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Punks is Back
Scratch 8 – November 8, 2002
Ana Marie Sotuela

Mohawks, black eyeliner and safety pins – gawd how I missed seeing punk music. The last time I paid attention to the scene was, well further back than what I care to admit. Yes – I spent my youth listening to the Sex Pistols and The Clash (who are due to be inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of fame this year), but it is reassuring to know that punk is alive and well represented locally at Scratch 8 Friday night. I have to admit I did not know what to expect when I signed up to review this show. Steve Mahoney (Circle of 5ths) and Gina Azzarello (CaBands editor) definitely booked a line-up that did not disappoint!

The show started with Pocket Full of Posers who hail out of Fairfield, CA (yes there are bands in between Sacramento and the Bay Area), took the stage and set the tone of the evening. Forming 2 years ago, out of Joel and brother Jeff’s garage, the Posers have played steadily throughout the Sacramento and the Bay Area. The Posers showed the professionalism and energy of a band older than their years. The variety of the songs and how they are performed definitely kept me interested. When you spend the last year of your life managing a band (like I have), you tend to become jaded about the 4-man line up. What can you offer me that is different, something I haven’t see with every other local band out there? The Posers answered both of those questions with their performance – involving the crowd and dividing up singing duties between Joel (guitarist) and Jeff (drummer), this was in addition to a strong showing by bassist Derrick (playing just 2 years) and rhythm guitarist Dennis. The Posers are new coming of the millennium punk scene, and a welcome edition. “I don’t want to be doing anything but this,” and well you shouldn’t. If you missed the Scratch 8 show this weekend, you can catch the Posers at the Three Oaks Community Center (Vacaville) on November 15th and The Great American Music Hall (San Francisco) on December 8th.

The Matches, formerly known as The Locals took the stage around 10:00 p.m. and carried the show to the next level. Gina has acquainted many of you with this band through reviews on CABands – and I can see why she booked them for this show. The energy was high – both on and off stage. Matches played to well over 150 people by the time they took the stage, and if you didn’t know their music before you walked in – believe me you wanted to become acquainted with it. Quirky melody lines, intensive showmanship – and a touch of comedy were the positive mix which will bring me back to see them perform live. The trade of riffs between Jon and Shawn were fluid, if not magical – you couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other began. Playing the rhythm section in any band, let alone a punk band, is difficult to do well – but Justin and Matt have it dialed in. As I watched these four bounce (and I do mean bounce, run and play) on stage for EACH song – I was completely blown away to hear and actual REAL guitar solo, without a loss of pace. Now that is something you don’t witness everyday -- especially now, in the 80’s we strived on guitar solos in music – all forms – but in 2002, guitarist that can actually play something that takes more than 2 or 3 strings (I don’t know why they haven’t learned to play all 6 after 1995), is something to revel in – and I did. The Matches is what punk has become – from Mohawk to safety pins. 

I have to say the spotlight of the show on Friday was UVR from Tracy, CA. “We are the band that will play where no other band will,” claims bassist Ben McCloy. Their experience on the road – playing anywhere to 4 to 7 times a week – has paid off for UVR. There is no gawkiness when they take the stage, the own the stage when their feet hit it. Why play Sacramento on rainy Friday night 50+ miles away from home? Simple, there are fewer places to play in the San Joaquin Valley. “People have to work a lot harder to make a cool show go off. The kids will come out if you book a good show. . .” And come out they did to support UVR – over 150 of them made the drive to support their local band. But I am sure it is something they are used to, since UVR has performed at Scratch 8, the Boardwalk and Harlow’s over the years. Formed in 1995 by Chris Powell (vocals) and Justin Rio (drums) out of high school, UVR was soon joined by bassist Ben McCloy and Patrick Ziller (in approximately 1997). Ben had an on again off again relationship with the band, but solidified his role in 2000, shortly after guitarist Todd Brown became a fixture.

I was catapulted back to the days of grunge rock when it came to audience participation and reaction to UVR. From the first song, the fans were into the music – full on body surfing, bouncing bodies and front-stage mosh pit played off Chris front and center. I truly couldn’t pigeonhole the style of music UVR plays – at times it had a punk beat, others a reggae feel. It was fluid and moved as if the music played as a unit, rather than individuals with instruments – but the sound. Musicians and local bands strive for what UVR does so effortlessly (or at least it appears that way), so be a unit – to understand how to play and what works best within the talent. To that, my hat is off to you. I know that I will return to see UVR play as often as possible, I was hooked after one show.

The show closed with a Sacramento-based punk band – The Smartys. Unfortunately, I don’t think they were up for following such a strong band as UVR. The body count after UVR left the venue was definitely noticed. But they stepped up and played their full set to end the show at midnight (the witching hour). I got the distinct impression that Smarty comes from the old school of punk, what I listened to (and yes, I do believe they are only a few years older than myself). With bands like Blink 182 and MxPx having made it to mainstream, the style of genre has changed and Smarty is out of its league.