Karen Ponzio Photos
Chem-Trails.
“Thank you to The State House for taking a chance on a young bunch like us,” Jim Martin joked in between songs with his band Chem-Trails, a long-time local band, Wednesday night at the newest entertainment venue on State Street.
“They’re friends” he added.
Both friends and fans filled the room to see three bands from as close by as New Haven and as far away as Sweden play punk music. All three bands were described as hardcore and also of the sub genres D‑beat and crust punk. Exactly what do these terms mean? I could get into a deeper description of each, or I could tell you to just read on and watch the videos. Punk rock to me is more of a feeling, an experience, than a verbal explanation. It definitely was on this night.
Karen Ponzio Photos
DJ Stefan Christansen.
DJ Stefan Christiansen got the evening started spinning a variety of punk tunes from the State House’s sound booth and also returned in between sets to keep the vibe steady. Fans congregated near the bar and along the stage early on to take in the aesthetics of the new venue, hosting its first punk show.
Connecticut band Boot Rot opened with a set that saw vocalist Mikey jumping off the stage to join the fans on the floor, spilling his beer and then tossing the rest over the heads of the crowd. As the music became more driven he circled the floor and interacted with the crowd, many of them joining in with moshing and frenzied movement. Punk is not associated with stillness, so even when a short time was taken in between songs to adjust a drum, bassist Zach took to the mic to denounce capitalism and those who “don’t let you be who you are.” Mikey also denounced anyone “who takes advantage of underage girls.” Both were cheered on in response. This set aptly warmed up the crowd for more of the same.
Next to the stage were New Haven’s own Chem-Trails, who got the growing crowd even closer to the stage and even more involved in the music and movement. Vocalist Jim Martin kept it rough but also sweet, throwing kisses to the crowd in between songs, wishing happy birthday to friends in the audience, and all around commanding the stage with his presence as the music got harder and more tangible with songs such as “Bender” and “Destroyer of Worlds.” The crowd dove right into this set as well, with moshing throughout to nearly every song. This reporter stayed back enough to not get caught up in it but remained close enough to soak in all the fun and fury of this band (and catch it all on video). Members of Boot Rot were right up front enjoying this set along with the other fans, and Mikey even joined Martin for one additional song to end the set, a cover of “War Machine” by Anti Cimex. This set was received with loud and large applause. Martin offered one more kiss in return.
The final set belonged to Dissekerad hailing from Sweden and bringing the hardest and hottest hits of the night. The crowd initially stood back almost in reverence of this band, but it did not take long for them to come forward to stand right up against the stage, and for more intense moshing to happen. This is probably the closest I’ve seen any crowd stand to any band in a while. The music came hard, stayed hard, and the fans responded in kind with raised fists, screams, and near continuous movement. This is what you come to these shows for. This is punk rock. It’s what these fans want at the end of a long day when you can’t find the words anymore and simply need to feel it. Luckily there are still places and bands around both old and new that can help you do that.
“I hope you guys are around for a long time,” Jim Martin announced during the Chem-Trails set as he thanked the State House once again and everyone cheered in agreement. If they keep the vibe of these performers, their music, and nights such as these, that likely won’t be a problem.
