The Menzingers, Hot Water Music, and Weakened Friends

Hailing from Scranton in Pennsylvania The Menzingers are currently at the fore front of a new breed of punk rock bands. Punk rock bands that combine the energy and in your face attitude of their influences but also a higher degree of musicianship that make their songs stand out not just live but also on record.

A Menzingers live show is always one of the hottest tickets in town and rightly so. They are fantastic at what they do and put a huge amount of energy and passion into their performances however the real stars at a Menzingers gig are the crowd themselves. There are few live bands that garner as much enthusiasm from the crowd as The Menzingers.

The sing-along’s are huge, so much so that often lead singer Greg Barnett is not heard over the noise of the crowd. It’s not just singing where the crowd get majorly involved though. From an outsider looking in the front of the stage at a Menzingers gig can look like a car crash. Bodies fly everywhere. Members of the crowd will quite regularly end up on the stage, much to the bands delight before diving back into the crowd. That’s not something that should put people off seeing them though; the number one rule at any punk show is look after the people around you, if you see someone down help them get back up.

I urge anyone to go and check The Menzingers out when they are near your town. It will be one of the best gigs you have ever been too. I’ve seen them four times now and everyone has been a classic!

Hot Water Music represents the Gainesville punk scene with vengeance. They bring the newer style of pop punk and post-hardcore to the near mainstream with their melodic style and heavy hitting guitars. When front man Chuck Ragan isn't working and touring for his solo side project, he is touring with HWM (Hot Water Music) frequently all over the world.

They play many different venues and festivals, but I saw them most recently in St. Louis at Fubar, a venue known for hosting punk, metal, and hip-hop acts. The venue atmosphere is grimy and stagnant, with a very raw sound stage, and personal feel to the shows. The show was set for glory with opening act Off With Their Heads!, another in the vein of HWM to punch out catchy, emotional songs with fierce enthusiasm.

The crowd is very energetic and constantly in a state of motion, with a vigorous mosh pit and anthemic singing along with the band. The venue was strictly standing room only, with a few seats in the far side of the club near the bar, which was for patrons 21 years and older. The sound in front of the stage was mediocre, but the enthusiasm brought to the show far outweighed the sound.

The show was very exhausting with all the moshing and dancing, and by the end my voice was scratchy from singing with the band. They spanned all of their albums in the set, from Fuel for the Hate Game to Exister, providing a fantastic mix of their discography to the crowd.