Seismic Commentary “Prince Valiant”?: Nu-Sensae, Naomi Punk and Great Apes at Black Lodge, by Chelsea Robinson

I love punk music. I really, really do. But there’s nothing like a punk show to either make you feel 9,000 years old and lame as fuck or 13 years old and awesome and free. You can’t just feel like you’re your actual age. I didn’t realize I was going to a punk show, so I dressed like I normally do (aka like Six from Blossom or Kimmy Gibler from Full House). Oooops! There’s an all-black dress code and I stick out like a sore fucking thumb. I’m also 90% sure I am the oldest person in this room (and I’m 29!). I’d never been to Black Lodge before and despite the not so welcoming ‘tudes’, I like the place. There are several murals on the wall, one of a giant bear head open-mouthed growling … one of a giant man’s head with one amp earring and one guitar earring, getting his tongue cut off, and another of a trippy geometric pattern with a giant pentagram in the middle, spray painted dripping black. The last mural is the backdrop for the stage, which makes everything look kind of awesomely evil. It’s the perfect setting for a punk show.

I guess the first band was supposed to be a different band because that’s what the internet told me. The band that ended up playing is Great Apes, from San Francisco. They were a little more Against Me! than the other bands. They are what I would call “90s punk” because the hey day of bands like these dudes was the 90s. Since I really like the 90s, as evidenced by my description of how I dress, I liked this band a lot. Their songs all felt really personal and the singer, Brian Moss, explained that their next album they asked their friends what was important to them and what they wanted to talk about and wrote songs about that; which is a super cool concept in my opinion. At the end of their set, Moss said, “In short, fuck whoever you want, be whoever you want”. Which is why I started liking punk music in the first place, so I could be like that.

The next band is Naomi Punk. This band had the greatest haircuts I have ever seen three dudes have. One is just kind of a curly mushroom cap, the other kind of a awesome Sideshow Bob type situation, and finally … the “Prince Valiant”. Majestic hair, guys. Seriously. Plus, they dressed like A/V geeks, which was incredibly adorable. They started their set playing over a super ridiculous Jessica Simpson song, which immediately made me like them. They sounded much more “arty” than the previous band. I know this is going to sound really stoner-y but their music sounds like geometry. Like, I’d like to see a laser show of all their songs because I feel like it would go really well with shapes. I wasn’t even high when I had that thought. I was a little drunk, but that’s neither here nor there. The music is really good. It seems like it would be the soundtrack to a really cool and pretentious indie movie. Which I like.

The final band of the night is Nu Sensae. I am automatically endeared to any band with a woman in it. I love plenty of all-male bands, don’t get me wrong. I just like lady music better. Because I’m a lady and I like to hear what ladies have to say. Because I think it’s important. This band looks like the early 90s. The singer, Andrea, has faded blue hair. One of the boys in the band is wearing ripped up jeans with a smiley face patch on them. I love it. So does everyone else. Almost immediately, a full-on mosh pit starts. I haven’t seen a mosh pit like this in at least 5 years. Luckily, I have two teenage girl bodyguards to my left to protect me from flying limbs. I have a hard enough time standing for more than 10 minutes, the mosh pit is a little bit too much for me. Even though I secretly kinda wanna get in there and flail around for a minute. This band kinda fucking rules you guys. They’re from Vancouver. I’m not sure if that’s Washington or B.C. but something tells me it’s Washington, judging solely by the way they dress and talk. I partied in Vancouver, WA once. I drank moonshine, got proposed to by an Army man, and made out with my ex-boyfriend in a parking lot. Ah, youth.
C.R.