For those of you unfamiliar with Bomb the Music Industry! (BtMI!), they play an interesting fusion of Ska, Punk, and Hardcore. Other influences are apparent throughout their music, though not as prevalent. Listening to BtMI! is never lacking in surprises. Just when you get used to ska riffs set between bouts of yelling, they break out a Tom Waits cover.

They are big proponents of the DIY punk movement, recording and distributing their own CDs, offering most of them for free on their website, and trying to thwart unnecessary capitalism within their sphere of influence. The music is a bit rough around the edges, as their instruments and recording opportunities are perhaps not of the finest quality. They more than make up for all of that with enthusiasm and an unmistakable dedication to making ridiculously awesome music.

Due to issues with work and the Cleveland public transportation system, we arrived at the venue a tidge late, missing most of the first opener. They did a decent job, despite the whole band looking like they had just learned how to shave.

Punk shows are making me feel old.

Up next was Laura Stevenson and the Cans, a female fronted band who perhaps was worthwhile in their own right but seemed mismatched at this particular show. I felt it was as if Jewel and Evanescence were spliced together in a freak accident. it didn’t fit the mood at all. I drained my second Magic Hat #9, even though I was clearly the only person over 21 who was not drinking PBR tallboys. I felt out of place. Deliciously out of place.

In the interim before BtMI! took the stage I checked out their merch booth and found that they would stencil t-shirts for free. This is easy for the guys, who can just pull their shirts off and hand ‘em over. Personally, I didn’t want to be arrested. No T-shirt for me.

Except…I had a cardigan in the car! I scurried back to my car and changed into my cashmere Goodwill cardigan. Back at the Grog Shop I passed off my T-shirt, and my awesome couchsurfer Marko passed me a PBR tallboy. I fit in with the rest of the over 21 crowd! By the time BtMI! took the stage I was tossing my can to the bartender and diving into the crowd.

Memo: Cashmere sweaters are not optimal in the pit at concerts.

After almost loosing my sweltering cardigan to the crowd, I spent the rest of the time trying to dance while clutching my cardigan nervously to my chest.

Bomb the Music Industry! was fantastic, with an incredibly high energy performance that left me pretending to know how to dance. Unfortunately it also left me getting cracked in the head by countless elbows attached to powerfully thrusting fists. Occasionally I could glimpse Marko or Shu dancing and bobbing their heads; I wasn’t the only one enjoying.

Bomb the Music Industry! has a huge musical catalog, and unfortunately they seemed to miss most of the songs I knew. Thankfully three-quarters of the way through the set they played “Side Projects are Never Successful”. My favorite. The crowds favorite too, it appeared.

How could you possibly say no to a chorus that goes “…and we’ll drink drink drink, we’ll get drunk drunk drunk”? It’s impossible.

What to take away…

More like, what to bring. Namely a blank t-shirt, and a helmet. At least if you’re 5′7″ or shorter.

What should you expect?

An enthusiastic crowd of teenagers. An enthusiastic band. A lot of fun.

What drink to pair with?

Recently Plan-It-X-Records (the patron record label of DIY-punk) told me, ‘If it ain’t cheap, it ain’t punk’. so despite my love of Magic Hat, I’m going to have to pair the show with no less than 2 PBR tallboys.