Punknews.org | The Methadones / the Lawrence Arms

Review Navigator

Features

Contests

Reviews

Register to Vote: Rock the Vote, powered by Credo Mobile

The Methadones / the Lawrence Arms

live in Chicago
2005
live show

Review by: M Dubs
See others by this writer

Only registered users
can post comments

Published on September 20th 2005

Simply put, this show was completely incredible. The Bottom Lounge is a great venue, and the four bands that played there Saturday night put on a kick ass, tons of fun punk show.

First up were the Matics. I had never heard of these guys coming in, but they were a pleasant surprise. Their music was a little more grungy than the other bands. They seemed to be having lots of fun, and gave away CDs in between songs. I couldn't tell you a single song title, but I can tell you they had some good ones and had me bobbing my head.

Next up were the Copyrights. Holy shit! In the words of Jeff Spicoli, these guys were Awesome! Totally Awesome! They play a style that is very similar to the Riverdales / Screeching Weasel / the Queers. The live show they put on was incredibly tight. They must have blasted through about 12 songs in 25 minutes, with killer back up vocals, catchy ass songs, and just a straight up no bullshit good time vibe. Check these fellas out if you get the chance, because they won't let you down.

Some band called the Larry Armstrongs was up next. For all the poor souls who wondered who the Larry Armstrongs were, this was a "secret" show by the Lawrence Arms. The only reason I figured this out was by running into them the previous week and hearing about this "secret" show. They also promised to be playing mostly new songs from their upcoming album, which they are currently working on.

Holy Christ. This had me excited all week, and the Lawrence Arms further proved why I think they are one of the most phenomenal bands in the scene today. They came out and blasted into "Necrotism," their contribution to the Rock Against Bush comp. That tune was followed by a wicked version of "Turnstiles." Brendan wasn't as mobile as he usually is due to his recent knee surgery, but they ripped shit up regardless. From there it was onto the new stuff, though I was having too good of a time to really pay attention to song titles. They did play one called "Cut It Up." But I can tell you that the new stuff is out of this world. It is amazing how the Lawrence Arms put out killer albums, and continue to keep topping themselves. I promise you their new album will destroy anything else in 2006. They haven't gotten experimental or changed anything too drastically. The new stuff sounds just like the Lawrence Arms should, and it's insanely good. They did take requests for one song and played "On With The Show." They closed with "Northside, The L&L, And Any Number Of Crappy Apartments." This performance was a treat for any TLA fans who were able to attend.

Just when you think it couldn't get any better...the Methadones take the stage! Man, these guys are so underrated. It was great to see them headlining and playing to a good hometown audience who really appreciates them. I believe they opened with "Say Goodbye To Your Generation." The rock continued non-stop from there. Their set focused mostly off tracks from their excellent, newest record Not Economically Viable. Highlights of the set included "TV World," "Mess We Made," "Bored Of Television," "Transistor Radio," and "Suddenly Cool." The hometown crowd ate it up and was singing along and jumping all over the place.

However, it was two non-Methadones songs that really got me and the rest of the crowd hopped up. During the middle of the set they busted out the Sludgeworth classic "Someday." Holy Schnikes did that bring the place down. Brendan from TLA came out to sing backup vocals, and all the kids in the place were singing the "whoa-ohs." It was one of the greatest single song performances I've ever seen. Not only that, but later in the set they cranked out "Make Way," which is originally by one of Schaefer's old bands the Riverdales. Those covers proved that Dan Schaefer is a brilliant man and a legend in the Chicago scene. He loves what he does and he does it better than almost anyone. The Methadones played with energy and passion and had the whole place rockin' and rolling.

Overall, it was definitely one of the best shows I've ever seen. It was such a blast with everyone singing along and enjoying themselves. I wish people from outside of Chicago could have been there, because it was truly a great evening, at a great venue in a great city with some of Chicago's finest.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.

What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-09-26 02:29:29

see the new and improved review above losers

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Posted by patk on 2005-09-23 17:47:27

www.myspace.com/thematics

Posted by rkl on 2005-09-23 08:47:50

yeah, that was me. and you told me about that show, but i think i ended up drinking expensive whiskey & discussing the velvet in some guy's southside basement.

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-09-22 16:38:59

Ha, didn't you ask for Chicago shows on one thread? I remember talking about this show to someone who was coming in from out of town.

Posted by rkl on 2005-09-22 16:19:34

damnit. damnit. damnit.

i was in chicago this past weekend, and if id know the lawrence arms were going to be playing this show, i wouldve dragged the girlfriend down to see it.

fuck secret shows.
oh well, ill be back for good in october. who wants to start a punknews.org hardcore band?

