JAGERMEISTER SPRING TOUR REVIEW

with Pepper, Pennywise, The Expendables, Warsaw Poland Bros & Big B

Showbox Sodo (Seattle)

13 April 2009

Photos By Fresh Photography (Marc Monforton)

Seattle was the lucky city chosen to kick off this Spring’s Jagermeister Tour and what a line-up we got this time: Pennywise, Pepper and The Expendables on the same bill - are you kidding me? This was going to the perfect West Coast reggae punk party. This would be a show talked about for the ages. Well maybe... not quite.

The Warsaw Poland Bros got the evening off to a skanking good start, yet it was already apparent there was some sound issues. In-fact all the band’s struggled through a muddy sound mix the entire night. However, this was not to deter the groups and the already strong crowd from having a hell of a good time. In its short 30 minute set, the Warsaw Poland Bros certainly impressed me enough to want to check out more of its soulful ska music. The band was literally being pulled off stage mid-song when Suburban Noize MC Big B came on as the hype-man to keep the crowd simmering in-between sets. Credit must go to the big fella, as this would not be an easy task with the stage crew packing and setting up behind you. Yet Big B performed some songs, did some Jager shots and partied with the Jager girls, remarkably keeping most's attention.

As always The Expendables didn’t disappoint. These Santa Cruz road-dogs could perform its live sets in its sleep these days. The crowd was treated to a new song Donkey Punch, which was a fast punk number, complete with not one but two dueling guitar solos. Not surprisingly the band finished with the well-known Sacrifice and I don’t think there was one person in the place that had not previously heard this song; the whole venue erupted for its overpowering rocking climax. The song is a classic, and all I could think, as I watched in awe, is I hope the best of The Expendables writing is not behind them. It would be near impossible to write a better tune.

Speaking to the band between sets it was evident they were dying to get back into the studio and record that special album to push them over the top, but that will have to wait to August, the band has the mammoth 311 Summer Unity Tour first.

Next up was punk royalty Pennywise. I actually thought that Pennywise would be the headliners and most of the kids there seemed like Pennywise fans first. Yet in all honesty I was surprised the band played at all, with the news of Fletcher’s (guitarist) brother tragically passing last week. If anything this terrible event inspired the band to steam-roll through an emotional power-packed 45 minute set.

All the classics were covered (My Own Country, Fuck Authority & Every Single Day) and a blistering cover of Nirvana’s Territorial Pissings, which was actually enhanced on this occasion by the venue’s poor sound. Ending with the Bro Hymn, Pennywise’s performance was over all too quickly.

Opening with the sing-along anthem Ashes, Pepper was up to the challenge to close out the night. The band played a great variety from all its albums, though Kona Town was most heavily featured. Probably due to the band’s new Kona Gold record, which features a live recording of the entire classic album. Pepper typically plays Pennywise’s Bro Hymn in the middle of radio favorite Give it Up, well you can’t top the original played minutes before, so the guys experimented with Higher Ground before going into the second Nirvana cover of the night Smells Like Teens Spirit. As always the band thoroughly entertained with its crude sexual references and its sweaty music, all serving as great foreplay whether you wanted it or not. Having seen the band play over six times in the past couple of years, it must be doing something right to continue to maintain my interest level.

Overall it was a successful tour kick-off, yet I did also feel like I had been beaten senseless with all the Jagermeister advertising. How the irony that at the end of the night, as I walked into the cold rainy Seattle weather all I could think of was how delicious a Starbucks coffee would taste. Maybe launch in Vegas next time?

Reviewed by Pilipo