Glue

with Post Teens, Tight Genes, Sick of Talk

Will’s Pub; Orlando, FL • April 1, 2017

by Jen Cray

Like the xeroxed ‘zine days of yore, when bands were defined by grainy images and an interesting font, the bill of punk acts who overtook Will’s Pub on April Fool’s Day are largely a mystery. With virtually no web presence, save for some bandcamp pages and a handful of songs, they’ve all seemingly shirked the modern fan’s need to know and allowed word of mouth to help fill their gigs. Mission accomplished.

[[Glue_1]] [[Glue_5]]

Glue (they’re from Austin, TX… that’s about all I know) were a maniacal force who spawned a room wide pit from the moment their volatile frontman stepped onto the stage. So commanding was his presence that I can’t honestly recall much of the band’s sound. Old school hardcore, for sure, and GOOD, yes, but it’s all an audio blur in my memory.

[[Glue_4]] [[Glue_3]]

What I remember is their frontman hanging from the stage speakers that are chained to the side of the stage before falling into the audience. And I remember his multiple dives into the crowd with little care for if there was anyone with arms up ready to catch him. I remember getting knocked into the wall with the surge and swell of the pit. I remember the thrill of a band that knows how to channel it’s energy into a roomful of people. I remember enjoying the hell out of it.

This is me spreading the word. Go see a band called Glue!

[[postteens_1]] [[postteens_2]]

Post Teens, out of Gainesville, are another explosive punk act of the hardcore persuasion. And another act whose frontman was an absolute firecracker with no regard for bumps or bruises in the name of a good show. Orlando’s own Tight Genes are always a beautiful distraction from the mundane. With songs that celebrate Predator (yeah, that Predator) and Big Trouble in Little China and a frontman who doesn’t seem to know what a stage or a spotlight is (his chosen mark is in the middle of the audience), there’s nothing NOT to like about this band. And Tampa’s Sick of Talk brought a lighter touch, to an otherwise heavy assault of hardcore, with their joyful guitarist and self-deprecating frontman – both of whom seem to be having the time of their life.

[[tightgenes_apr_2]] [[sickoftalk_1]]

As frustrating as it can be to not be able to find information about a band online, it warms my d.i.y.-bred heart to see bands from the underground keeping it on the down low like this. It makes discovering a band – at a show, in the dark, surrounded by the stench of youth – feel more genuine, more REAL. ◼

Click for full photo galleries: Glue, Post Teens, Tight Genes, and Sick of Talk. ◼