The Queers were Here!

I have to wonder, when was the last time the Queers played a 6:30 show that served no alcohol? Much love to R5 productions who promoted the all-ages affair (who else is going to bring the Queers to Philly?), but I doubt very much that there were any younglings wandering around the Barbary last night. Maybe the youngest people in the room were openers the Leftovers. They have some songwriting talent and the tunes translate well live, but the songs streaming on their MySpace page come off too clean and overproduced for my tastes. Recommended for fans of the Methadones, which made them very appropriate and adequate tourmates. The Queers brought no extra musicians with them, so apparently the pop punk leg of the tour is over. In fact, Joe Queer and Dangerous Dave didn't even bother to bring their own drummer with them, with the Leftover's drummer keeping time two sets each night of the tour. That kid did right by all the Queers' classics, tearing one right after the other, often with little or no break between songs. The Queers covered most of their classic material, shying away from their newer catalog. Noticeably absent was even one representation from their latest album, Munki Brain (2007, Asian Man). It took a few songs to get going, but the crowd got nice and rowdy and fists were pumping throughout most of the crowd as pretty much everyone sang along. The many fellas sporting leather jackets must have been warm towards the end; the Barbary is like seeing someone play in a really good basement. The Queers always bring out a good mix of classic punkers, and a good number showed up for a rainy Wednesday in Fishtown. All in all, a great experience. Joe Queer passed out high fives following the set, a surprising move for someone who wrote I Hate Everything, This Place Sucks, and numerous other Negative Nelly theme songs. Even Mrs. Squeamish had a good time, though both of us were hoping for at least one Beach Boys cover, but we both agreed that they did play some different songs than we had seen in years past and they played Monster Zero. Thumbs up to the Barbary too, a new club for us, but a nice space for shows that size and they seemed to have their shit together.

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http://www.asianmanrecords.com/
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