In December of 2012
these three bands played to a packed house at the Sweatshop. This show wasn’t
quite as packed as the December one, but still people showed up to see a repeat
what had been called “the best show of 2012” in summer of 2013.
The Sweatshop is an art gallery in Benson, in Omaha, NE. They often have wild rock shows and other events such as bull riding and mud wrestling. The venue has a main room connected to a garage, with a beautiful geometric black and white painting as backdrop for the bands. The lower room has art hanging on the walls-at this show there was a drawing of Gucci Mane imploring the viewer: "Do acid with me."
The Sweatshop is an art gallery in Benson, in Omaha, NE. They often have wild rock shows and other events such as bull riding and mud wrestling. The venue has a main room connected to a garage, with a beautiful geometric black and white painting as backdrop for the bands. The lower room has art hanging on the walls-at this show there was a drawing of Gucci Mane imploring the viewer: "Do acid with me."
My brother, Jack (Boogs), plays keyboard and
guitar in the Dad. He booked this show, and he is good friends with both Parquet
Courts and Solid Attitude.
I came not only to support my brother and see the newly
huge Parquet Courts but also to meet and observe Solid Attitude for my
project. I had seen Solid Attitude once before, in San Francisco with my
brother. They played to a less-than packed grimy bar with CCR Headcleaner. At
the time, I had no idea that Solid Attitude would become a part of my senior
thesis project. I was attracted to their energetic performance and no-fuss
music. I think I was also into the novelty of seeing an Iowa City band in
glamorous California.
At this show, armed with some ideas about my thesis and some
background research I did on Solid Attitude, I was ready to notice everything
about Solid Attitude’s performing mannerisms. Of course, I got sucked into the
music and the crowd and had a hard time keeping my distance to take
photographs.
Mickey Shaw, the singer of Solid Attitude, is the most
energetic and enigmatic performer I have ever seen. His feet were constantly in
motion. They turned in and out as if he were performing a soft-shoe routine on
the beer-covered floor. He rocked back and forth, pitching forward and bending
over. At times it looked as if he were going to swallow the microphone. He sang
with an urgency that can be heard on the record, but the live experience is a
whole new degree of intensity. Between verses, as the band played on, Mickey
looked at the crowd bewildered and gasping for air-like a fish out of water. He
stared down those of us in the front row with a kind of curiosity-as if he were
surprised that we were all there to see him.
Walker Neudorff, the drummer, stood up shirtless behind his
kit consisting of a floor tom, snare, and crash. He drums with the intensity of
a jackhammer. As he got sweatier and sweatier, I understood why he took off his
shirt before the show even began. Walker knew how wild this show would get and
planned accordingly. He kept the band at a frantic pace with his wild yet tight drumming.
Brendan Wells, on the bass, and Matt Fenner, on guitar, took up the melodic brunt of the band's music. In an interview after the show, Matt said that he appreciated that Mickey was such a crazy performer so the audience focused on Mickey's antics instead of on his guitar playing. They are both understated performers, but the music they play clearly requires some concentration. Brendan slings heavy, fuzz bass lines and Matt hits some cleaner high riffs that work with the rest of the noisy music in a nice juxtaposition.
Maybe I'm biased since I am putting so much work into understanding Solid Attitude's music and performance, but I thought they were the best band of the night. They put on a tight, well-rehearsed show that was exciting and engaging. Everyone in the audience was rapt with attention and thrashed around to the music. Despite the heat (there was sweat dripping down my legs), I think that everyone really enjoyed the show. The Sweatshop is an art gallery and lets in all-ages. Many people there were from the Omaha punk scene-familiar faces-but there were also some nighttime wanderers of Benson who came in just for the $10-a-cup unlimited beer.
Notes from Iowa City to come next, as well as post facto notes on Places We Slept interview and Omaha show.
Up next is NYC.
mdb
