Cru Jones Society

 

I have been going to punk rock shows for 12 or 13 years now, who can really keep track, also I can’t count. This thought struck me as I was watching Unwritten Law play the Bluebird Theater the other night. Aside from the few shows I have seen at Red Rocks, and the countless Warped Tours, I have seen the bulk of my shows at four different venues in the Denver area. They are all more or less the same, but for some reason there are still ones I like better than others.

I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane (and Colfax) and revisit each venue as well as the best and worst shows I have seen at each. The sound check is done, the lights are dimming, and it is time to rock this bitch.

BlueBird Theater

The Bluebird is the venue furthest east, it is also the smallest on the list. I don’t know what the capacity is, nor can I find it on their official website, they don’t have a Wikipedia entry, and by that point I was tired of looking. The Bluebird opened in 1913, and if you ask most of your parents they will tell it was best known as a porno theater.

Best Show at the Bluebird

Dropkick Murphys with Oxymoron, Ducky Boys, and some other band I can’t remember. This goes way back, since the only time the Dropkicks will ever play the Bluebird again is if they fuck up and say they are bigger than Jesus.

This was one of my first punk shows ever. For that reason I remember it well. Also it was the night of the Columbine shooting, so that makes it stand out. Being bright eyed and naïve, also unable to legally drink, I got my ass up as close as I could. I was flush against the stage. There was no barrier between the crowd and the stage like the fancier venues; I ran the risk of getting my arm stepped on by a musician. Due to the level of the stage, my height, and the mosh pit behind me my ribs hurt like a mother fucker the next day.

Oxymoron was a band I had never heard of before the night. They’re from Germany and are just gritty street punk. I loved that at the time. I recently heard them again the other day and forgot just how great they were. The Ducky Boys weren’t too shabby, actually I don’t really recall. Obviously not good enough to stand out in my mind. What I do remember about them was the guitarist threw down his cigarette in my general area and the smoke blew in my face for way too long. If I get lung cancer, they’re footing the bill.

Dropkick Murphys blew me way. I remember having heard them on a comp CD I had and was mesmerized by the fact they had bag pipes. Then they had the pipes at the show and I knew right then and there I was a fan for life. Still enjoy them, though slightly less since I have to deal with supper fans and their giant flags at the shows, and having heard “Shipping Up to Boston” more times than I would have cared for. Then there’s their love and my hatred of the Red Sox that causes problems. But they tore it up that night, even played a song for the fallen at Columbine which I still can’t listen to without thinking about the school.

Honorable Mention

Every Mad Caddies show I’ve seen their. Most notable the time when there were like 8 of us and we lined the balcony ledge with our empty beer bottles. Then in our drunken state we kept yelling for them to play their cover of Abba’s “S.O.S.” Which they then proceeded to do.

Worst Show at the Bluebird

The Damned with the Swingin’ Utters and some other band (you’ll see they play a lot of the shows I go to). I don’t give a shit about the Damned. I went to this show to see the Swingin’ Utters, who come through town like once every 5 years. I attended this show with a co-worker whom I was trying to bang. I found out that night she had a pretty serious boyfriend (read: engaged a week later). Aside form that, the under 21 was sent to the balcony. I was under 21 and still in my “I want top be in the pit” phase, so I was unhappy to be up there. The opening band had some sort of brilliant, by which I mean fucking retarded, idea to have a giant, bright, work light on stage, FACING THE AUDIENCE! WTF? I think by looking into this light for thirty minutes I forgot what they sounded like, kind of like that memory erasing device in MIB.

The Swingin’ Utters didn’t put on a memorable show, either that or I was just so upset by this point I just didn’t care anymore. I sat through one song by the Damned, but didn’t care for their sound, or their gothic-vampire-esq look and style. So we left. The show was disappointing and I didn’t get laid like I had hoped. All around fail.

Honorable Mention

The Ataris with Billy Idol and the Revival. OK, so it wasn’t really Billy Idol, but he looked like a poorly aged fat version of Idol, so we dubbed him Billy Idol and the Revival. He jumped around stage and never played a song longer than 2 minutes, on the nose. The Ataris were good, and we had fun mocking BIatR, but it sucked and wasn’t worth my money.

The Ogden Theater

Coming from the East the Ogden is the next venue you’ll run into. Opened in 1919 by the same guy who opened the Bluebird. I don’t really have too much to say here about the Ogden. It was remodeled a few years ago and they made their balcony more awesome, in an attempt to compete with the Gothic.

Best Show at the Ogden

Bouncing Souls with Flogging Molly, and I’m sure someone else. I have seen more shows at the Ogden than at any other venue, so this was a hard one to narrow down. I chose this one because of the way Flogging Molly tore it up and stole the show. This was my first time seeing Flogging Molly and they were everything I had hoped for, and then some. By the time the second song started the entire lower section, I don’t mean the section right in front of the stage, but everything below the balcony, turned into a giant mosh pit. And not one of those angry overly aggressive mosh pits, but a fun, we’re all moving with the music and having a great time mosh pits. The smile never left my face. I also learned that night not to buy a shirt early as it may get ripped in the pit.

While Flogging Molly stole the show, it’s not to say the Bouncing Souls sucked big time, they rocked as well as they ever had. I could listen to the Souls farting on a snare drum and love it. Luckily it hasn’t come to that. How I Spent My Summer Vacation had just come out, and I was looking forward to hearing all these new songs I instantly fell in love with. This may have been the first time I saw the Souls when I was a fan of them. I had seen them before and was just a passing fan, but this time I was a super fan and I just lost it when they played my favorite song by them, “‘89.” This is not the last time the Souls will appear on the list.

Honorable Mention

Primus. Seriously, it’s Primus. How could that not get mentioned? It was as wacky and as awesome as I expected. I am proud to say that I saw Primus in my lifetime, and that they did not let me down. I don’t know if I am allowed to include them since they’re not technically punk, but whatever, it’s my list, my rules, and they were incredible.

Worst Show at the Ogden

The Ataris, Yellowcard, Juliana Theory, some other emo band. This was emo fest ‘02 with the Ataris. This was during my phase when I loved Yellowcard. That was fun. So when I saw they were coming with the Ataris I jumped right on board. Despite the way I listed it up there, Yellowcard went on first. So I was forced to stand around during some sad bastard emo crap. Again I was under age and couldn’t drown my pain in alcohol like a normal person. Before the Ataris went on I was ready to slit my wrist.

This is the second time an Ataris show has made it in to the worst show section. Maybe I should take that as a sign to stop going to Ataris shows.  Maybe you should all take it as a warning not to go to Ataris shows. I don’t even know if they make music any more, so we may have all dodge a bullet there.

Honorable Mention

Strung out, or Lagwagon with special guest. I was pumped to see one of these Fat bands that I love. But First I had to deal with the crap that was special guest, and they were special alright. I was so upset with their bad music playing; it was the first and only time I bought a shot at a show. I was attempting to get their awfulness out of my head. They were so bad they made me even forget which band they opened for.

God I have seen some shit in my day. And those are just the first two venues on this little trip down memory lane. We still got two more to go. But we are all busy professionals, so the last two will have to wait until next week. Consider these the opening bands, the headliners are coming up, but you have to be patient. Get another beer, chat up old friends and before you know the lights will dim once again. Until then.

See ya in the balcony…

lee.s.hart@crujonessociety.com