The punks were thoroughly upped at the Electric Factory Nov. 16, thanks to world travelers Against Me!, The World/Inferno Friendship Society and Cobra Skulls. Epitaph rapper Sage Francis also performed, but he sucked, making the night 3/4 awesome, 1/4 obnoxiously ignorant. But I’m OK with that. See, Against Me! is still one of the hottest punk bands in town, no matter what label they sign to or how many Sum 41 songs they play over the speakers in between sets. Extra props go to World/Inferno Friendship Society for being just about the giddiest bunch of anarchists I’ve ever met. Give those folks a kids’ TV show, stat.
Canadian punk/hardcore act Cobra Skulls opened the show well enough, delivering crisp, crunchy riffs and aggressive vocals. While the band’s name outshone the quality of its songwriting, Cobra Skulls still provided an entertaining introduction to the evening.
The room’s energy was noticeably cranked once the suit-and-dress-lovin’ World/Inferno Friendship Society began playing. Blending epic orchestral compositions with big band jazz and the almighty punk rock, W/IFS was truly enlightening. Each band on the bill brought some politics to the stage, but none made taking down the system more fun than this act did. Granted, some of the Ralph Nader proselytizing got out of hand (Nader? Really? 0.38 percent of the popular vote?), but the optimism the band showcased was infectious. Besides, with opening quips like “Circle that ‘A’ [melon farmer]” and songs like “Cathy Catharine,” the only appropriate response was to dance.
Despite his affinity for beer and red wine, frontman Jack Terricloth (né Pete Vantantonio) proved an adept rabble rouser, combining chutzpah with smarts into socio-political calls-to-arms. An aesthetic sibling to Nation of Ulysses, Dresden Dolls and, what the hey, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, The World/Inferno Friendship Society was a brilliant opening act, and easily one of the best live bands of 2007.
Unfortunately for Terricloth and his crew, however, most of the goodwill and energy the band concocted was killed off by Sage Francis.
Hailing from Providence, R.I., Francis showed some cajones by playing onstage with just a mic and sampler. What he lacked, though, was talent and focus, or so it seemed. Emerging to sing “Jah Didn’t Kill Johnny,” off of A Healthy Distrust, Francis started off curiously. Opening a set at the Factory with a nearly a cappella tune was brave, and the rapper seemed primed to dish out some evocative social commentary.
“Ladies, hold on to your dignity,” he said at one point, mocking the sexual desecration that sometimes comes with concerts.
Later, Francis pantomimed shoving his arm up a woman’s orifice to a sample of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.” So much for supporting women.
In a lot of ways, watching Francis perform was akin to watching a homeless person. He ranted nonsense (“I seen a monkey turn into a man, and I seen a man turn into a monkey”), threw off his shoes, stroked his gnarly beard, fumbled around a lot in his faded camo pants while dancing and kept screaming at us about how white and crazy he was (“I’m not a saint! Guess what Philly? I ain’t!”). Even the Francis fans in the bar balcony had a tough time staying interested in his weak flow, although applause was polite.
On the plus side, the guy made me respect Mr. Han of Linkin Park fame a lot more. Turns out it takes a shway ton of concentration to remember to press a button to start/stop songs. After finishing one tune, Francis would attempt freestyling, only to have beats from the next song kick in before he was ready. So bow your head in respect next time someone throws on Meteora.
This musical misstep was overcome once Against Me! picked up their instruments, though. The band’s new Sire-released album, New Wave, has been met with hostility from the underground, but you’d never know it from watching the band’s Factory set. Opening with “New Wave” and closing with “Ocean,” the black-clad band tore through eight of New Wave’s 10 searing, ready-to-rock cuts, with “Bourne on the FM Waves of the Heart” and “Animal” left by the wayside.
Sprinkled in between were Searching for a Former Clarity’s singles “Don’t Lose Touch,” “From Her Lips to God’s Ears (The Energizer)” and “Problems.” The band’s calling card of sorts, “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong,” received a huge crowd response.
For all of the complaining about the spit-shined quality of the new songs, it’s incredible how easily newbies like “Up the Cuts” and “White People for Peace” fit in with “Cliché Guevara” and “Sink, Florida, Sink.” Perhaps it was drummer Warren Oakes’ childlike grin, or frontman Tom Gable’s mischievous one, that sold the tunes. Or maybe they’re just really powerful, really catchy, really good songs.
At the same time, though, the band’s regular set offered no surprises. Against Me!’s first three records were mostly ignored, and the show closely mirrored the band’s October set at College Day on the Parkway.
Then came one of the best encores I’ve seen in a while.
Gable reemerged with an acoustic guitar to lead the crowd through “Baby, I’m an Anarchist!,” a satirical cut from Reinventing Axl Rose, and a popular tune to boot. The audience was ecstatic. Then came an even bigger surprise.
The rest of the band joined Gable this time, though he retained his acoustic guitar. As he played a simple chord progression and sang “May Elvis turn in his grave/and Les Paul kiss my dirty, calloused fingers,” the faithful in attendance slowly realized that Against Me! was playing “What We Worked For,” off of the band’s 2001 EP, Crime. Truly a live rarity, the crowd joyously sang along once the second chorus came along. A summation of Gable’s DIY, business, musical and philosophical sides, “What We Worked For” retroactively hints at “selling out,” being a huge band and resolving existential quandaries before any of these issues weighed down on Against Me!.
“Walking is Still Honest,” also from Crime and later rerecorded for Reinventing Axl Rose, breathlessly closed out the encore. Just as welcome as everything else the band played, it was the perfect closer, a final shout before the end. Between The World/Inferno Friendship Society and Against Me!, fun was had in disturbingly massive, throbbing doses. It’s a shame about that Francis guy, though. I hope he got home safe.
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