There are bands that sound best when listened to in the comfort of your own home, lounging in yoga pants and sipping vino as the record spins; just as often, there are bands who flourish under stage lighting and eccentric, caked on make up. NOBUNNY is the latter.
Flashback to my night last Thursday. I’m driving at a generously steady pace on the 605, northbound towards The Glass House in Pomona, a venue that I have never actually been to before because it’s in, well, Pomona. Despite the fact that they lure in some insanely rad bands, nothing could motivate my lazy bum enough to take the hour trek. Not until tonight, that is, when NOBUNNY will be kicking off their Fall tour, with Pangea, Summer Twins, and Death Hymn Number 9 being dished as the night’s starting courses.
I finally get to the venue, late (per usual) and reeking of tequila because I can’t seem to find a flask without a leaking problem. By the time I get in, Summer Twins are on their last song. Cool. From what I heard, they were good. I’ve seen them before, though. Chelsea and Justine are consistently entertaining.
The boys of Pangea hopped on stage next, integrating new tunes with tracks from Living Dummy in their skuzzy, garage punk way. It’s funny how you tend to have an attachment to bands from your hometown, despite not having anything to do with their success. Thus is my relationship with Pangea, who reign from Santa Clarita, CA. Towards the end of their set, Danny (bass) told the crowd that they used to cover NOBUNNY songs and expressed how stoked they were to be opening for them, providing the perfect transition to our wacky headliner.
NOBUNNY, fronted by Justin Champlin, have been performing since 2001, but spent their first six years primarily playing house shows. Though I had never seen them live, I was somewhat aware of Justin’s outlandish costume choices (ie. raw meat, panties, firecrackers, ball gags… need I continue?) What I didn’t factor in, however, was my proximity to these said costumes.
The band makes their way on stage, with our boy Justin donning blue underwear and his grimy bunny mask. I can’t say that I didn’t find him slightly attractive, though I have been known to date a looney toon or two. NOBUNNY begins to play with intensity. Justin leaps around at high volt, flinging Elane kicks and tumbling on the ground as if he were out to win a gold medal in gymnastics. Mind you, vocals have been on, even above, par this entire time.
Remember earlier when I stated “proximity” as a factor? So, here I am… lining the front of the stage with a questionable good view. Without warning, the masked rabbit man props his left leg up and begins dancing for me. Yeah, it’s that kind of show.
To sum it up, the night was (for lack of a better word) seductive. See for yourself.
Where will NOBUNNY be next?
8/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Down & Out – Sailor Jerry Presents (Free show) #
9/4 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory %
9/5 – Little Rock, AR @ Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack %
9/6 – Huntsville, AL @ Vertical House Records %
9/7 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 ! % $
9/8 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival @ Contemporary Art Museum ^
9/9 – Belmont, NC @ Haunted Mill %
9/11 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop % $
9/12 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency %
9/13 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club %
9/14 – Milwaukee, WI @ Miramar Theater %
9/15 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
9/16 – Detroit, MI @ Lager House %
9/18 – Toronto, ON @ The Silver Dollar %
9/19 – Buffalo, NY @ The Funeral Home %
9/20 – New York, NY @ Otto’s Shrunken Head – Sailor Jerry Presents (Free show) %
9/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Living Bread %
9/22 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar %
9/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie %
9/25 – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light %
9/26 – Nashville, TN @ The End %
9/28 – Memphis, TN @ GONERFEST 9
# w/ The Night Beats, Shannon & The Clams, and Wet Illustrated
% w/ Bad Sports
! w/ The Coathangers
$ w/ Apache Dropout
^ w/ Flosstradamus and Danny Brown
