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Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! / Gung Ho

live in Iowa City
2004
live show

Review by: maverick
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Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! (link)

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Published on February 20th 2004

After falling madly in love with the self-titled debut from Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! [review], I wanted desperately to see the trio live. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long as they played in Iowa City the day after their record came out.

I entered the dingy confines of Gabe's Oasis right as the first act, Dimes For Serpico began his set. It was just one guy, an electric guitar, and a well-programmed drum machine [which unfortunately was too high up in the mix, but oh well]. His sound brought to mind the Cure, if they had gone grunge - and used a drum machine [which they did sometimes]. His voice was strong and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed his set. I planned on picking up his debut EP Paris, but he ended up leaving before I could wend my way back to the merch tables.

Up next were Quad City popsters Gung Ho. I had previously seen them in November when they opened up for Duvall and Decibully, and their sound had gotten tighter overall, which was good. my description of them last time - the new wave side of Reel Big Fish, with keyboards instead of horns - held true again, as the band walked the line between serious musicians and jokesters. There's something good going on with these guys, they just need to figure it out and work on it a bit more.

Finally, the band we were all there to see [all 20 or so of us, at least] - Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!. VISE!!'s set was a party from the get-go, including dancing, double bass drums, stories about kittens, many a crazy drum solo, and even poster board drawings of sharks, unicorns, and storm clouds, among other things.

The trio played a good majority of their debut LP, including personal favorites "Trunk Of My Car," "New Brad," and "In Green." Their enthusiasm was boundless, and you could really tell they had a love of performing. Seeing the band live also made the album make more sense. For example, on the album, "Firebombing London" just seems like a little interlude with keyboard and drum machine, but live, the song takes on a whole new meaning with the drummer holding up poster board drawings and telling a story through them. The final card, a gigantic "LOVE", made the drummer's eyes close, his smile widen, and me want to weep. It was so honest, so sincere, and so real - this band is like the indie rock Andrew WK.

VISE!! is worth whatever price of admission you may have to pay to see them. They are highly entertaining, talented, and all around good guys. The exclamation points are surely justified in this band's name, no question.

SETLIST [straight from paper]
NEW BRAD
JO JAXON
G-BY CASIO
SHOUTING
TRUNK
Firebombing
2nd GUN
Mostly
IN GREEN
FISTICUFFS
NO/YES
1ST GUN
AROUND THE DREAM
!!

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Posted by poopypants on 2004-02-26 09:07:48
My Score:

"you must all first realize that poopy pants is over the age of 25. atleast 50 pounds over weight and still living in his parents basement/garage. he spends his saturday nights listening to the dead kennedy's and jacking off. i say we let him win this one because if we dont he may very well end up losing every arguement spamming his entire life."
goddammit, stop posting anonymously pussy. at least diging in posts like a man, even if he is a mormon photo-fag.

secondly, i am 23 and live in my own apt, as diging in said, i sell software to support this 'own place'.

and C, i think the DK suck major ass. jello's voice is garbage.

as for the overweight part....well i could stand to drop a few, but certainly not 50 lbs, but i have a girlfriend, so who cares.

as for you emofags, this is still funny no bass music, i want you to up the punkx and not play bass. i want flashcard show with emo pictures and punknews guy to cry.

i want no dork core. i want no cokehead and cambria. i want you to sop paying attention to me. poo poo. pee pee. eat my wee wee.

Posted by dignin on 2004-02-24 02:05:31
My Score:

Dudes, don't mess with "poopypants", he sales software and hates fags.

Posted by FortyMinutesWest on 2004-02-23 21:27:22
My Score:

There's a homeless guy around here who always yells "I LIKE SCRABBLE! PUT IT ON THE MAILBOX!"

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 23, 2004 at 4:44 PM (EST)
My Score:

you must all first realize that poopy pants is over the age of 25. atleast 50 pounds over weight and still living in his parents basement/garage. he spends his saturday nights listening to the dead kennedy's and jacking off. i say we let him win this one because if we dont he may very well end up losing every arguement spamming his entire life.

