Wednesday evening at The End was special, not just because Thelma & The Sleaze debuted their fine discounted Goodwill merch table, (i.e. camo-trucker hats, bejeweled overall shorts, etc.), but because The Moaners decided to pay us a little visit, all the way from Chapel Hill, NC. First, though, fuckshow warmed everybody up with a little folksy kind of punk rock. Lead singer Wes Trew’s "less annoying Billie Joe Armstrong" warble, and fuckshow’s surprisingly insightful lyrics were pretty refreshing to hear from a band with such a name. (Say it with me now – fuckshow).
It was more refreshing to hear The Moaners play next, who are currently on tour, promoting some of their new tunes. Listening to them play on Wednesday made you feel like you were a character from a horror movie, drunkenly wandering around a farm late at night in the middle of nowhere, and you suddenly realize that a deranged man with a chainsaw is chasing you in his Ford Bronco – but in a good way. Most of their set was made up of 3-chord songs that would drone their way into sounds similar to The Ditty Bops’ interpretation of Marcy’s Playground. Many of the songs made their way into jams that you didn’t realize were jams until the song was already over, which takes some pretty crafty instrumental skill. Their final song was an eerie waltz which featured lead singer/guitarist Melissa Swingle on a beautiful saw solo, and drummer/singer Laura King accompanying her on guitar. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_-dvs5js1Y
Thelma & The Sleaze went on last and brought the trashy level back to where it belonged. While singer/guitarist Lauren Gilbert still insisted on wearing her confederate flag bikini, the previous Trampskirt members gave a "damn good effort" to their grunge rock sound, which has become less punk and more blues – more sass and trash – since the Trampskirt days. Bassist Emily Zimmer held an interesting tune together – think Henry Mancini bass lines with added scrappiness – and with Gilbert’s Janis Joplin growl, their set was better than ever.
Catch fuckshow, T&TS and The Moaners if you can. Until then, be sure to say hey to Lauren Gilbert at Taco Party if you care to have a delicious burrito and a good laugh. – Erin Manning