Bouncing Souls Show Preview: 4 nights at The Troubadour in Hollywood, CA – November 9 – 12, 2011

For 24 years, the Bouncing Souls have been one of those bands that you HAVE to see live- no matter what. Most of the time, their set  contains the usual songs ("Kate is Great", "True Believers", "East Coast! Fuck You!", etc), tossed up with a few surprises here and there. This time, the Souls are giving one of the best things a band could give their fans- 4 nights, playing all 8 of their records start to finish, 2 records per night; they'll be giving Los Angeles fans this treat November 9th through the 12th at the Troubadour. I shouldn't have to convince anyone to attend these shows, but for those who need a little push--I'll give a run down on why these shows will be beyond awesome.

          Bouncing Souls

The first night of the spectacle features BYO founders and Punk favorites, Youth Brigade. The Bouncing Souls will be performing their first two studio albums, "The Good, The Bad, and the Argyle" and "Maniacal Laughter" Youth Brigade is a perfect opener for this night for three reasons. One: "Maniacal Laughter" and "The Good, The Bad, and the Argyle" were both distributed through BYO records, although released on Chunksaah. Two: When "Maniacal Laughter" came out in 1996, the Souls went on a large and prominent tour with Youth Brigade, which lead to the attention and record deal with Epitaph Records. Three: the sounds of both Youth Brigade and early Bouncing Souls will provide a combination that simply can't be missed. In both "The Good, The Bad, and the Argyle" and "Maniacal Laughter", the Souls give a sense of being a mischievous teen in New Jersey and explore dealing with daily life, heartbreak, and pop culture of the 80's ("These Are The Quotes From Our Favorite 80's Movies", "Joe Lies When He Cries", "Candy", "Lay 'Em Down and Smack 'Em"). On the other hand, albums like Youth Brigade's classic "Sink with Kalifonija" draw references from literature ("Modest Proposal", "Sound and Fury"), and channel their mischievous behavior and angst into political anthems ("Men in Blue", "What Are You Fighting For?", "What Will the Revolution Change?"). Night one of "For All the Unheard" will surely bring out the most old school Punks out of any night, thanks to the Punk power combo of the Souls and Youth Brigade.

          Youth Brigade

Night two was supposed to feature the prominent Punk group US Bombs, but they were ultimately switched with hardcore band Ceremony. Although it seemed like an unlikely duo, there's no doubt in my mind that the two will put on an insanely crazy show. The Bouncing Souls are set to perform their classic and esteemed self-titled album, along with "Hopeless Romantic". Although the combination seems odd at first, it makes perfect sense. Both vocalist Greg Attonito and bassist Bryan Kienlen have been huge fans of hardcore music and have been involved in the scene since it's conception; the Bouncing Souls have toured with many hardcore bands, including 7 Seconds, and even recorded a cover of Sick of it All's "Good Looking Out". Although the Bouncing Souls are primarily categorized under "pop-Punk", it's undeniable that they have strong ties to the hardcore community, which is especially shown through "Hopeless Romantic" . Ceremony will not only draw the "new" hardcore crowd, but they'll also be a great listen and please the "old-schoolers".

Cobra Skulls are performing on the third night, the night in which the Souls will play "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" and "Anchors Aweigh". Cobra Skulls have a similar style to Against Me! and even incorporate rockabilly and Spanish elements into their sound. They seem to be the most likely to open up for the Bouncing Souls-they've toured full-time with bands like the Lawrence Arms and NOFX, and have recently signed to Fat Wreck Chords. Although their most recent album, "Agitations" has elements of blues and classic rock, their sophomore album "American Rubicon" has more of a pop-Punk vibe that will counterpart the Bouncing Souls. The Bouncing Souls' "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" is full of catchy and upbeat anthems, similar to "American Rubicon". "Anchors Aweigh" was one of the turning points in the Souls' sound, mainly because of the progression of Greg's voice, and overall maturity as a band- "Agitations" very well may be that turning point for Cobra Skulls.

          Bouncing Souls

On the fourth and final night of "For All the Unheard", American Steel will be opening. Hailing from Oakland, American Steel recently played the 2011 Punk Rock Bowling Music Festival in Las Vegas, to the surprise of many, due to the fact that the band has broken up so many times. Their sound derives from bands like the Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, which any Punk can thoroughly enjoy. Along with American Steel, 7 Seconds frontman and Punk legend Kevin Seconds will be opening up the show with his acoustic set. The Bouncing Souls will perform their two most recent albums, "The Gold Record" and "Ghosts on the Boardwalk", which will tie in nicely to Kevin Second's set. Both of the Souls' albums have proven to be more mellow then their previous albums, such as "Maniacal Laughter"; Kevin Second's acoustic set is obviously less aggressive and fast-paced than 7 Seconds. However, just because this night will be tranquil than previous nights, the lyrics between the Souls and Kevin Seconds will still provide listeners with musical and lyrical intensity.

Unfortunately, all for of these shows are completely sold out, but that doesn't mean you should give up. Use your resources- check eBay, Craigslist, Facebook, and more to find tickets. Hang out outside the venue for tickets. Do whatever it takes. Trust me, this is definitely something you won't want to miss out on.

  at The Troubadour    in Hollywood, CA
Wed- Nov 09, 2011  Bouncing Souls w/ Youth Brigade & Chunks
Thu- Nov 10, 2011  Bouncing Souls w/ Ceremony & Wet Witch
Fri- Nov 11, 2011  Bouncing Souls w/ Cobra Skulls & Nothington
Sat- Nov 12, 2011  Bouncing Souls w/ American Steel & Kevin Seconds
 

-Sarah K.-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

Check out more show previews HERE

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE