By Tiffany Detzel
On Friday April 14th, the Ten Stories High Tour featuring The Bouncing Souls, Anti Flag, A Wilhelm Scream, and The Venomous Pinks rocked through their second night at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, Ohio.
Before getting into the show itself, shout out to the wonderful non profit Punk Rock Saves Lives. They are traveling along with the tour, encouraging and helping people register to potentially become a bone marrow donor and save lives. PRSL also offers free Narcan, feminine products, fentanyl test strips, and Plan B to ensure as many punks as possible stay safe and prepared. Check them out at www.punkrocksaveslives.org
Now onto the show! First up was The Venomous Pinks. I love an all female punk band and they were nothing short of amazing! Once the crowd started fully rolling in, they were quick to start nodding and moshing along. This band is punk in its purest form with just a hint of pop mixed in. Their comradery was pretty noticeable throughout, as singer/guitarist Drea and bass player Cassie would often huddle around drummer Jalilie while performing and would interact with each other. Big things will no doubt be in this band’s future, so check them out now!
Next up was A Wilhelm Scream. This band is so much fun live! From moment one, they erupt on stage with in your face screams and infectious energy. Their music is hardcore chaos with some melodic guitar riffs thrown in and it’s just brilliant. The sold out crowd easily matched the bands energy and was now a giant mosh pit. AWS ate it up and was constantly interacting with the fans. I can’t recommend seeing this band enough!
Third up for the night were punk legends Anti Flag. No other band stands for what’s right like these guys and just like AWS, they are such a blast live. The only downside for this show were the venue’s low ceilings which limited bassist Chris Dos’ jump range (though he still got a few in). The mosh pit was back in full effect and the front row was screaming along at the top of their lungs (myself included). The set list included a terrific mix of old classics and new favourites. Midway through the set, the band welcomed the previously mentioned Punk Rock Saves Lives founder to the stage to talk about the organisation and its mission, then got right back into the madness. After the set, the band was kind enough to fist pump/high five the fans. When singer/guitarist Justin Sane got to me, he grabbed my hands and whispered in my ear “great to see you again.” This band is a favourite of mine and is always worth seeing in my opinion.
Last up were the also legendary punk veterans The Bouncing Souls. I didn’t think the crowd could get more amped up, but they were quick to prove me wrong. As soon as the band started singing the classic “Hopeless Romantic” the mosh pit got larger and the screaming got louder. This did not stop until the very end of the set and it was glorious. The band’s set also included a good mix of old favorites and new tunes from the band’s latest album Ten Stories High. We were also treated to a few acoustic numbers and graced with Justin Sane’s presence for a singalong as well. Smiles and witty banter between songs rounded out their set and they were a fantastic way to bookend the night. This tour is still going on, so definitely check them out near you!
Before I end this review I want to give one last shout out/thank you. This is for everyone in the crowd that was around myself and the tour photographer for The Venomous Pinks. They were constantly creating a human barricade around us to protect us/our cameras from mosh pitters and would always alert us to incoming crowd surfers. People were also quick to help anyone that had fallen in the pit or just needed help in general. This is the epitome of the punk community I’ve known and loved throughout the years and I appreciate all of you!
