Photos by Paige Parsons

Bridez started the evening with a profane greeting that brought with it an ear-shattering brick wall of guitar. Their forte is grunged-up post-punk tunes. They are a four-piece with a dedicated keyboardist, but the guitar was so loud that you could rarely hear it; when you could, it really brought their sound together.

Front woman Liza Thorn could be compared to any of the genre’s powerful leading ladies, but bored. That may not sound like a compliment, but it is, and it really works.

Hunx and His Punx are of course led by the mustached Hunx, who is backed by three very talented ladies. Everyone on stage was covered in black leather. Their sound is 50’s bubblegum being chewed on by a leather daddy Brando. The band would fit in perfectly playing the congratulatory homecoming dance in the third act of a John Waters flick.

The crowd seemed a bit shy, but it didn’t matter much to Hunx or his Punx. If this is them out of their element, I can’t wait to see them knee deep in it. The band was so good they made me want to hug the curves too tight in my drag race down Dead Man’s Hill, just so they would pen me and my fiery wreck a tribute song.

Harlem were the out-of-town headliners, and they brought with them a dose of punky fun. Their songs were filled with hooks, mostly comprised of vowels. The music was carefree but still technically tight. They have the band-at-a-house-party vibe, but their songs are smart.

When they rolled out the extra catchy “South of France” they were finally able to shake that bitter San Francisco summer chill from the air and the crowd warmed a bit. It was a bit of an odd bill, but like all the other elements of the night, once stirred together it really worked.

Bridez

Hunx and His Punx

Harlem