Catch 22 / Big D and the Kids Table

live in Reading (2004)

nocarsgo

The show was at Soundwaves, a small venue in Reading, PA inside a skatepark. It was all ages, no smoking, and sold out, but yet still seemed kind of empty.

The first band, Ritter, started at 7:00. They seemed to be a punk/metal band in the ilk of Bigwig with some pop elements. They also seemed very boring. All of their songs seemed too long repeated the same key elements in each one without changing much. They had good energy, but that did not save them. They covered a Paula Abdul song, proving once again that the whole punk cover thing is now completely stale. Because they were from Allentown, they had a few fans there, but nothing special.

The next band was the Dead 50s. This was the only band on the bill that I had not heard before. They took the stage looking like Pennywise, with an overabundance of trucker hats. They proved to be more exciting than Pennywise, but not by much. They were just an average punk band. I assume that they were a local band, as it seemed that many people were there for them and knew all of the songs. The only song that they played that I knew was We Are 138, originally done by the Misfits. The two people I was with seemed to like them, but to me they were boring.

Next up was the band that I specifically went for: Big D and the Kids Table. I had seen Big D twice prior to this show, but never got to fully appriciate their live show, as the first time I saw them was my first time hearing them, and the second time was a Warped Tour.

After a brief intro that I don't quite remember, the boys of Big D took the stage and quickly showed their trademark energy. They started off with Girls Against Drunk Bitches, a song off of their forthcoming album How It Goes. This song was, quite frankly, nuts. I had not heard it prior, but it immediately made me dance and go crazy. They did not slow down, however, going right into Checklist. The energy continued throughout thier whole set. Highlights included playing What the Hell Are You Going to Do twice, having only one fan cheer after the second time. They played most of their hits, including Can't Be Caught, Myself, and LAX. It was a truly awesome performance.

The headliner, Catch 22, was next. I am a die hard fan of Keasby Nights, their first release, but am not so much of a fan of their post-Thomas Kalnoky albums. They were very disappointing. They played only 5 songs from Keasby Nights: Riding the 4th Wave, On and On and On, 9mm and a 3 Piece Suit, Keasby Nights, and ended, as always, with 12341234. They played these songs well, except sped up, which was not quite as good as on record. They had energy, but seemingly not enough, especially after Big D and the Kids Table. Catch 22 played a short 45 minute set, which was not nearly enough.

Other highlights included David McWane, singer of Big D, showing me what was used
to remove the staples put in his head after busting his head open on a ceiling monitor during the Ska is Dead tour.

All in all excellent show, if only for Big D and the Kids Table.