Posted by JohnnyRev99 on 2005-09-22 12:48:47

I can't wait for the new Lawrence Arms record? Does anyone know where Atlas moved to? My band recorded our first EP at the old location. Any word on any more Falcon shows?

Posted by tylerdurden8136 on 2005-09-22 11:01:53

in response to you, kenjamin, yes, i'd say my life is about equal value to a lawrence arms shirt, and i'm damn proud of it. but thanks again.

and to whoever asked about neon blonde, i'd recommend it if you're a fan of the blood brothers or if you're open to new things. it kind of has an 80's vibe going on with some of the songs...it's different, but good. that's about as good as i can do, which is why i don't write reviews. ha.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 4:23 AM (EDT)

this show was great. i went to see the methadones and had no idea about the lawrence arms playing. the lawrence arms new stuff was played well and tight. i'm looking forward to the new record. the methadones sounded great. i'm a fan of the chicago pop punk sound, and they're keeping it alive and well. good job. i thought the other 2 bands rocked too, but i was spending most of my time in the bar during their sets. great night.
brian

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 2:09 AM (EDT)

tylerdurden, i noticed you were listening to that neon blonde on audioscrobbler. how is it? do you recomend it?

Posted by kenjamin on 2005-09-22 01:22:33

dude, tylerdurden. Did you just sell your life to me or equate the value of your own life with that of a lawrence arms t-shirt?

Posted by tylerdurden8136 on 2005-09-22 00:05:04

for the dude that wanted a Lawrence Arms shirt/merch.

http://shop.urbanrobot.com/home.php?cat=266

al so, asianmanrecords has stuff too.

dude, you're a lifesaver.

thanks a lot.

Posted by OKSoda on 2005-09-21 23:29:20
My Score:

It figures that I would be featured in a review that doesn't get posted. So I say post Bill's.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 3:25 PM (EDT)

Oooops! I meant Prowler

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 3:25 PM (EDT)

I think the Night Crawler is onto something. I will say this though, I do respect FOB because I know they were around for a long ass time before they got huge. I can respect bands that pay their dues unlike MCR.

Posted by TheNightProwler on 2005-09-21 15:01:13

I think one thing we can all agree on at least is that Fall Out Boy and The Academy Is have got to be the worst things to come out of Chicago/Chicago area.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 2:17 PM (EDT)

The Scissors and Open Heart Surgery rock too!

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 2:16 PM (EDT)

I would say Alkaline Trio is probably the best punk band that has come out of Chicago in a long time. Well, the best one that is still together. The newer bands i.e. Rocky Denis, Johnny Rev, Break The Silence, Much The Same are all pretty decent too......not breaking any new ground, but still good music.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 1:57 PM (EDT)

The Arrivals and Haymarket Riot are both great, Hanalei too.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 1:51 PM (EDT)

thick has alot of great chicago bands

new black for one
the bomb for two

Posted by housewrecker on 2005-09-21 13:32:20

I think Larry Arms and the Methadones are a great example of GOOD Chicago punk. Chicago had a billion rad rad non-screamo, non watered down punk bands. Naked Raygun, Oblivion, the Letterbombs, Apocolypse Hoboken,Bollweevils, the Fighters, Pegboy, Los Crudos, need I go on???

Posted by inagreendase on 2005-09-21 13:05:32

What about bands like Rocky Denis and Johnny Rev. I think that is the true future of Chicago punk rock.

Haha X several thousand. Because arena screamo and watered down pop-punk are definitely Chicago's future. No, but really, who would you suggest? Seriously now.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 11:39 AM (EDT)

There are a lot better bands from Chicago out there, but they get no coverage at all. What about bands like Rocky Denis and Johnny Rev. I think that is the true future of Chicago punk rock.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 10:27 PM (EDT)

http://www.myspace.com/thecopyrights

we're not from chicago......

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 10:19 PM (EDT)

your only comment on this review is to comment about my only comment on this review? wow, you're retarded

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 10:10 PM (EDT)

holy schnikes is from tommy boy you dipshit. thats your only comment on the review? you are a retard.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 9:31 PM (EDT)

Holy Schnikes ?

people say that? people type that out?

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 9:26 PM (EDT)

godDAMN i wish i could've been there.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 5:21 PM (EDT)

"They play a style that is very similar to the Riverdales / Screeching Weasel / the Queers"

Isn't this every band in Chicago? Eh.
Maybe 10 years ago.

Posted by kenjamin on 2005-09-20 16:54:28

for the dude that wanted a Lawrence Arms shirt/merch.

http://shop.urbanrobot.com/home.php?cat=266

al so, asianmanrecords has stuff too.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 3:11 PM (EDT)

It took my 2 years of looking on e-bay to eventually get a larry arms t-shirt (the same one they have on fat wreck merch). After all the looking and long nights I finally got one for £1.20 lol best quid I have ever spent to this day.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 2:32 PM (EDT)

why is it so goddamn hard to find larry arms merch? am i missing a website? i can't find anything on their site, and there's one shirt on fat wreck. anyone have any suggestions? please?

