Chicago's Tossers headline raucous night of rock
Ben Erwin
Issue date: 2/12/04 Section: The Verge
Saturday brought a quartet of rock acts as Muncie, Ind., natives The Retreads, local trio Hit Gone Bad, Heeby Jeebies and Chicago's native sons The Tossers tore through Friends & Co. in a night devoted to unabashed rock.
The Retreads opened the show with a set comprised of loud, fast meat-and-potatoes hard rock.
Rolling through a scant 25- minute set, the band blazed through more than a dozen songs with nary a pause for superfluous crowd banter. To call the band's music simplistic is a compliment as the twin guitar of Mike and Jon drive the band in the vein of AC/DC.
Instrumental trio Hit Gone Bad took the stage next. As the group limped through a set filled with as much guitar tuning as playing. Comprised of Scott Ducar on drums, Phil Manning on guitar and Dave Gierhahn on bass, the band is a mix of classic surf rock and instrumental guitar as Manning's riffs propel the band alongside Ducar and Gierhahn's lockstep rhythm section.
The Heeby Jeebies, like The Retreads, are basic, no nonsense rock. Also like The Retreads, the band packed as much music into a far-too-short set where its members wasted little time as the audience slowly began chanting for the night's headliners.
It was clear halfway through the night the crowd was getting restless, as shouts of "bring out the Tossers" could be heard during each band change and occasionally between songs. Once the seven-piece finally took the stage just after midnight, the real show of the night could begin.
Comprised of seven members, including the brothers Duggins on mandolin and tin whistle, respectively, along with Dan Shaw on bass and accordion, Clay Hansen on banjo, Mike Pawula on guitar, Becca Manthe on fiddle and the single-monikered Bones on drums, the Tossers combine Irish folk music, political lyrics and punk attitude.
Hearing the Tossers' records simply doesn't do the band justice. The group's music is louder, harder and far more raucous live than on any album.
The Retreads opened the show with a set comprised of loud, fast meat-and-potatoes hard rock.
Rolling through a scant 25- minute set, the band blazed through more than a dozen songs with nary a pause for superfluous crowd banter. To call the band's music simplistic is a compliment as the twin guitar of Mike and Jon drive the band in the vein of AC/DC.
Instrumental trio Hit Gone Bad took the stage next. As the group limped through a set filled with as much guitar tuning as playing. Comprised of Scott Ducar on drums, Phil Manning on guitar and Dave Gierhahn on bass, the band is a mix of classic surf rock and instrumental guitar as Manning's riffs propel the band alongside Ducar and Gierhahn's lockstep rhythm section.
The Heeby Jeebies, like The Retreads, are basic, no nonsense rock. Also like The Retreads, the band packed as much music into a far-too-short set where its members wasted little time as the audience slowly began chanting for the night's headliners.
It was clear halfway through the night the crowd was getting restless, as shouts of "bring out the Tossers" could be heard during each band change and occasionally between songs. Once the seven-piece finally took the stage just after midnight, the real show of the night could begin.
Comprised of seven members, including the brothers Duggins on mandolin and tin whistle, respectively, along with Dan Shaw on bass and accordion, Clay Hansen on banjo, Mike Pawula on guitar, Becca Manthe on fiddle and the single-monikered Bones on drums, the Tossers combine Irish folk music, political lyrics and punk attitude.
Hearing the Tossers' records simply doesn't do the band justice. The group's music is louder, harder and far more raucous live than on any album.
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