Show Recap: Soap Scum, Bad Side, Rüz, Mother Leopard, The Tyrants

While the punks of the C-U area truly have all they could ever hope for with their vast and thriving local scene, sometimes it can be well worth it to set foot outside one scene's confines to catch a taste of another. For those of you punk rockers who were looking to get your slam on last night, this hardcore punk show at the Black Sheep Café in Springfield was not a show to miss. If you ever get a chance to attend a wild show like this at the Black Sheep, you will certainly tell your friends, and if not, your mother.The TyrantsThese are the knuckleheads I rode into town with. After arriving fashionably late due to a Po' Boy incident at Popeye's, The Tyrants, who were not originally on the show's lineup, took the stage. All but one of the band members donnen plush purple capes, golden crowns, and terrific yellow socks. Their vocalist, Sam, was clearly a non-conformist; he instead had on goofy shades and a periwinkle blazer, and brought with him a promise of "turning your brains to sh*t."Before the synth-punk quintet could even sneak a note in, the crowd was already full of life, and that didn't change once the start of their set came. This was the first time in over a full year that the Chicago/Champaign/Springfield band of U of I alums had played together, mainly because of activity with related projects - the band shares members with Need, Easter, Soap Scum, Kowabunga! Kid - and due to drummer Kyle Lang's recent triumph over cancer. They certainly made up for lost time. Their quirky show antics and upbeat slam tunes kept a smile on the crowd's faces for the entirety of their brief set. If you aren't convinced, catch them as their world tour stops in Bloomington Saturday night, but you'll have to ask a punk for the address.Mother LeopardThese Springfield heavy hitters are soon to make their way onto every DIY junkie's bucket list. They're mean, they hate you, they will make the ceiling rain down plaster, and they will spit in your face.Normally performing as an instrumental three-piece, the group has been experimenting lately. They claim to have taken on a vocalist, but in this instance, drummer Kyle Ratliff, also of Springfield bands Our Lady and Caterpillar Club, began the set out on the front of the stage instead of behind the kit, pacing back and forth and howling at the audience. Once he had returned to his drumming duties, guitarist Benny DeWitt threw the mic into the crowd, and for the remainder of their emotional and fiery set, various members of the audience took turns grabbing the mic and acting as the band's frontman. The band had allowed this before, but it's always powerful to see the show-goers themselves, with all the rage Mother Leopard releases toward its listeners, take control and let loose along with the band like they did.RüzThese Saint Louis slimesters' standard yet abrasive brand of hardcore punk was beautifully coupled with the members' willingness to assert their way into the crowd at any given moment. The vocalist on several occasions even somersaulted into people, his Hawaiian shirt flailing among a sea of denim and leather. Needless to say, this group is one to watch out for, but in more ways than one.Bad SideFor all of you punk rockers looking for a bad time, this is your band to see. On tour from Philadelphia, the five-piece punk outfit brought some serious style to the show. Rare is it that a vocalist will use a mic stand when he is not also playing an instrument, but this was the case for vox man Perry, Unfortunately, there were no fireworks being thrown around like at the Albion House in Chicago, where I first came across this group back in March. They were even more awesome the second time around though.Soap ScumAs I am a member of this Springfield-based band, the show was a bit of a homecoming for me. It's also really weird for me to critique my own band's performance. It's okay though; everybody left before our set started anyway, mainly because our vocalist Brian refused to come down from the ceiling, even after eight straight minutes of the crowd chanting "sweep the floor, mop the ceiling."  After that, we just left him up there and played a bunch of Devo covers.