Punk rock convergence in Atlanta with Iceage at 529 and NY Punk Tribute at The Star Bar on July 27
Review and photos by Rose Riot
Punk rock music came to an odd convergence in my life on Friday night, July 27. My evening started out at a New York Punk Tribute show with the infamous Jayne County and The Electric Queers headlining. Miss county and her band shared the stage with The MC45s (an MC5 tribute band), The El Caminos, Sharp Dressed Lads and Ghost Bikini for a night of iconic New York punk music.
Jayne County boasts a career spanning multiple decades in which she had the pleasure of working with Warhol and Patti Smith to name a few. Artists like David Bowie and Lou Reed site her as an influence. In other words, Jayne County is a living legend. She performed campy, trashy hits like “Toilet Love” and “Max’s Kansas City” to packed room of smiling old school punk rockers.
Jayne Country (1-5), Angie Bowie and Jayne Country (6-7)
The crowd had been warming up with songs like Lou Reed’s “Waiting for my Man” covered by Sharp Dressed Lad. The El Caminos (aka NY Caminos for the evening) sent the crowd into an old fashion slam dance frenzy with The Ramones’ “Somethin To Do” and The MC45′s kicked out the jams, MC5′s style, with “Sister Anne.” Despite the reputation of punk rock, the room was filled with a positive vibe; it was a big ol’ love fest.
MC45s
NY Caminos
The bands wrapped it up relatively early at The Star Bar, perhaps because “we” are all older, but, whatever the reason, it gave me the chance to catch a Danish punk band called Iceage at 529 in East Atlanta. As I pulled up to 529 and parked, I started to get a little worried. The venue was sold out to a very young looking “hip” crowd that spilled out onto the sidewalk. I thought I would feel seriously out of place in a room where I am old enough to have potty trained every person around me.
The door guy teased me about my age and I attempted to enter the club. I made it as far as just inside the door due to the massive quantity of bodies there to hear Iceage’s boys get loud and wild. It was physically impossible for me to get anywhere near the stage to hear what sounded like really good hard core music. I found this odd little empty booth and decided my best plan of attack was to stand in the booth, hold my camera over my head and lean sort of around a corner and blind shoot Iceage.
I also managed to catch and shoot some of the show from a monitor conveniently located over the bar near where I was standing. All I could see where very young angry bodies swirling into an aggressive tornado of mosh. The mosh pit was literally up against the stage almost partially on the stage. I was impressed! This was how my peers used to do it 25 years ago! This music was good, solid punk rock and the kids knew exactly how to handle it.
I started my evening off with a legends that made the music that changed my life and ended my evening with the bastard grandchildren of those who created an era, a style, a lifestyle an art known as punk.
Iceage at 529
