Strike Anywhere + None More Back + The Unseen + The Loved Ones

As anyone who was alive before 1980 will tell you: today, in our radio-ready, consumer-driven society, punk rock is dead. But don’t let the Britneys and the Good Charlottes fool you; if you know where to look there are a few contemporary bands still emulating the crusty, political sounds and sentiments of ’70s punkers. Richmond, Virginia’s Strike Anywhere is one such band. The politically-charged quintet brought charged riffs to New York City, ripping up a sold-out show at the Knitting Factory, playing all-out before a fist-thrusting crowd of 16-year-old kids in Ramones tee-shirts and studded belts (presumably procured on a street corner in St. Mark’s). But despite the crowd’s disheveled appearance and “real punks don’t shower” mind-set, the general attitude was one of unity. Strike Anywhere’s 45-minute set centered on their long-held ideal that no one should let the powers-that-be dictate how they live, a viewpoint that was met with extraneous fists and shouts of accordance by the jumping audience members. Although Strike Anywhere is technically touring in support of a new b-sides release, To Live in Discontent, it still seems like the band is supporting their last full-length, Exit English, released in 2003. Songs from Exit English, which included “Infrared” and “Amplify,” were the high points of the show and met with the greatest eruptions of cheering. With singer Thomas Barnett’s coarse yells damning authority and the rest of the band rapidly tearing through hardcore riffs and beats, the potential for callousness is high. Perhaps it’s Barnett’s friendly demeanor, offset by his long blond dreadlocks, or the good-natured sense of amity their music elicits, but Strike Anywhere is a welcoming and surprisingly easy listen — even for the audience members who weren’t aware of the unspoken dress code. The highlight of the band’s set — which is the highlight of every set I have ever seen them play — was “Chalkline”, a track from the band’s 2001 debut Change Is a Sound. Possessing the band’s most powerful message, Barnett always dedicates “Chalkline” to “all the women in the audience” (last night was no different). It’s a staunchly feminist song with a fiercely progressive mindset. This mindset is, of course, mildly surprising sung in the midst of a male-dominated social and musical movement. “To walk alone on the streets tonight and fear nothing,” Barnett sings. “To choose to love what we are in this life all that matters.” Modern punk may be damned by the masses for its uber-political mentality and preach-to-the-choir preconception, but songs like this are far too positive to be flung into such a sweeping generalization. Three similarly minded and similarly sounding bands opened the night (which started early, at 6:30, presumably so all the 16-year-olds would make it back to their nice suburban homes before midnight). The Loved Ones, a newly formed band who shares Strike Anywhere’s home on Jade Tree Records, features Kid Dynamite’s bassist, Michael “Spider” Cotterman, and Mike Sheeringer, the drummer from D.C.’s Trial By Fire. More melodic than the other bands on the bill, the Loved Ones offer something with less screaming, something more along the lines of Hot Water Music or the Bouncing Souls. Boston’s resident punkers the Unseen and Philly’s None More Black, which also features ex-Kid Dynamite crew, followed with congruous sets of fast and dirty hardcore punk, criticizing the status quo and railing against the government. None More Black, in particular, spent the end of their set condemning the recent government actions involving Social Security, something one might assume the majority of the audience is not too concerned about… yet. The punk rock of the Damned and the Dead Boys may be long deceased and buried, but bands like Strike Anywhere are doing their damnedest to prove that punk rock, in some form, can still exist even in a time when Clash tee-shirts can be picked up at the local mall along with hair gel and spiked bracelets. But just because punk rock can be bought and paid for next door to the Gap doesn’t mean that the kids purchasing it aren’t getting the same enjoyment kids used to get from the Dead Boys. The only unenjoyable thing about this show was the Knitting Factory’s unfortunate unisex bathroom with only one working stall. It might be possible to revive the spirit of punk rock, but some things are better left in ’77.