Pennsylvania’s own Tigers Jaw and Modern Baseball performed March 1 at Flux along with fellow punk band Sun. The show was reportedly very close to selling out, making the already small Intercultural Center basement even tinier. That being said, it really brought some energy to the concert, especially in the front and center. From my safe spot near the back, I could see some major moshing and crowd surfing going on. Though I did not join in — journalistic integrity? — it looked like everyone was having a blast.
Punk bands Sun and Modern Baseball opened for Tigers Jaw, and I believe both were good, in a punky kind of way. While I am not well versed in this particular genre, they were very well received, which leads me to believe that they are indeed good bands.
Judging by the overwhelming noise from the crowd, Sun and Modern Baseball did something right. As an uninformed audience member, I enjoyed the exposure to this kind of music. It’s darker than pop or rock, obviously, both in terms of lyrics and music, but there is something decidedly upbeat about it. The music itself was often built of simple chord progressions that often switched back and forth between major and minor keys, which made the songs interesting and diverse. Because of this, there was no repetition or lull in the performances.
Modern Baseball had its first gig at Flux, and all of the members of the band are current Drexel students. According to Jacob Ewald, the band’s lead singer, coming back to the venue and playing with Tigers Jaw and Sun was a dream come true. Judging by the huge smile on his face, I believe it.
The main attraction, Tigers Jaw, did not keep the crowd waiting long. Said crowd immediately closed in on the stage in some sort of punk vacuum, somehow finding more room to squeeze together when I could’ve sworn no such room existed. The cheers from the crowd were so intense that I assume the band played the first few measures of its first song, but it was totally drowned out. People were pumped.
They, much the same as the first two bands, were met with much enthusiasm and played very similar music. I’m still learning about this punk music, so bear with me. Their sound was relatively light and reminiscent of indie music. There was also something surrounding about their music; it seemed to come from every direction thanks to some very well-coordinated lead and rhythm guitar parts. Their vocal harmonies were similarly well harmonized.
The band played a fairly lengthy set and ended with an upbeat number, which really got the crowd excited. Everyone left, it seemed, having had a good, punk-filled evening.
Tigers Jaw is expected to head back to its hometown of Scranton, Pa., for a benefit concert before heading out on a European tour this July.