Images: United Nations, Silver Snakes, Caravels November 12, 2014 at The Dive

If you felt a cold chill suddenly come over you last Wednesday night, it was likely just the specter of political hardcore band United Nations rolling into town. You may be familiar with the pictures of all four band members sporting dead-eyed Reagan masks, their controversial record sleeve that led to incidents of people destroying them in the store, or the much talked about lawsuit filed against them by the actual United Nations. (“The fact they were afraid people would confuse an inter-governmental body with five assholes screaming on stage says more about them than us.”)

The band’s myth is perpetuated by the fact that they tour infrequently, and certainly had never made it to this neck of the woods. Those Reagan masks are heavily featured in every official photo, and members are famously rotated in and out so, even waiting outside for the show to begin, I couldn’t be sure exactly who United Nations would be that night. The constant however is frontman Geoff Rickly, formerly of Thursday and currently in No Devotion, and the band has included members of Converge, Glassjaw and Pianos Become the Teeth. To say that many people responsible for what punk sounds like in the twenty first century have passed through that band would not at all be an overstatement.

To call United Nations’ live performance kinetic would probably sell it short. Geoff Rickly is utterly entrancing as a front man (and at this point he’s had plenty of practice). Vaulting across the stage and providing his clipped dramatic movements as accompaniment, Rickly is undoubtedly a staggering figure in the modern punk scene and seems completely unreceptive to the idea of slowing down.

Opening with “Serious Business,” an absolutely crushing power violence-esque song anchored by blast beats, it’s clear they have a sound refined and rich with the influence of great screamo and post-hardcore of the 90s that is often forgotten and undervalued. Introducing “O You Bright and Risen Angels,” Rickly cited the east coast screamo of bands like Saetia that provided such a sharp left turn from everything that preceded them, and United Nations is certainly growing that lofty tradition.  The band was anchored by the rhythm section of Pianos Become the Teeth, which is no small task considering the blistering speeds and tempo changes that makes the music such a visceral experience.

While the Wednesday night crowd never quite rose to the level of intensity one might expect at such a performance, I couldn’t help but feel there was something dangerous and important about seeing United Nations live. They offer sharp criticism of hypocrisy and don’t back down from heavy-weights (again, see lawsuit from the actual United Nations). There’s a sense that they’re saying things that need to be said in a medium that captures a special kind of antagonism and do so with a well-honed sense of where aggressive music came from and where it can go. That being said, it’s high concept punk with no pretension. At the end of the show Rickly offers everyone smiles, handshakes, and thanks; recognizing that having a strong message on messy politics and punk ethics should be inherently opposed to the distance and holier-than-thou attitude that is often in vogue.

The second half of this touring package, Silver Snakes played a number of songs from their new album “Year of the Snake.” The Bridge Nine band is a riff-heavy counter to the other bands on the bill and the more stoic crowd that gathered that night probably didn’t give them the enthusiasm they deserved. Silver Snakes liberally throws blues and folk elements into a driving punk framework (not entirely unlike Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) that occasionally nods towards emo and spacious dynamics. They fit within a larger scene of contemporary bands that are willing to cross the lines between punk, the more conventional alternative music of the mid-2000s, and idiosyncratic influences. A welcome contrast to the other bands on the bill, they were a strong change of pace live.

First up was our very own Caravels, who increasingly seem to be the point of reference for how people see Vegas punk. They received high compliments from both Silver Snakes and United Nations and delivered a performance worthy of the praise, matching the intensity we’ve come to expect from them live. They have a finely tuned sense of sonic dynamics that always make them a joy to see and shows their reputation is well-earned.

-Patrick Caddick

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/