Posted by Icapped2pac on 2004-02-23 16:41:08
My Score:

it might be the bowl in my hand, but am I the only one laughing out loud at this until my stomach hurts? I'm a fan of what most would call emo, and I can't really explain why I think it's funny, it just is.

"i do not want any more emo to be not made fun of i only want funny emo with no bass and you to laugh and then say funny man is smart with."

It reminds me of homeless people and their insanely genius rants.... something like Jimmy Gibberish from Damn Show (.com)... if you don't know about him, you should.

Posted by poopypants on 2004-02-23 13:56:37
My Score:

whos bidding? only pussies post anonymously. eat my wee wee pee pee face

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 20, 2004 at 8:44 PM (EST)
My Score:

poopman, you self-important tool. don't waste my time. get off my internet and go do my bidding. minion.

Posted by civperc on 2004-02-20 18:03:35
My Score:

fuckin' a, this is good stuff, thanks for the mp3 links, scott.

Posted by poopypants on 2004-02-20 16:50:47
My Score:

nonono. you must listen to me i am not serious man. you are serious man. i am funny man pooop......ido not want you to yell at me anymore. i am sorry for offending kirby. i do not want any more emo to be not made fun of i only want funny emo with no bass and you to laugh and then say funny man is smart with.

i wnat you to do something for me. i need you to eat at mcdonalds and then yell fuck authority!!! in the face of a cop with mouth full of food.

Posted by inagreendase on 2004-02-20 16:46:15
My Score:

C'mon now Kirby...remember what we said about rational thinking...this is punknews.org, come on...

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 20, 2004 at 4:35 PM (EST)
My Score:

Poopypants...

[terrible name]

...What does any of this have to do w/ Emo?

I don't know if you know this, but people and bands were EMOTIONAL before the year 2000.

Just because the drummer held up a sign that said "Love" and Scott was charged by the entire story / performance doesn't make it Emo.

Grow up.

Get over yourself.

AND ROCK!

This band is way too fun for words.

- Kirby

Posted by poopypants on 2004-02-20 15:46:50
My Score:

The final card, a gigantic "LOVE", made the drummer's eyes close, his smile widen, and me want to weep.

no no no. no more emo. no more fruity stage acts. no afro's. no jeans. no signs and interludes. no art noise. no crying at stupid shit. i must stop you. i must stop pansy drummers.

why is is so important to justify the !!! i justify my nuts on your chin. we will have no more of this.

Posted by poopypants on 2004-02-20 15:44:06
My Score:

i'm still excited!!! i have a chubby from all the emo fag bands that everyone sucks off on this site. ie. postal service, bright eyes. review me. i'm excited. i can play a casio and sound important. i'm q and not u and not atdi and not modest. i'm not even fugazi. i'm nonsense man. i want ska. i want fat punk. i want what you all have forgotten. give me buck o 9!!

i refuse to idly stand by. i am here for your tight jeans. i'm here for your tattoos and black hair. i'm here to make you fat like me. i wnat you to eat more. i want you to wear leather.

i don't want casualties. i don't want to exchange causual pleasantries. i want no screamo anymore. no story of the week.

i want no dork core. no space man music. no cokehead and cambria. no silent level 3 dungeaons and dragosn on mars stupid shit. i dont' want anoher blue album re-release.

i want you to be mad. i want you to stop reading internet stuff. i want your band to get drunk and do something. i wnat you to play loud songs and not care.

i want pop punk to be ok. i want emo to be ok but made fun of. i want no casualties.

thank you,

paul. aka. cawknocker aka poopypants.

i must paste this here. you must eat. you must stop writing importants songs. i think this is dumb music band. no one likes you.

why 2 times. you must stop. i do not like your band. i am not excited. please review this . please do not get too excited.

i do not want poop in my ear. i make poop in my pants. poop in ear is this band. this band is the bad music. no more keyboard no more no bass no no no. no falling down stairs photo's. leave me alone now.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 20, 2004 at 3:18 PM (EST)
My Score:

we dont need two revies of the same fuct up band two weeks in a row, thank you very much.