Tuesday, Feb. 14, Launchpad (all-ages welcome); $15: “It's No Use for a Fuckin' Name!” And with that fateful introduction given by a drunken stagehand, No Use for a Name launched into what would become, arguably, their best album ever created over their decade-and-a-half career as staples of the punk rock scene. No Use's Live in a Dive (released on Fat Wreck Chords) is one of the best live albums any punk band has assembled; not only for the musical proficiency it showcased, but for the growth it showed from the band's first Fat Wreck release, Leche Con Carne. No longer relying on catchy but overly simplified riffs, the band created a concrete wall of distortion with drum fills forceful enough to shatter pelvises and vocals that wrenched at the heartstrings.
With their latest release, Keep Them Confused, it seems likely that No Use's days of pelvis crushing may be just about gone. However, fans' concerns over the album's more deliberate pace and less abrasive disposition should be mitigated by lead singer/songwriter Tony Sly's growing vocal abilities, which reach heroic heights on the new record.
Tonight, Versus the World (which features members from everyone's favorite Don Henley cover band, The Ataris) will join No Use along with pop-punkers Fenix TX and Fair Shot.
