Less Than Jake

with ALL and Discount

Brick City, Gainesville • October 1, 1998

Brian Kruger

After trying several times to get through to Brick City to confirm being on ALL’s list and check the start time of the show, without ever getting a response, I showed up at about 10:20, since the preceding night had opened at 10. Discount had already played a short set and been whisked offstage! Ah, nothing like getting pissed off to start your night.

ALL was already playing, and putting on a great show. They sounded good up front where you could hear the stage levels, but not so hot from elsewhere in the house. It didn’t really matter, because the decidedly fratty crowd seemed markedly disinterested. Except for a pack of jocky assholes trying to show how “punk” they were in the pit. (I could just hear the fuckers on the phone: “Hello, mumsie? Send a ton of money up to Gainesville so I can buy a clue.”) Ugh. ALL deserved better, much better.

In contrast, the crowd went nuts for LTJ. It was almost embarrassing, really. I like LTJ, and they played a great set. But the whole crowd kinda reeked of trendism. Chris was wearing a white fringed cowboy shirt and Roger’s hair was longer than ever. They played to the crowd with references to the local pizza delivery places and musta had 40 people sidestage during their set, plus the inimitable Bill “local fixture” Perry, who ended up wearing Roger’s wig, running interference for the stage divers.

So it was a good show. LTJ can’t help it if they attract fratboys. But just in case it seems like this is all just my own take, from an aging punk, here’s an endnote. Towards the end of the set I stepped out for some air and ran into FoxyStar from local glampunk band Allstar 69. Before I could open my mouth she had some of the very same type of observations as I’ve put above.

I went back inside for a while, but then I walked over to the Hardback instead. n