Every now and then,  a certain national act will come through Churchill’s that I cannot miss. No matter how many times I’ve seen the band, I must be there. The reason being is that every time said band rolls through town, I end up having a grrrreat time, with ears ringing and a shit-eating grin for the next couple of days or so. The Queers are definitely on that list of bands. I just can’t miss them. No matter what is happening, I have to be present with plenty of friends, plenty of beers and of course, a desire to be rocked out. The motherfuckers from New Hampshire will always amuse, whether vocalist/band mastermind Joe Queer is in the mood or not, it’s always memorable…well, except for the last time I saw them at Churchill’s,  I was really wasted at that one and don’t remember shit. It’s a good thing that The Queers seem to be eternally touring though, because this time I made sure to ease it up on the tall boys and instead soak in the punk rock by the pitcher that was being served up.

Getting to the venue early enough for a good parking spot (I got a new car dammit! I’m fucking paranoid!) and for maximum reviewing possibilities, I hold out and decide no drinkies until the first band comes on. Sure enough, Askultura assembles onstage on time and ready to get the show going. With 8 members, Askultura really gets moving, and they get LOUD. I was digging on their Latin flavored punk ska sound, but I’m not sure if they got a proper sound check or not. Everything seemed to be turned up to 11, and that’s not always good.

The crowd enjoyed their set (a little too long for an opener if you ask me), including the drunken older dude with the tie-dye Skynyrd shirt (yes, Churchill’s always throws these curve balls at you, it’s what makes it the most interesting place to catch a band in Miami) who kept throwing kisses and all kinds of compliments on the group’s female vocalist. She handled it well, but it was still pretty hilarious. At a glance, Askultura are great at what they do, a pretty talented local act, but the talent doesn’t shine if everything is drowning out the vocals and the softer elements in their music. Their set ranged from ska-punk explosions to sweet and low down straight reggae jams (including a cover of the Dandy Livingstone classic, A Message to You, Rudy), urging everyone to shake their asses the entire time.

Once the grooves came to an end for Askultura, The Riot Agents basically kicked down the door of the chill smoked out vibe and laid down their brand of metal-tinged punk that they’re known for…but as a 3 piece?! I hadn’t seen the boys since our last interview (right hurrr) and I immediately noticed that they were sans lead singer (again!). The Riot Agents have had a revolving door for lead vocalists since their inception (I think Rob was number 3 or 4? Not sure, I lost count) and I honestly think that that they should embrace the fact that they sound fine as a 3 piece. Alternating lead vocals between bassist Mo & drummer Chuggs, they really seemed to have it under control while the crowd kept it outta control. So outta control that some goon jumped off of the stage, knocked some kid’s beer right onto the floor and then proceeded to get on all fours and attempt to lick the beer (plus shards of glass) off of the floor, further solidifying my statement about the awesomeness that is catching shows at Churchill’s. They wrapped up their set without dragging it out, managing to squeeze some cool cover versions of I Turned Into a Martian by The Misfits and the Ramones’ Shock Treatment. Straight up punk rock was brought by The Riot Agents, and it was wrapped in some damn good wrapping paper.

Next up was the band that a couple of my buddies were dying to see – The Apers. A pop punk band hailing all the way from Rotterdam, it was quite the treat to watch them tear it up in the hood.  I definitely must say that I slept on this band. Only recently had I started hearing about them, and man am I glad I saw them live. After being assured over 30 times by my friend Roy that I was gonna “totally love this band”, they finally took the stage. A perfect pop punk package, The Apers have a sound that I describe as a perfect collision of Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales (coincidentally, two bands fronted by Ben Weasel). Not sure if it was the scratchy vocals or the snotty attitude, but The Apers reminded me of why music is ten times better for me when it’s fast and full of heart. With probably the best on stage banter that I’ve heard from a band in a loooong time (jokes ran the gamut from talking shit about Amercan football to poking fun at Mr. Lynyrd Skynyrd tie dye man I mentioned earlier), The Apers really showed the crowd how fun punk rock used to be and how fun it still can be (attn: punk bands…LIGHTEN UP!) while at the same time killing it with incredible hooks and melodies that give pop punk that sugar coated shine that makes me love it so. Good job to The Apers, I definitely hope they come back to visit us all the way from The Netherlands, and for your sake, I hope you catch them.

By the time The Queers hit the stage I had totally betrayed myself…I was drunk (a little). Before I got thinking on whether or not I would forgive myself in the morning, Joe Queer and company (Lurch Nobody on drums and Dangerous Dave on bass) jump right into their back to back-no stopping-fuck you-here we are-1-2-3-4 paced set. Classic after classic, they drove the place nuts. Opening up with No Tit, they really didn’t let up, burning through songs  I’ve loved for ages and never get tired of: You’re Trippin’, Granola Head, I Hate Everything, Kicked Out of the Weebelos, Ursula Finally Has Tits, Don’t Back Down, Parasite…the list went on and on with what felt like no end in sight (I think I lost count after about song number 25 or so). The thing about The Queers is that they really just get the entire place moving, everytime. The pit was a mixture of crazy/hilarious: girls on shoulders, beers flying, stage diving and even a guy moshing while he talked on his cellphone (yes, that absolutely happened.  It was completely epicly hilarious, and it was the goon that drank the beer off the floor…dude, wherever you are, you fucking RULE). After not letting up for what felt like an eternity, the guys ended their set but no more than a minute after their set, local musician Joe Basick jumped on stage and somehow conned the guys into playing some more songs for us (encores: Tamara’s a Punk,  Cretin Hop [Ramones cover], Brush Your Teeth and The Kids Are Alright [Who cover]) before finally calling it quits for the night. Shit was rad.

Obviously I’m a fan of The Queers so it’s pretty clear about how the show went in my opinion, but the added bonus here was the presence of The Apers. Not to take anything away from The Queers but it was a nice bonus to have these guys all the way over from Rotterdam fucking shit up in Little Haiti, and they seemed to really enjoy what we were giving back so let’s hope they return. Besides my ears ringing and my debit card missing the next morning, I would say that this show was probably the funnest time I’ve had since catching the Screeching Weasel/Queers show in Orlando last year (which was a horribly short set by The Queers, btw). Surrounded by friends, weirdness and plenty of spilled beer and broken bottles, I have to say that FUN ruled on this particular Saturday night.

Check out the pics below and wish you had been there! A BIG THANK YOU to Alex Broadwell, who took all of the amazing shots! Check them out below and kick yourself in the ass for missing this one!