In early November, psycho-ska legends MU330 announced on Facebook that they would play at the Firebird on New Year’s Eve with the lineup that recorded their first full length album Press. Former members John Kavanaugh and Matt Knobbe had not been part of the band in almost seventeen years, and the only songs the current lineup plays from Press are limited to “Hoosier Love” and “Stuff”. Shortly after, stories by the RFT (here and here) and St. Louis Magazine helped to get the word out about this noteworthy reunion. With the entire buzz surrounding the Press lineup, would this show be as good live as it seemed in theory?
Trash-punk by St. Louis’s Cross Examination and rock n’ roll supplied by the Holy Shakes from Hot Springs, AR got the crowd moving early on with an emphasis on heavy riffs, and loud, fast music. Of particular interest, Bill Solleder, lead singer of the Holy Shakes shared the story about how he first got a chance to see the Press lineup nineteen years ago in Lawrence, KS as they opened up for his old group, the Blue Meanies.
A little after 11:30, MU330 took the stage. John Kavanaugh stepped up last and sized up his approving audience professional wrestler style and Dan Potthast stated, “if it was written after 1993, we ain’t playin’ it” as the band broke into “Hoosier Love”. MU330 went on to play Press in track order through “Bagelbird” when a few moments after midnight, they did a countdown for the crowd and made sure the first full song heard in 2012 was “Press”.
As the night went on, each song filled the room with energy that’s hard to capture outside of their shows; a mix of people creating circle pits, jumping around, skanking and drinking beers between verse and chorus. The secret, if there were one to MU330’s live show, is that a group of friends know how to project the fun they seem to be having onstage to the audience. It’s a secret that becomes apparent as they jump around to their own songs, laugh, and share stories onstage about why shorts are no longer allowed in the band (thanks to John Kavanaugh). One lucky audience member received a Captain America mask after the band played “Captain”, and they even sang “Happy Brithday” to saxophonist Matt Knobbe who remarked how his gifts usually doubled as Christmas and birthday gifts. Trumpeter and trombonist Adam Hucke and Aaron Chandler of the Funky Butt Brass Band got a chance to share the stage for one of the encore songs “LA”, and the crowd was treated to the band’s version of The Police’s “Man In A Suitcase” as the last song of the night.
If MU330 as a band could have one New Year’s Resolution, I would sincerely hope it’s to play more live shows as time allows. That and hopefully finish up the Monster album.
SETLIST:
Hoosier Love
Fleeba
Stuff
Bagelbird
Press
Spilled My Drink
Didgits
Danska
Captain
Safety Boots
The Punisher/Downtown
ENCORE:
Happy Birthday (to Matt Knobbe)
Kong
LA (featuring Adam Hucke and Aaron Chandler of the Funky Butt Brass Band)
Wide Awake
Man In A Suitcase (The Police)
FYI: Stay tuned to valXcore’s YouTube channel for more videos from the evening in question. Here’s the video for “Hoosier Love”.
