Strung Out sober at The Venue

The southern California band Strung Out headlined Thursday night at The Venue with their Fat Wreck Cords comrades Only Crime. With opening acts Haste the Day and Wilhi Scream, the evening was dominated by an all age’s agenda.

The Venue is the new place to go for a good punk rock, local or not. A once run down warehouse, The Venue is an up and running piece of underground Boise.

On this random Thursday night in question, the vibe of The Venue was that of youthful idealism as the evening’s acts thrashed the concert hall apart.

Wilhelm Scream, a highly energetic band from Connecticut, set the tone. With high flight guitar riffs and rapid crash cymbals, the band proved worthy of original rhythm. Though they stopped the set to pay tribute to those slain in Ohio the night before, the energy they produced was enough to get any aggression out. A tribute song to the Abbott brothers and a heightened awareness was present.

Only Crime, the brain-child of members of Gwar, Good Riddance All, Descendents and Black Flag, played with the utmost quality these veterans of punk rock could belch. Even through a three-song black out, Only Crime thrashed through and even joked they meant to have the lights turned out for the show. "I really don’t care [if the lights are out] we meant to do that," said guitarist Zach Blair

Front man Russ Rankins said the side project was created from "heavy Good Riddance down time. I just wanted to start a punk band while our bass player is at college, and with people who don’t do drugs."

Haste the Day served a hot dose of cut-throat music to their cult-ish fans. Breaking into a Kung-Fu berzerker dance their followers up-tempo-ed to the headliners.

Strung Out played to the luxury of a solid sober crowd. Don’t let the name fool you, they neither endorse nor oppose the use or abuse of any mind-altering chemical but energy from the crowd was true and pure. Where most acts play to the intoxicated masses Strung Out played to coherent and ragging youths and adults alike. None of the bands Thursday night sported the "straight edge" label but all supported the positive vibe that’s regular at The Venue.

Touring in support of their 8th album "Exile in Oblivion," Strung Out showcased their newer songs but still played some of their original work for posterity.

Strung Out is what the Offspring wish they could be: an underground sounding California based quartet in it for the music not the money. Front man Jason Cruz even joked about their own bands’ merchandise in the back of the room. "You should buy some of our stuff, it’s like Hot Topic back there… it’s fucking sickening."

Over 2 hundred heads were in attendance.

-Dan McNeese writes for The Arbiter in addition to working at The Venue.

For info on upcoming shows visit boisevenue.com

an McNeese
Culture Writer

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