I had a really pleasant time on Father’s Day, Sunday June 18th. The weather was beautiful in West Michigan and I had lunch outside with my dad and grandpa, as well as with my own kids. After eating too much and lounging around in the sun, I was having a really hard time finding the gumption to leave my place. I sure am glad that I found the motivation to make the half hour drive to see The Homeless Gospel Choir, Zach Quinn and The Bloody Lips.

The show was held at an untested venue, the Wealthy Theatre annex. The Wealthy Theatre is one of those old downtown movie houses that are mostly long gone now. It was once scheduled for demolition, but the community rallied around it and restored it to most of its former glory. It currently serves as a community media center, and I was hoping to get a peek inside the big room while we were there. It turns out the annex was half a block down and not actually attached to the main theatre. It was more like offices with kind of a generic art space. You know the type, hardwood floors, blank tan walls etc…

There was no alcohol allowed in the venue, so we left a little early to grab a couple beers at a nearby bar. The sun was still shining on the outdoor patio, and a couple of beers turned into a few. Needless to say, we missed the opening band. They were just wrapping up when we got there, and Zach Quinn was going on next. We were debating running back to the bar for another quick brew when a member of one of the bands magically produced a couple of PBR tallboys from his trunk. We hid in the alley slamming beers like a couple of crust punk teenagers. (Yes, I’m in my 40’s. Judge me!)

We got back inside just as Zach was getting started. He was sitting in a chair in the front of the room wearing sunglasses and playing a telecaster completely covered in stickers. I was almost immediately impressed by his guitar skills and how good his voice was. He’s a fine punk front man for PEARS, but that doesn’t involve much subtlety. Musically, it reminded me (and my friend) a bit of Nirvana unplugged. I was also impressed by how funny and charming he was. He never really speaks to the crowd with PEARS, that’s guitarist Brian Pretus’ job. He told amusing stories and played songs called “Butt Train” and “Egg Train”. His cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” had the crowd singing and clapping along.

When Zach was done, we ran back to the bar for another beer while The Bloody Lips were setting up. We were thrilled to find out that the drink specials we were enjoying went until midnight. We got back to the space just as the band was starting their set. The Bloody Lips (featuring two former Lippies) are a local punk/hardcore band, and were definitely the outliers on this bill. Their drummer Josh plays so hard that they just overpowered the small room. The PA was not designed with so much volume in mind. Still, they played an enjoyable set. There was even a short lived attempt at a circle pit. Singer Krystal flapped her arms and screamed so hard that I was afraid her head was going to explode.

Nine days earlier, I had seen Zach front The Bloody Lips as they played through (almost) the entire Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols album. I was really hoping for an encore. Despite my obnoxious yelling, a ‘Sexy Pistols’ reunion was not to be. I don’t think they were necessarily opposed to it, but it seemed that they had already forgotten all the songs.

Derek Zanetti, AKA The Homeless Gospel Choir, had been hanging out and watching the show the whole time. As soon as The Bloody Lips were done he grabbed his guitar and started tuning it. Most of the crowd started to mill around outside, either grabbing a smoke or getting some fresh air. A couple of minutes later, someone came out and told us that Derek had already started. We walked in to find him in the corner (not up front) without a microphone. His followers were sitting around his feet like he was some kind of a guru. After only a few minutes, I knew we were experiencing something special.

I had seen HGC twice before at a bigger club. Once with Anti-Flag and once with Frank Turner. I was also able meet him briefly both times, and found him to be a warm and engaging individual. As much as I like his music, I might like him even more as a person. I thought I knew what to expect, but the intimacy of this show made it that much more compelling. Derek kept the audience riveted with his sincerity and stories about growing in Pittsburgh and finding belonging in the punk community. Many snag along campfire style to ‘protest’ songs like “Normal”, “Musical Preference” and “Why Must I Feel This Way”.

Overall, it was a really wonderful day and evening. Family time was nice, but I’m glad I got out of the house. All the acts were great, and the eclectic styles kept things interesting. (A little folk punk goes a long way for me.) There was even a rare GR ‘celebrity’ punk sighting (besides Zach and Derek of course). Maura Weaver, formerly of Mixtapes, was in town enjoying the show. Afterwards I spoke briefly with the bands and still had time to grab another beer and get home in time for a halfway decent night’s sleep.