Punknews.orgPunknews.org Logo
Review Navigator

BackForward

Features

 

Contests

 


Reviews



My first experience with Lagwagon was 10th grade. Mind you, I'm turning 23 next month, so this is a while ago. I had moved to a new state, had a new school, didn't really know anyone. A girl at my lunch table knew I liked Green Day; she brought in a copy of Hoss, loaned it to me, and since then it's been one of my favorite pop-punk records. Unfortunately, growing up in the sticks of New Hampshire lends very few opportunities to see Lagwagon live. But oh, I did it, motherfuckers. Finally. It took high school, college, and moving 3,000 miles clear across the country, but two nights ago I saw Lagwagon. It's about fucking time.

The show started off with Oliver, a local band, who weren't that good. However, some local kid who had obviously indulged in too much ecstasy was prolifically booing and running around, ended up throwing his shoe at the band and provided some great entertainment as he was thrown out into the cold rain, shoeless and stoned. I'm all for a few drinks before a show, but kids, take it easy or you might wake up in strange locations.

Bullets to Broadway came on and rocked the fucking stage to death. The lead singer looked eerily like Jordan of A New Found Glory, and the band actually reminded me of a more aggressive ANFG, with female backup vocals and a Lawrence Arms kind of attitude; drinking, smoking, fucking, and taking care of your friends. An overwhelmingly positive and grateful band, and I would love to see them get some bigger gigs, as they played an amazing set. The highlight was the lead singer asking for cigarettes and actually getting a good $10 worth of smokes thrown at him, while the bassist/resident girl of the band asked for tampons and had a disturbing amount thrown at the stage. But then, well, then came Lagwagon.

Everything they had said about Lagwagon was true. The Big Bitch is big. Joey Cape is small. I was expecting Joey to be a little more of a frontman, but he seemed very sincere in his art form, very removed from the venue, undertaking each and every song as if it were the first time he had ever sang it live. The new songs were dead-on, with Joey even rocking a megaphone for parts of the more produced songs on Resolve. While the crowd wasn't as sing-along-ready for the new material, the band was putting their entire heart into the set.

The set consisted of basically the live album, substituting a few songs for new tracks. Unfortuantely for me, they took out "Alien 8" and a few songs from Hoss, rather than some of the ones I wasn't as fond of. It wasn't a bad set at all, but I was really hoping to hear "Sleep." The new songs played were "Heartbreaking Music," "Automatic," "Virus," "Runs in the Family," "Sad Astronaut," "Rager," and a resounding "Days of New."

It's odd, seeing Lagwagon the better part of a decade after the first time I had ever heard them on record; this was easily the most fun I'd had at a show in a while. While I have recently seen the Fat Tour, I was sick and thus, couldn't join the crowd antics... but Lagwagon was just nothing but fun live. Everyone was having a great time, from those who were well over my ancient age of 23 to those who had obviously recently discovered the band (there was a group of four kids next to me who must have been 13 at best). This is a hell of a live band that I cannot recommend enough, and I will surely be there the next time they come around.



People who liked this also liked:
Boy Sets Fire - The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague YearsDillinger Four - Situationist ComedyThe Sainte Catherines - Dancing for DecadenceThe Lawrence Arms - Cocktails And DreamsNOFX - The DeclineRise Against - Revolutions Per MinuteThursday - A City by the Light DividedWaxwing - One for the RideI Would Set Myself on Fire for You - Believes in PatternsJimmy Eat World - Chase This Light



Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

    Posted by tylerdurden8136 on 2006-03-31 13:31:37

    go kill yourself, colin.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 at 7:21 PM (EST)

    I caught the SLC show and while Lagwagon rocked, Bullets sucked it up bad.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 25, 2005 at 12:42 AM (EST)

    Bullets were good in SLC. True.

    Posted by evilash43 on 2005-11-23 14:19:52

    So the guy that was boo-ing was rolling, stoned AND drunk?

    -Chris43

    Posted by john-311 on 2005-11-22 16:51:52

    He mentioned Derrick before Rifle because Derrick wrote the song and that's why they were playing it.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 10:49 PM (EST)

    Joey Cape is hot.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 9:15 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    retarded poppunk=sweet!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 8:11 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    fuck they played rifle i love that song, didnt knw they played it live a lot (do they?) he most likely mentioned derrick before it because of the sick drum beat he laid down in the beginnign of the song

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 6:49 AM (EST)

    the loveland is sweeeeeet.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 19, 2005 at 3:38 PM (EST)

    You'll see me, I'm an overweight bastard with alarmingly blonde hair. Possibly hammered.

    Joe

    Posted by thirtyseconds on 2005-11-19 12:42:26

    No sheeeeeeeeeet... I didn't know Captain Everything! would be there. Good stuff, good stuff. See you there. I'll be the one drunk off one cider.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 19, 2005 at 12:22 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I was at this show, that dude was probably on ecstasy or acid, when I walked up to the venue he's is literally crying and screaming at the huge black security guard. Talking to him about what it is to be punk rock while tears run down his face. Then he screams "I FUCKING HATE YOU" and he sounds like a 12 year old girl. It was kind of awesome

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 19, 2005 at 6:21 AM (EST)

    As one of the folks who saw Bullets in Denver, they were great. Larrys and Lag too!

