Night of hardcore antics erupt at the Replay

Nothing could have prepared us for the monumental moments that occurred on Saturday night.

With it being the very last Saturday before Christmas, Lawrence was out in full force and ready to party. The Replay was brimming with excitable revelers donning Christmas hats of every shape and size. Little did they know of the fairly inappropriate and nearly-nude-filled fun that lay ahead (more on that in a bit) in the final installment of “I Heart Local Music Presents” for the year.

But first, an introduction was in order. Sunday Heroine is one of Lawrence’s newest bands with a very bright future. The trio, fronted by Max Lock, specializes in all your 90’s grunge dreams. Lock is a teenager who just finished high school this semester, but we’ve had our ears on her musical talent for a few months now. The guitarist is joined by Chris Maddox on bass and Max Allsbrooks on drums. Together, they give us that alternative sound that’s been making a raging comeback, laced with just a taste of riot grrrl attitude. They’re completely likable and made a fantastic debut at the Replay. We expect to see a lot from them in 2016.

Just before the show, started, Stiff Middle Fingers’ Travis Arey approached us and said “Thank you!… and I’m sorry.” We didn’t think much of the comment until he started taking his belt off during the first song. Then came the pants… then eventually the shirt. All that was left was a day-glow yellow banana hammock. The rest of the band, dressed in beach attire, were celebrating a “Christmas in July” theme…. although we’re almost certain Arey was just celebrating a regular old Saturday like he usually does: with outlandish stunts and in-your-face antics. In this case, it was a big, colorfully-clad schlong in our faces.

Watch him strip and bounce his bare butt around at about 1:34 in:

This really upped the ante on the penile performer’s usual punk rock maneuvers. His usual thrusts were now threatening, and his scissor kicks were all too sensual. Anyone who’s ever been to a Stiff Middle Fingers show knows that Arey tends to climb up on top of monitors and tables. On this scantily-clad night, that meant a front row view of a scandalous nature. He even ran outside and climbed a downtown planter, all while continuing to scream into the mic (the chord was VERY long) and point at passing cars. “Thanks for putting up with my pasty white ass!” he gleefully announced at the conclusion of the performance.

It would be ill-advised to try and top a Stiff Middle Fingers performance, but a band like Bummer has the chops for it. The hardcore rockers once again carried us to headbanging heaven with their extreme numbers at the loudest level (our ears were ringing well after the show). Bummer’s stamina is a bit of a marvel. They’re hardly out of breath by the end of their show, despite their best efforts to exhaust their bodies by thrashing, headbanging, and screaming. Bummer is not for the faint of heart, and anyone who survived their screeching set was rewarded with a cover of Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People.”

If you were worried about getting one last round of rock in before heading home for the holidays, this was the show to do you right. The level of unyielding and merciless noise, as well as off-the-wall onstage demeanors, were enough to satisfy even the hungriest of rockers well into the new year.