Fighting cancer one punk at a time

Get Shot

Fire Escape Bar and Grill, Citrus Heights
Saturday April 23, 2011
Words & Photos by Mike Saechao

Upon entering the Fire Escape Bar and Grill, I was engulfed in punk rock heaven. Arriving half an hour early, I peeked around. Vinyl records hung on the walls, a slew of flyers and pictures of rock ‘n’ roll icons papered the walls. This was definitely punk rock utopia.

This lineup of bands–including Get Shot, The Crunchees and Drastic Actions–promised a great show, but all this rocking out was for a good cause. The concert doubled as a breast cancer benefit for Julie Marie Thomas, the sister of frontman Jasson Drastic of Drastic Actions. 

Kicking off the show was Jamie Havok, an acoustic singer/songwriter from Vacaville, Calif. Her heart-wrenching lyrics caught the audience’s ear. “I’ve become the screamer of a thousand-dollar deed/No amount of crying is going to bring me to my knees,” Havok sang in “Screamer.” I was thrown off guard by her soulful voice and honest lyrics.

Following Havok was Drastic Actions, who tore up the stage. Jasson’s commanding stage presence was contagious, inciting head banging and rowdiness as the show transitioned from acoustic melodies to snake-like guitar riffs and screaming vocals. Drastic Actions set the stage for a night of mosh pits and the craziness that followed after.

The next band that came on stage was The Crunchees. When I heard this, it immediately made me think of a sushi roll. Boy was I wrong. Chloe Angst, the lead singer of The Crunchees and a Brody Dalle lookalike, counted down and let out a screech of high-pitched lyrics, perking up the crowd’s ears. Her voice took me by surprise. I was not at all expecting such a distinct voice that would haunt the venue. Halfway through their set during “Blood Stains” a mosh pit broke out as I was clicking away on my point and shoot.

Throughout the night, bands such as Support the Rabid, Okami and Kill Devil kept the night alive rolling out head-banging anthems of internal aggressions that embraced the spirit of punk rock and alternative.

Kill Devil

Then came what I would call the craziness: Get Shot took the stage. Vocalist J.P. Hunter stampeded the stage shirtless and a complete set list drawn on his body, bringing what seemed like an uproar of chants among the crowd. I knew that this was going to be a good set, as I was shooting the breeze with the bassist Scott Strahan a few hours earlier. The band started off with “Steal Your Girlfriend,” igniting a massive mosh pit as Hunter stepped foot into the crowd. For having two new members, it was shocking how entertaining and wild they were–definitely punk rock on speed.

By “Best Friend,” a song about sleeping with your best friend, Hunter was screaming, crawling and jumping off ledges like a drug fiend. Get Shot’s set reeked of vulgarity and aggression and was downright offensive–exactly what punk rock should be.

The night ended with The Strange Party, who lived up to its name with rock ‘n’ roll blues songs about lost romances with obscure lyrics. Vocalist Justin Pine told the crowd the band had been absent a few years, though their set felt as if no time had passed. Their music was definitely a breather from the hardcore punk rock the evening offered.

Once the set was over, the crowd demanded an encore. Soon after, J.P. Hunter of Get Shot joined The Strange Party on stage and improvised No Doubt covers before the plug was pulled and the night of punk rock was over. Who said punk music couldn’t fight cancer?