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St. Cloud State University
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Beer City invades St. Cloud
By Amanda Degen
Published:
Monday, September 15, 2003
Media Credit: John Behling
Hailing from �Beer City (Milwaukee),� The Modern Machines rocked hardcore while waxing political about John Ashcroft and the war on terrorism.
Friday night was hardcore as a trio of punk bands took the stage at the Java Joint, despite the FBI's attempts to prevent some of the bands from playing.
St. Cloud band Room 101 opened the show at 8:30 p.m., followed by the Modern Machines of Wisconsin and the Red Satyrs of Minneapolis. The Motorcycle Prom Dates were unfortunately unable to attend the concert because their house was raided by the FBI, partly due to the newly instated Patriot Act.
Some members of The Motorcycle Prom Dates were living with another punk band known as the Annihilators, and they were planning a show on September 11th, which sent up a red flag to the Bureau. No terrorist connections were found, but the house is being bulldozed due to health code violations. The residents were forced to evacuate the premises immediately.
"It's just an excuse," said Zach Xakkg, who booked the bands to play on the 12th. "Rock and Roll was stopped by the FBI in Milwaukee. We have a right to have a good time and do what we want to do, even if we don't conform to patriotic standards. All the bands wanted to come together and play, and tonight was a good night for that. There never was any agenda."
Room 101, a trio, played a mainstream version of punk rock and included witty banter between sets.�Justin and Travis Henspeter and N8tron Gooox played songs that were very polished for a local band.
Their music has a very Weezer/Green Day feel to it, and I found it to be very appealing to the mainstream listener. The band has been together for about three years, and has two albums out: "This is the Revolution Rock," a full-length album, and the "Hickston LP," a three-song mini CD. The band is currently working on another full-length album at the moment, tentatively titled "The Rough Music."
I found the band's musings on stage in between sets to be just as enjoyable as the music. The drummer also sported an "accommodator" dildo on his head for the first few songs, which I found intriguing, and the crowd seemed to it enjoy as well.
"Over a year ago, we played a show (at the Java Joint) and out of mere boredom, we wandered over to fantasy gifts, and I thought 'this is the greatest thing ever,'" Gooox said. "We came back over, and when we played we set out a hat to get enough money for it, and I promised to wear it for every show. Well, we got enough money, and so I wear it for a couple of sets."
They gave praise to Johnny Cash and John Ritter, who both died the day before. Johnny Cash was eulogized by all three bands, especially by the Modern Machines, whose lead guitarist Nate Dunst felt that his music was partially influenced by Cash.
The Modern Machines hail from Milwaukee, and the band, consisting of John Hanson, Nate Dunst, Dan Kielbasa, and Ben Whywiouck, made a stop at the Java Joint upon concluding their Midwestern tour of the past few weeks. Their music was more hardcore than Room 101, and much faster paced, in ode to their predecessors of the 1970s, such as the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls. Their songs were tight and rough, but still with a definitive rhythm. In between songs the band chatted about technical difficulties and the sexual exploits of Attorney General John Ashcroft.
"I think, just by looking at him, that John Ashcroft is probably a child molester," Dunst said. "I mean, I could be wrong about that, but then again, I could be right as well."
The band has been together since 2001. They also have a self-titled album. They are friends with the Motorcycle Prom Dates, and they too had to cancel a show in North Dakota because it was September 11 and their anarchy theme didn't mesh well with the views of local residents.
"Ah, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At least they're catching terrorists, right?" Dunst said.
The crowd consisted of a variety of people including energetic locals eager to demonstrate their appreciation for the band.
A few attempts at moshing and body surfing tried to rile the crowd, but due to people coming and leaving the dance floor, the crowd's vibe varied.
The Red Satyrs played last. This Minneapolis-based group consisted of Josef Detritus, Matt Allen, Gabe Ashley and Radu Poliac and and definitely had the most hype going into the performance.
The band lived up to their name as almost everyone in the band was clad in red, along with red guitars and the lead singer sported red hair.
Their music was definitely reminiscent of the Ramones, and could be compared to the Hives as another attempt at the revival of 1970s punk. I found their punk to be polished as well, while still maintaining that hardcore sound, and it had more of a definitive rhythm to it compared to the Modern Machines.
A few guitar riffs were reminiscent of some 1950s rock and roll classics, one sounding particularly familiar to Jailhouse Rock. Their music was loved by the crowd, who swayed along with every song.
They too have a self-titled album and a self-titled 7" vinyl record available. They will be completing a full-length album next month, followed by a tour starting January.
"Rock's popular and what's going on right now, but we're a little more real than that; we try to keep it real," Detritus said.
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