There aren’t too many better ways to spend a chilly Friday night than having a few beers at a kickass rock show, and on this particular chilly Friday the Accord played host to one of the most fun shows I’ve ever been to in my six years in our dear twin cities.
I arrived just in time to catch the final song of local openers, The Dry Look, who served up some primo jangly, jagged-edged indie rock to the eager crowd. With super catchy guitar melodies, bouncy Britpop-esque drum beats, and super aggressive vocals, I was hooked. I bobbed my head, shuffled my feet, and found myself wanting to hear more when that song came to its end. It was my own fault for not showing up on time! Keep your eyes and ears open for more of newcomers The Dry Look in the future. These dudes rip!
Next up were local punks Bookmobile!. I’ve seen them a handful of times around the CU area, and they might just be my favorite local band. The crowd filled in around the stage a bit more as bassist/vocalist, Jared Roberts, urged everyone to scoot in nice and close. Heads got bobbing just a bit faster as the band absolutely blitzed through a set of fast, short, and catchy punk rock songs. The band paused only to take a swig or two from their beers before a quick “1-2-3-4” into the next song. Not only is their music fun, but they looked like they were having fun playing it. if you’re a CU local and you haven’t caught Bookmobile yet, you’re blowing it!
Local favorites, Kowabunga! Kid, took the stage next, and got the crowd dancing and moshing along to their own brand of spooky, punky, power pop. I haven’t seen a mosh pit at a CU show in years, but these guys brought it out! Bassist/vocalist, Kamila Glowacki, made sure to remind the pitters to be respectful of the folks who didn’t want to be included in the frenzy (super cool!), and the band seemed to be really feeding off all of the energy in the room. Kowabunga! Kid manage to pull off being both really aggressive and really poppy at the same time. You can’t help but wanna get up and shake your ass!
It was then time for the main event. Louisville rock and rollers and Polyvinyl artists White Reaper closed out the night with an absolute monster of a set. The dance party was in full effect as the Kentucky boys had just about everyone in the room moshing, dancing, stage diving and singing along. There was so much fun to be had in the crowd that the bassist, Sam Wilkerson, decided to join in with a stage dive! As the set came to a close, the crowd demanded more, and the band returned to play their encore by juggling up the line up a bit and trading instruments. Last time White Reaper came to CU, they played to an almost empty room at Mike and Molly’s. This time around they returned as a band that has very clearly become a tighter and much more seasoned international touring act. If you weren’t there, you missed a truly special evening. These dudes are about to be huge!
Special thanks to the Accord and all the amazing bands!
All photography by Tom Chandler.