Rocky, Goodwin Club and more! (Hangar 24 – Irvine, California)

Wiretap Records celebrated its tenth anniversary with Attention Fest: a free, two-day, all-ages concert on September 21st and 22nd at Hangar 24 Brewery in Irvine, California. I couldn’t make it the first day, but I could make it the second.

The first band, the Nervous Kids, came out swinging. They have a 1990s pop-punk sound and have done their homework on bands from that era. The band played tracks from their self-titled EP. Songs like “Mediocre at Best” and “Anyone But You” were well received by the small crowd. I had a lot of fun listening to them and it’s a shame that they were only given a short time to play and they showed up early because they put on a great set. Be sure to keep an eye on them.

By the time Taken Days began in Orange County, the crowd had doubled. Her performance was very energetic and melodic. A lot of the bands that played had fun riffs, this band especially. They were able to do a decent cover of the Killers song “Mr. Brightside,” which sounded very full despite being a three-piece.

A late addition to the bill was Art Barrios of Audio Karate. He played an acoustic set consisting mostly of songs from Audio Karate’s 2002 album. Space camp. It was a nice little trip back. I always forget how good these songs are until they randomly pop up every few years. Closing the set with “This Will Be Our Year” by the Zombies was a nice little surprise. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen them, now is a good time to revisit them.

Odd Robot took the stage in skeleton rompers to organ music and a pre-recorded voice intro by Vincent Price. They started with a cover of the song “Woolly Bully” by Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs. It was a complete left turn. Their synth-driven pop-punk was a great addition to this show. They had a lively set that included the songs “Break in Period” and “California Emptiness,” and rounded out their time on stage with another cover, Chapelle Roan’s “Hot To Go.” You could compare it to Alkaline Trio, but there’s a lot more humor in their set and they take themselves a lot less seriously. The audience showed a lot of love, and Odd Robot sent it back saying things like, “We’re still Odd Robot and you’re still fun.”

The biggest surprise of the day for me was Wicked Bears from Salt Lake City, UT. This trio took all the punk rock and Lookout Records albums of the 1990s to heart and wrote fun songs. They reminded me a lot of Squirtgun, playing songs about the future, breaking into her car, and the nickel arcade. Songs like “Lucky” and “Hypothetically” kept the show moving. Wiretap Records did a great job putting together the line-up. With a show full of bands, fatigue could have set in at any time. This was my first time seeing Wicked Bears and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for them the next time they come through town.

Ska band The Goodwin Club, led by singer Tami Demaree, came on stage with a lot of energy and a ton full of confetti throwers. They probably had the most energetic set of the day. The crowd danced and had fun, but was temporarily stopped when the venue asked them to stop shooting confetti. However, this didn’t stop Tami from throwing them into the crowd to shoot them down before the confetti shooters were finally confiscated. The band brought the crowd back by recording a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” and closing with the title track from their latest EP, “Join the Club.” Fans of 1990s ska should take a look if you missed it the first time around.

When “Codename: Rocky” came out, the crowds were bigger than ever. They played second to last. As with most of the show’s sets, the song selections were more aligned with songs from their Wiretap Records releases. The Foundation songs “Killing the Chemist” and “Little Devil” were well received by the audience. Codename: Rocky slowed things down a bit with a cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”, which was an interesting but by no means bad recording.

The evening ended with the band Go Betty Go from Los Angeles. Their set was the perfect end to the evening. The band’s line-up looked a little different, with Adam Bones filling in for founding member Betty Cisneros, who was out for medical reasons. Nicolette Vilar led them through a fantastic set. Also in attendance was Emily Valentine, who sang with the band while Nicolette attended art school. She sings two of the songs, “City Lights” and “Am I To Blame,” on Go Betty Go’s new EP Black and Blue. They sounded really good with both singers exchanging lines and harmonizing with each other.

You really have to give the bands a run for their money in the back half of this show. By the time they took the stage, some people had already been there for about four to six hours on a school night, not to mention anyone who might have been there for the first day of Attention Fest the day before. I heard most of the bands for the first time, while others were a great reunion. Congratulations on ten years, Wiretap Records, and here’s to many more.