Fire spitting men of mayhem shake Lee's Liquor LoungeLee's Liquor Lounge, one of Minneapolis' finest campy establishments could be heard in the distance. Greased pompadours, 50s hot rods, and a plethora of Pabst was passed around the scene. It was nice to be back in the musical demon's hands of Minneapolis for the Summer.
Seeing faces that resemble a overabundance of style made the scene shine with glory. The launch of the staged night brought The Reckless Ones, a band of three elite rockabilly men ready to bring back the old sounds combined with new flavor to the dance floor. This trio of rockabilly madness made audience members quiver with delight during the 45-minute set. A calm and soothing kick-off before the act of proverbial LSD-soaked and anti-crack-piped laden men took the stage. An up-right bass, accordion, guitar, washboard and simplistic drum set combo made the team of great lakes musical mayhem more than intriguing. Random tattooed bodies and psycho-billy slams of The Goddamn Gallows shook the house to pieces. As the band spit beer all over one another, an obese audience member smashed a beer bottle into is head chanting the lyrics. Looking like gorillas on methamphetamines, this four-piece shattered the mini-stage. Leaping from speaker boxes, strangling one
another with microphone cords and then their finale.
As the last song kicked off, the drummer through his drum onto the dance floor, as audience member spit beer all over him, and into his eyes he kept on playing. The lead vocalist bellowed fierce deathly sounds, and in the background the washboard player began to blow fire balls from the end of his washboard. Fire balls blazing, beer splatters and psycho-billy splashed sounds carried the venue into a fury. The Goddamn Gallows have taken a new ranking on the chart of musical amazement. Back to Michigan they fall, and when they return, know they will be welcomed with open arms.
But wait, the night was not over, the headliners were about to begin. The punk-rock/hillbilly/drunken brawlers known as The .357 String Band took the stage to complete the night. Not hitting a note until midnight, the band came to the stage seeing crooked and stumbling like sailors in Tijuana. After an extended sound-check, they shook the relic of a building with mandolin, banjo, guitar and up-right bass, all while bellowing lyrics of lost love, whiskey doused minds and the freedom of the noose. Playing favorites such as "Pig in a Pen," "Up Jump the Devil," "Raise the Moon," and "Glory, Amen," the men of the gun subdued the audience into a chant-like state. Dancing feet and the sounds of broken bottles in the background brought smiles to each greased hairdo in the house. A night of perfection all held by musical notoriety.
By: Kaleb Bronson
