Three Cheers For Reunion Shows

Three Cheers For Reunion Shows

Matthew Winters

About three years ago, the Blackout Pact came through SLC with The Lawrence Arms. A little punk band that came from Denver armed with an explosive first album called "Hello Sailor;" they raged through much of the album and made an impression on the audience that was indelible after three years. My friend told me that it was one of the best shows that he had ever been to due to the band's intensity, comedy and well-crafted songs. He told me this because I wasn't there. I sacrificed seeing one of my favorite bands due to work, and I casually wiped it off my mind with "Oh, they'll be through again."

The Blackout Pact broke up less than six months later.

The adage holds true: it's not the things you do that haunts you, it's the things that you don't. So when I heard that they were reuniting and that they were playing one final show in Denver last weekend, I had to be there. There wouldn't be another chance.

So 10 hours, 500 miles and a metric ton of bad food, gasoline and Mountain Dew later, I found myself in the Old Curtis St. Tavern in Denver, awaiting The Blackout Pact's final show. I quickly found out that I wasn't the only person who travelled a long distance. There were people from Baltimore, Arizona, California, and so many more, showing proof of the short-lived band's influence on the world of punk and hardcore.

The dank little space at the tavern was packed and sufficiently drunk by the time the Blackout Pact took to the stage at 12:30 a.m. Vocalist Mike Herrera yelled out thanks to the crowd, exclaiming that this was the best show that they have ever played, they only had to break up to get it. Starting off with "Luxlo Flaming Deluxlo" the entire crowd shouted "Woo" and I swear we broke some glasses. Surging through almost all of "Hello Sailor," the crowd just ate it up, and the band just reveled through the entire show. The band shouted for beer and shots and they were amply rewarded.

Now to say that these songs are classics for any genre is a lie, they do not have the notoriety, but they were classics that night. The crowd shouted out the lyrics to "Do I Sound Like I'm On Old Time Radio?," "You Punch Me, I Punch You" and "If You Dress Up Like Halloween, Ghouls Will Try And Get Into Your Pants" so loud the venue had to amp up Herrera's vocals to even hear them. The band was just stunning. Playing "Welcome to the Refreshment Room" is hard, doing it drunk apparently makes it so much easier and then adding kissing multiple girls while you play makes it look effortless.

The beer-soaked stage was piling up higher and higher with more people and then something just went out. During their most well-known song, the very fittingly titled "We Drink So You Don't Have To," the power to some of the speakers went out, but the band just soldiered on, playing the song with most of the crowd on vocals. It was at this point that I found myself also on stage with the band. I looked across the crowd and shrugged my shoulders, thinking "This is what it is all about."

The closing song "Lapis Lazuli," sung by guitarist Cory Trendler, was perfect for a song that they had never before played live. Its closing refrain of "Never be the same, no, never be the same" was the perfect ending to a set, for those that were there, that was legendary.

Originally Published in The WSU Signpost 1/30/09