Images: Red City Radio, toyGuitar, No Red Alice, The Damnit Jims, Decent Criminal September 2, 2016 at Beauty Bar

As I super casually and confidently strolled into the Beauty Bar just as the first band started…(who are we kidding, I was standing outside for at least thirty minutes pretending to have very important business on my phone until the doors opened), I was greeted by the sounds of promotor TJ Suckerpunch’s party mix. The Lillingtons, Teenage Bottlerocket and 2 Live Crew’s “Face Down Ass Up” acted like a warm hug from a friend.

Out back in the trailer court, The Damnit Jims were up first. I’d actually only seen the Jims once before (on the mainstage at this year’s Punk Rock Bowling), so the fact that I remembered the words to at least 3 or 4 of their songs speaks volumes to their catchiness. The crowd was still slim as they started their set around 9 p.m., but I did see a few heads bobbing along to “Never Die,” “P.M.A.” (which according to frontman Andy Harrison contains the word “motherfucker” 45 times – impressive) and set closer “Enemy.” Their debut full-length Just Punk Enough comes out next month, and based on the title track, I think it’s going to be pretty great.

No Red Alice (a.k.a. Sal and the Chrises) was great as frontman Sal Giordano’s solo project, but adding Chris Berg on drums and Chris Bitonti on guitar not only fills out the sound, it just makes the whole thing so much more joyful. These guys are obviously best friends having a blast on stage, and that enthusiasm is infectious. An evening highlight came when after announcing they were going to play a cover, and completely freaking out Mercy Music’s Brendan Scholz and Jarred Cooper by playing the first few parts of their own “Undone,” they launched into Jawbreaker’s “Boxcar” which had the words “you’re not punk, and I’m telling everyone” screamed at the top of many a lung.

If popular music wasn’t always in some state of dumpster fire, San Francisco’s toyGuitar would probably be one of the most famous bands in the world, and I’d be hearing their low-fi dance rock in every commercial. How anyone in the vicinity managed to keep their toes and butts firmly in place while they were playing is a thing I can’t understand. After introducing themselves as Mercy Music, they launched into a slew of favorites including “In This Mess” and “Human Hyenas,” along with a few from their brand new EP Move Like a Ghost. This show acted as a bit of a release show for that EP, which was an unfortunate pity, as the crowd was far too small and subdued. Frontman Jack Dalrymple commented on the lack of energy a few times, but the band didn’t let it get them down. They mentioned that it was still a better turnout than their last Vegas show, and played with the same energy I imagine they would in front of a crowd of hundreds, (particularly drummer Rosie Gonce, who makes me want to quit my job and become a musician because she makes it look like too much fun). This was my first time seeing them live, and I won’t make the mistake of missing them again.

Red City Radio’s set was the stuff dreams are made of. Garrett Dale is one of my favorite frontmen, and his charismatic croon had the whole crowd locked in. There just might not be anything in the world more joy inducing that screaming “I am a fucking juggernaut” at the top of your lungs on “Show Me on the Doll Where the Music Touched You” or “I just want to get high and play my fucking guitar” on “In the Meantime.” Come to think of it, maybe I just like screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs. I was happy not to be alone in doing so though – although the crowd was still too slim for my liking, there was a veritable gaggle of smiling fans screaming along to favorites “Electricity,” “Whatcha Got” “50th and Western,” and “Two Notes Shy of an Octave.” Dale graciously thanked every band that played before them, and asked for a raising of hands for who was seeing them for the first time. With many a hand in the air, I was stoked to follow my eye down to smiling faces that I know will be back to see them again.

toyGuitar tourmates Decent Criminal, having shown up criminally late for the show (zing – I’ve still got it), had the unenviable position of playing after Red City Radio, but you wouldn’t notice the lack of crowd participation by their demeanor. They still gave it their all, and I really enjoyed their surf punk feel – making a note to check them out online when my mind was less preoccupied by the call of my comfy bed.

As I walked back inside, I found a completely packed bar in the middle of hip hop night. And as I awkwardly danced my way through the crowd out into the nightmarish hellscape that is Fremont Street at 1 a.m., I was still all smiles from a night of great bands and great friends. Let’s do it again soon.

-Ashleigh Thompson

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