The Hysterics, Swimsuit, and Dry Eyes at the Neutral Zone, 9/17/12 show review

The Hysterics, Swimsuit, and Dry Eyes at the Neutral Zone, 9/17/12 show review

I finagled quite a bit to make this show fit my schedule- go in two hours early, skip my lunch break, drive right out to the show after punching out, etc.  Hopefully the inconvenience would be worth it.

Oh man, was it ever.  Local high school band Dry Eyes went on first (they were one or two songs into the set when I got there), and though they were young and a bit difficult to define, it seemed like horror-influenced, hardcore-related punk.  I’m not sure if it has a name, but it’s pretty good.  I wasn’t headbanging or moshing, but this band has some good riffage.  I’ll be keeping an eye and an ear out for Dry Eyes- you should too.

Next on the bill was Swimsuit, an arty punk-indie rock mix.  Though this was one of the weirder band I’ve seen, and I doubt I would play music like this or see this band on the regular, this was truly talented music (i.e. they could play their instruments and write a euphonious song) and it was enjoyable.  That much I can respect- props for being different and still good.

Closing out was the band I’d been dying to see, the Hysterics, from Olympia, Washington.  It has a member of Outlook and has a reputation unto itself, so I was excited.  Holy shit- this was one of the more electrifying sets I’ve seen this year.  I have never seen someone be so righteously angry wear such a happy shirt.  Seriously, the singer rocked a Cheerios shirt while blasting out one of the most energetic sets I’ve seen- on top of it all, it is a band of all females- not that it matters, but it is awesome nonetheless.  This quartet just powered through their set, song after song with nary a break, save to explain a song’s meaning (about street harassment, which, as a dude who loves women, has never seemed like an effective flirtatious or networking tactic).  These four females furiously cut through and jammed out hardcore that could have come straight from the 80s, and I wouldn’t have known the difference.  What a band- what a group of awesome people and killer musicians (punk musicians, that is).  This performance was right up there with Hoax’s two performances and Tragedy’s performance- gnarly as FUCK.

I teetered on whether I would attend this or Ceremony later that week in Lansing.  Glad I chose this one.  I would have seriously missed out.

-Aunty Social