    Posted by Godfather on 2005-11-19 05:18:27
    My Score:

    good review colin, i finally read it

    i know its probably getting a little cliche to bring up chris flippin and joey cape on stage together, but it really is some funny ass shit; especially when they start talkin shit to each other

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-18 19:15:17

    Since when does taking ecstasy make you boo?

    i don't know. this kid wasn't drunk, because i know what drunkenness is. he was getting wayyyy too much enjoyment out of the very small things, and had no clue what was going on, but having a hell of a time doing it. but he was booing and laughing at the same time, pretty funny actually.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 18, 2005 at 7:14 PM (EST)

    thirty seconds,

    Yeah dude, I'm gonna be there. Lagwagon/AWS and the ace Captain Everything! as well, gonna be one hell of a gig.

    Joe

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 18, 2005 at 6:46 PM (EST)

    Since when does taking ecstasy make you boo?

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-18 17:13:03

    yeah may 16th was in there.

    Posted by Toby_at_Fat on 2005-11-18 16:40:24

    Fuck, I think they DID play May 16th.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 18, 2005 at 4:28 PM (EST)

    they didnt play may 16?

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-18 16:12:01

    i'm pretty sure they didn't play "wind..." because that's one of my favorite songs by them, next to "sick."

    the venue was the loveland, great place. saw the fat tour there last month.

    Posted by Toby_at_Fat on 2005-11-18 16:02:59

    I think they played Wind In Your Sail, which is a big fave among Lagwagon die-hards. I was so insanely fucked up at all the shows I can hardly remember their set, but didn't they also play that The Kids Are All Wrong song?

    Posted by thirtyseconds on 2005-11-18 16:00:50

    Shit... Joe, are you going to be at the Mean Fiddler for Lag/AWS too? Nice one. Gig of the year in January? Very possible.

    Posted by ElVaquero on 2005-11-18 15:31:37

    What venue?

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-18 14:48:45

    fuck i accidentally pushed "post" before i was done listing them. sorry.

    anyway

    making friends
    change dispear
    razor burn

    there were probably a copule more, i think they played around 20 or so, and this is only 18, but my memory is failing me right now...

    Posted by Godfather on 2005-11-18 14:48:29
    My Score:

    joey is so fucking hot!

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-18 14:44:50

    anyone care to post the actual setlist, or all songs played at least

    apart from the new songs i listed, i'll try and remember the oldies:

    falling apart
    never stops
    messengers
    after you my friend
    bombs away
    rifle (which joey mentioned something about derrick prior to)
    violins
    sick

    Posted by poopypants on 2005-11-18 14:21:50

    lagwagon said they are keeping these sets 'darker' on this tour, which is why i would assume 'sleep' wouldnt be played.

    anyone care to post the actual setlist, or all songs played at least?

    paul

    Posted by Toby_at_Fat on 2005-11-18 13:56:56

    I was at this show too. Small world.

    Posted by john-311 on 2005-11-18 13:33:28
    My Score:

    I was at this show! Pretty much a spot on review. Lagwagon ruled, I can't believe how many songs they played. I was at this show alone cause none of my friends like/know who Lagwagon is. But I still had a great time. Bullets to Broadway wasn't that bad either, but yeah, Oliver sucked. I saw the bouncer kicking that guy out, it was pretty hilarious/sucky for that guy. Lagwagon was pretty much exactly what I was expecting them to be though, which made me think I should stop going to so many shows so I can save up some money. Anyway, good show.

    Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-11-18 13:32:37

    I've never been able to listen to Lagwagon for more than a few songs at a time because Cape's vocals got to me, but I have to say, that new album of their sounds real good. I heard it when someone played it in a car and I found myself not getting annoyed at all. I think it might just turn me into a casual fan.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 18, 2005 at 1:25 PM (EST)

    Thats funny, I saw teen idols open for lagwagon in chico, ca in 2001

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-18 13:16:34

    Dude, Bullets To Broadway is ex-Teen Idols members, I'm pretty sure.

    i know that now, but didn't at the show, and i wrote the review the night after i went.

    Posted by siropsycho on 2005-11-18 13:14:07

    can't wait to see Lagwagon when they come back to Baltimore/DC

    and with Lawrence Arms right? oh yeahhhhh

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 18, 2005 at 1:09 PM (EST)

    Dude, Bullets To Broadway is ex-Teen Idols members, I'm pretty sure. Lagwagon are coming to the UK soon with A Wilhelm Scream - its gonna be so ace.

    Joe

    © 1999-2006 Punknews.org • Terms of Use • Privacy • FAQ • About • ISSN 1710-5366 • RSS RSS Icon