NO AGE
DRUG APTS
BEARCATS
WAREHOUSE ON MARS
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
25 JANUARY, 2017
Amidst a blitz up and down California, we caught up with LA punk duo No Age in the middle of the state, at a warehouse in San Luis Obispo, whose nondescript entrance, giving only notice of a nearby auto body shop, held wonders within. The Warehouse On Mars, as we came to know it, was a sawed off space with a stage facing a small floor ending at walls ringed with vintage arcade games. As the night progressed and the place packed out, the lack of heat became less noticeable. Alternating Sleater-Kinney's The Woods and Curtis Mayfield's Superfly as between-set music sealed the deal. This joint was very quickly home.
Being the first show of the new year, any worries about setting the tone were laid aside quickly by a clutch of strong openers, kicking off with Arroyo Grande's Bearcats. The bass and drums duo tore through their set, winning the crowd over quickly. Similar to their set opening for Sex Stains in San Luis Obispo last year, they didn't play long, but burned brightly, celebrating their newest EP, Break Up Stories. Drug Apartments, from Sacramento, worked the middle spot, and proved a revelation. Frontperson Whitney was a detonation waiting to happen, and the band was savagely tight, their vibe veering from Patti Smith to Perfect Pussy and back again. Definitely one to keep an eye on when they reach your neck of the woods.
Hard to believe it's been four years since An Object, No Age's last LP. Their new single, "Separation" b/w "Serf To Serf" was just the tip of the iceberg in a set jam packed with new tunes, whetting one's appetite for an LP projected for release this year. The venue sound mix was perfectly balanced to capture their dynamics, and when the band dropped into one of their older numbers, the crowd reaction qualified them as another member of the group. For No Age's Dean Spunt and Randy Randall, it's always been: of the people, by the people, and for the people.
(Editor's note: If you are taking advantage of the Bandcamp links above and want to increase your impact, be advised that on Friday, 03 February, Bandcamp will be donating 100% of their proceeds from any sales to the ACLU)
NO AGE
DRUG APTS
BEARCATS
