkew Pkew Pkew was playing and it felt wrong not to at least try to live up to their “Before We Go Out Drinking” philosophy.
The night kicked off with locals Rayner, as the third scheduled band dropped off. Two bands on a weeknight is a dream and Rayner is certainly skilled enough to start the night and warm things up for the headliner. Their set included a cover of Suicide Machines “New Girl,” dedicated to Pkew3’s travel photographer/noted ska fan Jan Solatorio and featuring guest backing vocals from Pkew bassist Emmett O’Reilly. A few fun new songs were played, whetting our appetites for a new release before the band closed out with “Blurred Limes.” Frontman Dany Panda stated that “it should have been called ‘I’m Feeling Good Tonight,’” later letting a few enthusiastic members of the crowd sing said line into his mic.
The full moon shined bright as Pkew Pkew Pkew took the stage. Fitting, because even though the band’s recently released sophomore album finds the Toronto natives maturing as songwriters it also has a song about wanting desperately to see a wolf. (Spoilers, they played the song but the wolf never showed). The small back patio at Evel Pie felt full as punk fans sang along to sing along anthems like “Bloodclot,” “Stop Calling Us Chief” and “Passed Out.” The Canadian party punks unsurprisingly played “Let’s Order a Pizza,” perfect for those of us who scarfed down a slice between sets and closed out with a fan request for “65 Nickels.” (The slices were slightly more than that, but oh so worth it).
-Emily Matview
Photos by Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/
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