COVERAGE

Let’s take a break from mourning over the loss of our favorite bands and crying/listening to Paul Baribeau this afternoon to recap last night.

New Jersey punks all gathered in their natural habitat last night at Asbury Lanes for Full of Fancy’s last crusade. Yes, crusade. I mean they entered the stage to theme of Indiana Jones- it was pretty triumphant.

They played a meaty and satisfying set even though no encore was planned. It was not much different from their last New Brunswick basement show they played not too long ago. I think the purely instrumental “Liquid Nature” makes for an awesome transition between songs, dragging out the set in the best way possible. There were so many smiles and warm embraces even before the show was over, when they finished with “Hot Tub” and “30 Days.”

There’s something about the way Erin sings so happily that I know I’m going to miss seeing them play live. As for Miranda, it seems oddly appropriate to go see her play in Black Wine in New Brunswick the night following this.

I was standing front and center and waving my X-marked fists to the drum beats of “Trophy” when I found myself in a pit of girls wearing blue wrist bands and realized how happy I was to share this with everyone- friends, other underage youngin’s like myself, New Jersey natives, out-of-staters, everybody.

The Marshmallows, who opened, also played their final show. Big Eyes were given no justice in the middle of this line-up, after which The Ribeye Brothers played for almost twice as long.

On to more important stuff: let’s talk about Screaming Females. This band never fails to restore any faith I ever lose in music. Experimental, punk, call them what you will, but this band fucking rules. Though I think whoever tagged them on last.fm as “i think i peed a little” has the right idea. Even Jarrett on drums shows looks of disbelief when Marissa starts to shred the gee-tar in the middle of an already mind-blowing song. I could feel my brain rattling back and forth in my head during “Sheep.” And the best part of it is, they’re not breaking up any time soon (that I know of, at least)! This is just what New Brunswick, and New Jersey all together, needs as we watch bands like Full of Fancy and The Measure [SA] play their final shows. So when Screaming Females played right before Full of Fancy did their last set ever at the Lanes, it was like they were reassuring us, “Don’t worry guys! The punk scene hasn’t died! YET!” And I’m totally okay with that.