Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel is a pop-punk band from the Chicago area. They have had a large amount of members over the years, often changing lineups between albums, with the only constant being front man, guitarist, and songwriter Ben Weasel. Because of their lineup instability, you never know what lineup of the band you might see during any given show, although the lineups have gotten more consistent in the past few years. Live, Screeching Weasel delivers a typical performance you’d expect from a punk band. Songs are played quickly, sometimes faster than their album version, with little improvisation and few major differences in lyrics and song structures from their respective studio versions. Weasel is known for his alternatively acerbic and humorous stage banter, and, as is typical in a punk show, there is a fair amount of typical audience participation in the form of finger-pointing, circle pitting, stage diving, and light-hearted heckling. The audience tends to be slightly older, as the band’s height of popularity came in the 90’s, but some younger fans attend, as quite a few younger bands cite Screeching Weasel as a major influence on their sound. Fans of energetic, well-written pop punk should definitely not pass up the chance to see Screeching Weasel, as their passion and drive have not diminished with age.

Chicago punk rock band, The Dwarves, is not a one trick pony type of band. Originally they started as a garage band under the name The Suburban Nightmare, but like any good band, they moved forward and grew into the punk rock/ hardcore punk band that they are now.

To say that watching The Dwarves live set is interesting is a bit understated. On top of their already in your face music with lyrics that have no bounds, the band members are extremely interesting themselves. Drummer, Gregory Pecker (or as he likes to be referred to as Gnarlie Watts) performs with a clown wig, and pants, while guitarist Pete Vietnamcheque, or better HeWhoCannotBeNamed, performs with a wrestling mask and nothing else (although he has been known to sport a jockstrap in place of his birthday suit). They are highly energetic and play whatever they want, which is the appeal of the band. Vocalist Julius Seizure, better known as Blag Dahlia has an in-your-face energy that only adds to the no holds lyrics that the band is known for. A true punk band that resists anything mainstream, and because of it, they are widely popular; and a seriously great band worth checking out.