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-09-20 13:02:17

"I like the Larry Armstrongs, but this Methadones business is yesterday's news -- or more like the news of, um, 1992?

It's a damn shame to see bands going back in the Queers/Weasel direction in Chicago. Didn't we learn the first time around? I don't wanna suffer through a bunch of trite shit like that again.

By saying this, I'm not saying the "new school" punk is worth a damn, either. But I've always thought the Methadones were a bunch of coattail riders, and there ain't nothing to ride on no mo'."

That's one of the stupidest comments I've ever seen. Dan Schafer was ing Screeching Weasel and The Queers, so if they happen to sound kind of similar it should be expected. But the worst part is that they really don't sound similar! Screeching Weasel are one of my all time favorite bands, as are the Methadones. They are two seperate entitties. Sure, at the base level they both play pop punk. But what you don't understand is that there are so many different levels to that. Ben Weasel and Dan Vapid work amazing together, but they don't need to ride each other's coattails. Hell, Vapid could've put together a Riverdales sound a like and done all lead vocals, or simply copied the style of Ben to a T. But he didn't. He put together another totaly different band that took all the best of his previous work and injected a good dose of Cheap Trick into it. In conlusion, The Methadones ride no one's coattails.

So yeah, shut up.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 12:37 PM (EDT)

i say nay to the second review, if it means that eithr the 400 blows or doomriders review gets posted....

if those have no chance of getting posted friday, then fuck it. make friday a whole day of second or even third reviews of albums and shows. that should allow you to show everyone whose boss

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Posted by gladimnotemo on 2005-09-20 11:44:06
My Score:

"They play a style that is very similar to the Riverdales / Screeching Weasel / the Queers"

Isn't this every band in Chicago? Eh.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 11:30 AM (EDT)

I like the Larry Armstrongs, but this Methadones business is yesterday's news -- or more like the news of, um, 1992?

It's a damn shame to see bands going back in the Queers/Weasel direction in Chicago. Didn't we learn the first time around? I don't wanna suffer through a bunch of trite shit like that again.

By saying this, I'm not saying the "new school" punk is worth a damn, either. But I've always thought the Methadones were a bunch of coattail riders, and there ain't nothing to ride on no mo'.

Posted by housewrecker on 2005-09-20 11:03:27

Wow. I remember that Sludgeworth record. It was in a league of it's own.

Posted by jared on 2005-09-20 10:57:14
My Score:

I'll have to agree with the reviewer about "Someday". It gave me chills.

Posted by TheNightProwler on 2005-09-20 10:53:37
My Score:

It was an amazing show, I'm glad I came home for the weekend to see it.

Oh and yay for posting Bill's review. *thumbs up* ...though I'm sure he's not going to say much about those Larry Armstrong fellows so that may dissapoint a few.

Posted by hubitcherkokov on 2005-09-20 02:29:30

Abortions for all! *Booooo* Very well, no abortions for anybody! *Boooo* Hmm...abortions for some, the second Lawrence Arms/Methadones review for others! *Yayyyyy*

I'm sorry about that...but let's see the other review.

Posted by inagreendase on 2005-09-20 01:33:18

kenjamin -- I think we're done for a while on AWS.

Bill -- Sort of. We're "down" to 160, now, which is still the lowest it's been since it first hit that point.

Posted by kenjamin on 2005-09-20 00:58:01

Nay to posting anymore Wilhelm Scream reviews.

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-09-20 00:57:57

It's no biggie if you don't since there's so much crap waiting to get posted.

Has the Sunday thing cleared up a lot of it?

Posted by inagreendase on 2005-09-20 00:52:34

Damnit, I want my review posted! hahahah.

Dude, that thing materialized in the queue as I was posting the update.

Let's vote...

ATTN Everyone: Yay or nay on posting a second review of this show on Friday?

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-09-20 00:37:42

OKSoda I mentioned you in my review. It was a cry for help to a Lawrence Arms fan.

Posted by OKSoda on 2005-09-20 00:34:48
My Score:

Oh yes, all of the new Larry Arms songs are incredible. It is absolute truth. This show was a lot of fun.

Posted by corpseofmymotivation on 2005-09-20 00:31:32

Man, from all the accounts I've heard, the new Lawrence Arms is going to be amazing (not that anyone should have expected anything less).

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-09-20 00:28:27

Damnit, I want my review posted! hahahah.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 12:10 AM (EDT)

man I wish I was there.

Posted by primeevil7 on 2005-09-20 00:09:43

Turnstyles has an 'i" in it.