Off!, Plague Vendor, Worws
Recommended
This event is in the past
Sat., Nov. 19, 8 p.m. 2016
Hawthorne Theatre
Hawthorne District (Portland)
Leave it to the old dudes in Off! to keep doing punk the right way. The SoCal supergroup, which formed in 2009 out of nowhere, keeps ripping across America and beyond, making barebones hardcore and playing as though time has stood still. These lifers’ breakneck songs—which usually clock in at under two minutes—nod to their former bands (Redd Kross, Black Flag) and are a testament to the idea that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s no surprise that Plague Vendor would join Off! on the bill. Although the band takes a slightly more nuanced approach to punk rock, the results are equally potent. As with Off!, Plague Vendor’s songs rarely pass the two-minute mark, but they dynamically hit on garage rock’s unbridled rawness and the more ominous mood of new wave and post punk. With both bands firing off two-minute ragers, it’ll be hard to catch your breath. MARK LORE