Karen Ponzio Photos
The Haints.
Are you the type of music fan who wishes there were more shows that started before 8 p.m., but wants the feel of a late Friday or Saturday night out? Are Sunday brunches too early for you, but you also don’t want to stay out too late? Three Sheets has something perfect for you the last Sunday of every month: a matinee that promises you an onslaught of punk music that is at just the right time for the late-to-rise-on-the-weekend, early-to-bed-for-work-on-Monday crowd.
Three Sheets Punk Matinee, curated by musician Jeffrey Thunders, began in the summer of 2023. From 3 p.m. to somewhere between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. music fans can hear up to three bands, typically local and mostly punk, though Thunders has been trying to mix it up as well with an occasional acoustic or indie rock act. He said the series has seen a “nice turnout” for the most part and he is hoping more people hear about it and want to check it out.
“It’s fun,” he said. “What other excuse do you need to come see bands play? You can even get food here.”
Sheets has a menu that includes tasty bites such as tacos, rice and beans, guacamole and chips, and tater tots. And they have plenty to drink, of course. Sara Scranton, who regularly works behind the bar during the Sunday matinee, has come up with a signature drink for the series called the Jeffrey Thunderpants in honor of its curator. On Sunday the drink was made with Jim Beam, Foxon Park Ginger Ale, and lime, though according to Thunders in the warmer weather it was a pineapple mojito.
“They’re both delicious,” he said with a smile.
Jeffrey Thunders drinking his namesake cocktail.
This month’s musical lineup was also quite tasty. It included Pablo X Inc, New Cardiff Giants, and the New Haven debut of Thunders’s new project The Haints, which he said had a sound that could be described as “Black Flag meets The Stooges.” The band had played their first show the night before in New London.
First to the stage was Pablo X, Inc, a trio made up of Pablo X (aka Paul de la Reza) on vocals and guitar, Jeff Maleri on bass and vocals, and Brian Wells on drums. If you have been around the New Haven music scene you are most likely familiar with de la Reza and his blazing guitar work. With this band that guitar was so hot it seemed as if it might catch fire as the band tore through a set that melded melodic lyrics with solid beats and thick guitar riffs. Songs with simple titles such as “Freeze,” “Monster,” and “Piece of Glass” were intricate in execution, and a crowd filed in from the bar area to experience the energy up close.
De la Reza alerted the audience to the existence of a video that he had just made for the song “Seep,” which conjured up a Beatles-esque vibe with a touch of the blues and even a taste of Zevon to create a sing-along that one could keep on repeat for weeks. Speaking of singing along, for the song “Idiots,” de la Reza’s chorus of “you idiots, you idiots, you idiots make me mad” found quite a few audience members joining in and nodding their heads. (We’ve all been in that headspace, yes?)
Next to the stage was New Cardiff Giants, who had recently packed the house at Cafe Nine. They packed this room as well, and had more than a few audience members dancing along throughout their set. Vocalist and guitarist Monty Huck (a.k.a. Bill Saunders) spoke between songs, sometimes about the songs themselves and sometimes about the world at large.
“I wrote this song 20 years ago on a manic day in May, apparently about the future,” he said before the band launched into its set. With guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kimono, bassist Muldoon, Bonnie Leathers on keys, and Kiki Van Damn on drums, the band’s giant sound pounded through Three Sheets and the ever growing crowd.
The band played and swayed together in their own dance, creating a politically charged rock explosion with songs such as “God’s Country,” which Saunders said was about “all the intolerance in the country” and included lyrics such as “America / love it or leave it / now get your ass off of my lawn.” The crowd ate up every guitar lick, rhythmic beat, and key stroke like the tots and chips making their way to many tables. The dancing didn’t stop until the band did.
“I hope the music makes you forget about some of the crazy stuff in the world for a while,” Saunders said halfway through the set. Mission accomplished, Monty!
The final band of the afternoon was the aforementioned The Haints. That band included Frederic Anthony on vocals, Jeff Maleri on bass and vocals, Thunders on guitar, and Jon Gondron on drums. Thunders had said earlier that they would only be playing a 10-minute set and he was not kidding. With quick and impactive songs in classic punk style, the band kept it raw, rough, and loud. Anthony took the mic into the bar area, the back of the stage room, and up close to audience members, grabbing Maleri and Thunders occasionally to join in on vocals for songs with such titles as “No One,” “Blank Stare,” and “You’re Dead, I’m Alive.”
It was a big, boisterous debut, and a perfect way to end the afternoon, which had now become night. The room and bar stayed full long after the music ended, and I wondered how many other people had forgotten it was a Sunday.
The best you can say for these bands is "No Comment" .
Haints: Ghosts and evil spirits from the old south. I guess they weren't musical ghosts.