Ben Weasel – at The Knitting Factory – Hollywood, CA

Friday the 13th is a day of superstition and a day most people tend to fear and treat with caution. However, Punk Rock fears nothing, and on Friday the 13th in Hollywood, Knitting Factory was COMPLETELY sold out for the Ben Weasel show. While the rest of the public hid away at home, Punk Rockers of all ages flocked to the Ben Weasel show hoping to catch the best of Ben Weasel's solo material, Screeching Weasel, and Riverdales' material that night. Toys That Kill and The Girls also played that night with Ben Weasel.

Although the name "The Girls" may give the impression that the band is composed mainly of girls, there are in fact no females that play in the Pop Punk band. A few members of the audience were surprised by the sound of the band, claiming there was something very New Wave and "Poppy" about them, but also going on to say that they felt that the band managed to pull it off. There was something Punk Rock about them, though the sound said otherwise. Even so, many people in the audience responded well to their set, and it's safe to say The Girls may have won a couple of fans on their team.

Toys That Kill came next after The Girls, and audience members also responded well to the band's set. The band's Pop Punk sound managed to cause several people to want to dance yet also mosh at the same time. By this point, a few people felt that the heat of the packed venue was finally beginning to rise. Being sold out, the show was slowly accumulating energy, slowly yet surely reaching its peak, preparing for the arrival of Ben Weasel.

During the wait period before Ben Weasel went up on stage, it was very hard to move around the venue. You could see the excitement and anticipation in everyone's body language, and even in the conversations you could make out. There were several people who claimed to have traveled ridiculous distances just to see Ben Weasel! From San Diego to Memphis, Tennessee, dedicated fans spent whatever money they could just to see what some refer to as, "The Granddaddy of Pop Punk".

When Ben Weasel finally took the stage, the entire venue rocked and roared ready for anything and everything Ben Weasel would provide. Danny Vapid, who also plays for Screeching Weasel and the Riverdales, joined Ben Weasel for the performance. The entire set was one smooth transaction to another. Ben Weasel would occasionally chatter, but was strictly focused on playing the music and providing us with all the best that we know.

The majority of Ben Weasel's songs consisted of his solo material and Screeching Weasel material. Some of the songs played came from the Screeching Weasel album "My Brain Hurts", in which Ben Weasel played "Veronica Hates Me" and "My Brain Hurts" from. When Ben Weasel played "Dingbat", the small pit that had been trying to generate with little success in the packed venue suddenly became a giant mess of pitting and moshing. Somehow, the crowd was able to make room to release their energy for the popular song, and it was thrilling to see.

Ben Weasel informed us that the set was to be cut short due to time conflict, and dismissed himself after 40 minutes! The crowd then began to stomp on the floor and clap at the same time, shouting "ONE MORE SONG!" hoping to have more from the night. Sure enough, Ben Weasel came back and joked that that was the weakest request for an encore he's ever heard. The encore surprisingly was long and packed with extra Screeching Weasel songs that we were all grateful to hear. Among the songs played in the encore, Ben Weasel decided to play "This ain't Hawaii" and managed to lead it into a short chorus from the song "Sunshine", ultimately leading back to the end of "This ain't Hawaii". During this song, the pit once again became a great display to witness, and people were rising up to crowd surf every 5 seconds. At the end of the set, Ben Weasel finally did dismiss himself, and everyone seemed to have such radiant energy, it was contagious. We had all been lucky to have taken part in the set we had just witnessed, especially since Ben Weasel rarely tours now.

Friday the 13th was a day filled with built up anticipation and a solution for that built up anticipation: Ben Weasel! Despite the caution and fear, for those who attended the Ben Weasel show, there was nothing scary or remotely unpleasant about spending the night out and spending it at the Knitting Factory. Ben Weasel provided an exceptionally great show and blew the crowd away. Those who stayed home to avoid a black cat missed out on taking comfort instead with The Weasel that has contributed to the edge and face of Punk Rock. Ben Weasel is a force much fiercer than Friday the 13th, and we can attest to that.

A big thanks needs to go out to the the folks at Punk Rock Social for bringing Ben Weasel to LA Make sure you visit www.punkrocksocial.com to stay in touch with all the over the top shows they put on.

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel music scene reporter

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
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