Show Recap: Laughboy, Panicsville, Slut River, Gnargoyle
One of the main tenets of Pizza FM is to get all the U of I kids stuck in the campus bubble out of that bubble. House shows are an excellent way to do that. I think of house shows as somewhat of a big hangout session with live music and an opportunity to meet people with similar interests in the music scene. House shows are also a place to just mess around and have fun on a weekend. Last night’s show at The Math Lab was no different.
Gnargoyle
The show opened up with local “parking garage f*cks” led by frontman Jake Mott. Not three songs into the thrashing Mott proclaimed, “Raise your hand if you’re out of shape like me.” His self-described “smart, very funny lyrics” screamed over the guitar, bass and drums was a grand ol’ time. They even played a song about how pizza comes out of your butt. Pizza? That's us!
Additionally, during the set drummer Ivan Catron’s dressing on his right hand fell off showing the most disgusting lost thumbnail. Apparently he was using a DCP rod at work when his thumb got caught between a 15 pound weight and the rod’s handle. It was pretty gross. Though luckily it should be better by Pygmalion where he’ll be playing with Dino Bravo.
Slut River
These punk rockers from Iowa City, Iowa played next. I would describe their music as fast and loud, perfect for this show. They proved that sometimes you just need to get shoved and shove people around.Interestingly, though, I talked to frontwoman Anna McDermott after their set about feminism’s influence on the band. She noted that they “do not write sexist lyrics” and told me about how she’s actually against moshing because it “eliminates women from standing up front.”Slut River is on week two of a seven week tour including both coasts of the United States, the midwest and Puerto Rico.
Panicsville
Panicsville set the stage with a fog machine and turned off all the lights, creating the perfect ambience to their ambient music. It was arguably one of the most interesting sets I’ve ever seen. The flashing lights from the equipment in the fog reminded me of a game of laser tag. Some of the high-pitched squeals reminded me terribly of a child’s screams. At other points I felt like the music came from inside my brain.It made me feel really uncomfortable, which is actually really cool and impressive. At multiple points, Jeremiah began doing pushups to the ambient noise. Overall, it was a pretty darn artsy set.
Laughboy