Japanther, Drug Mountain at 1919 Hemphill 3/17/09

Drug Mountain is a hard act to follow.  I didn't know they had two saxophones in the mix.  Can i get some more sax in my monitor, please?  They played a brutally short set led by Britt's abbrasive groove basslines.  This rhythm section is intense.  Rizz hits those skins hard, whether it's dance-punk or blast-beats.  Brian's screaming was his usual, uh, screaming and Bobby was great even though he was on vocal duties much less.  Likewise, it was tight to see Bobby switch with Rizz on drums for the last song (both briefly pounded the kit together).  Very impressive.   

Japanther played their familiar blend of lo-fi, pop-punk, with cassette tape samples/backing tracks.  There were a couple Ramones and Misfits covers.  One could tell that Japanther really loves playing 1919 Hemphill.  They were praising the community space all through their set. Even though Japanther seemed quiet in comparison to Drug Mountain, they were very enjoyable and entertaining to watch.  

The evening was topped off with a fun trip to the nearby 7-11.  I was able to give change to a bum (wearing a Rush tour shirt from '76)  so he could purchase a can of Steel Reserve.  Then we got free Big Gulps for helping facilitate the line were this dude got jacked outta his spot.  Ahhh, the little things in life....