Raucous punk rock brings First Ave to life

Desaparecidos, Joyce Manor and Ripper bring adrenaline-fueled performances to First Avenue.

Justin Christensen, Reporter

The ceiling was looking sturdy at First Ave on Sunday night as fast-paced, sing-along punk rock rambled through the famous concert venue. Monday morning blues were nowhere to be seen during the show and energy levels were high.

A hometown band from Minneapolis, Ripper started out the night with a blistering 25 minute set that not only got the crowd pumped up but also set the mood for the rest of the night. They played loud and fast with vocalist and guitarist Danny Holden alternating between intense shouts and mellower singing. Holden kept his between-song banter short and sweet.

“I’m done talking; I’ll get back to blowing shit up,” he said.

A newer band, Ripper released their debut EP earlier this year and seem to be gaining steam in the Twin Cities. They walked off the stage to respectful applause as the curtain went down and anticipation went up for the next band, Joyce Manor, to play.

The crowd cheered boisterously as Joyce Manor stormed the stage and launched right into their opening song, “Let’s See How Tame I Can Be,” off their second album, “Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired.” Fans headbanged, jumped around and sang along loudly as the California pop-punk band burned through their 40-minute set.

The excitement hurtled towards a peak as rambunctious dancing broke out when Joyce Manor started playing “Heart Tattoo” off their newest album, “Never Hungover Again.” People ran into each other joyfully and sang along with their hands in the air as lead vocalist and guitarist Barry Johnson smiled down at the crowd.

The frenzy increased even more as the band started playing fan favorite “Leather Jacket” towards the end of their set. The song is a perfect sing-along punk rock track, and the crowd did their part as Johnson backed off from the microphone and let them take over. The crowd vocals resounded throughout the concert venue.

Bringing their set to a sweaty close, Joyce Manor ended with more favorites: “Constant Headache” from their self-titled debut and “Schley” from “Never Hungover Again.” Vocal chords seemed to reach a breaking point as fans screamed along to these songs to see the band out.

Many Joyce Manor fans stuck around and more concert goers turned up to see the headliner, Desaparecidos, a band led by veteran singer and songwriter Conor Oberst.

Oberst is best known for his indie rock and folk-infused band Bright Eyes. With their eclectic range of sounds and incredibly intriguing and creative lyrics, Bright Eyes has gone on to become one of the most influential bands in indie rock. However, as exemplified by their newest album “Payola,” Desaparecidos is a far cry from the acoustic-heavy sound of Bright Eyes and Oberst’s solo work.

The 35 year old singer and songwriter uses Desaparecidos as an outlet for heavy, fast political punk.

Acoustic guitars were nowhere to be found as the curtains came up and Oberst was revealed with his back to the crowd and hands in the air, silhouetted by low, ambient lights. The band immediately jumped into booming, raw, drum-heavy songs that got the now-packed room moving even faster than before.

With a fevered intensity, the band scorched through an hour-long set, playing new favorites such as “City on the Hill,” which is in frequent rotation on 89.3 The Current, and older songs like “Survival of the Fittest/It’s a Jungle Out There.”

Between songs, the frantically dancing and moshing crowd stood still to listen to Oberst’s well-articulated comments about political and social justice issues.

“Systematic racism is still a huge problem in this country,” he said before playing “MariKKKopa,” a song that points an angry finger at Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona who has been accused of abusing his power and racial profiling.

Punk rock has always been a good outlet for bands to show that they care about the people in this world but that they are pissed off about how those people are being treated. Desaparecidos showed just that as they bared their teeth and played through an aggressive set, followed by a three song encore.

The night ended with thundering cheers as Desaparecidos walked off stage, bowing their heads graciously and waving goodbye to the excited crowd. The bright overhead lights came on, illuminating a sweaty and tired audience who started shuffling out of the venue. It was time to go home.

Including 70’s style punk, pop punk, and political punk, the show was a resounding success. Every band surpassed expectations and there were many smiles on faces outside of First Ave after the show was over.

The Desaparecidos and Joyce Manor tour will be ending on September 17, but both bands will still be touring throughout the fall. More information can be found at www.desaparecidosband.com and joyce-manor.com.

Desaparecidos’ newest album, “Payola,” uses punk rock to draw attention to current political issues.
Dan Monick
Desaparecidos’ newest album, “Payola,” uses punk rock to draw attention to current political issues.
Joyce Manor released their latest punk rock album “Never Hungver Again” in 2014. Fun fact: the band came up with their name during a trip to Disneyland.
Dan Monick
Joyce Manor released their latest punk rock album “Never Hungver Again” in 2014. Fun fact: the band came up with their name during a trip to Disneyland.