I don't keep it a secret that I think toyGuitar’s Move Like A Ghost is one of the best EP’s to come out in 2016. That is why when I found out that were playing at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach on November 5, 2016 I knew I had to make it. Interestingly, headlining the show was Pansy Division, who just released a new album and who I never had seen before. So that was just an added bonus for the night.

Let’s just get one thing out of the way first -- there were two other bands playing that night that were totally out of the punk realm so I’m not going to comment on them. They weren’t bad, I was just completely unfamiliar with them. Moving on!

I have never seen a bad toyGuitar show. This one was no exception. This is a band where what you hear on their records is what you get when you see them live and more. And this show in particular was important because it was the first show I had seen them play with their new bassist Alexander Alcantra-Kouninos. I have to say that he fit right into the band. He nailed every song as did the whole band. It is always a pleasure to see Jack Dalrymple sing live regardless of what band he is playing in be it Dead To Me, Swingin’ Utters or toyGuitar. From his soft vocals to his gravely screams, it was all amazing to see in person. This being my third time seeing toyGuitar, I did notice that their set list for this particular show had a pretty wide range of their growing discography. They played “Words Between Us” from their self-titled 7-inch, “Human Hyenas” from In This Mess and “Swan’ from Move Like A Ghost. But the absolute best part of their set -- nay -- the night, was their performance of “Move Like A Ghost.” I was in sheer bliss when they played that build up/guitar solo that occurs in the middle. I think it has taken over as my favorite tune of theirs.

toyGuitar’s Set List:

Words Between Us

Swan

Human Hyenas

Static Attraction

Is It True

Tangled Up

When It Was Over

Move Like A Ghost

Shoot The Piano Player

Roller Coasters

Loose In A Room

I had always been aware of Pansy Division, but I never got around to listening to their material until the news broke that they were releasing a new album this year. So I was absolutely open to seeing what their live show was like. They were celebrating their new album Quite Contarary being released and their twenty-fifth anniversary as a band. According to them this was the band’s first gig in Long Beach in twenty years. Overall the performance was great and really fun. All of Pansy Division’s songs, though they were not super-angry punk rock, were very catchy and pop-y. Between songs they made a few gay and dick jokes that were all in good fun and they had this wonderfully positive, warm and welcoming attitude that you don’t get from too many bands. The highlight of their show for me was when they played their single “Blame The Bible” and their bassist (as an homage to the song’s music video) tore up printed-out pictures of politicians. At one point later in the show he changed into this reflective, bright gold top with spaghetti straps and then started tearing out pages from a Bible and threw them on the floor. They also played “He’s Trouble,” “James Bondage,” and they covered “It's A Sin” by the Pet Shop boys (full set list below).

This was definitely not a pair of bands that I would ever have guessed would play the same show together, but I have to say that it turned out really great. As usual toyGuitar were awesome and hearing those new songs live really made the night for me. As many of us say on this site, “Jack Dalrymple can do no wrong.” Well that goes for when you see any of his bands perform, too. And I’m really glad I stuck around for Pansy Division because they absolutely live up to the hype. They put on a very good show and I have to admit that I found myself laughing at their banter quite a bit. Go see them even if you aren't familiar with their material.

Pansy Division’s Setlist (copied straight from the setlist on stage)

Fem

Dick

He’s Trouble

Bad Boyfriend

Some Best Friends

Gonna Need

Deep Water

Kiss Me

Not Enough

On The Phone

Neighbors

Bible

James

Twinkie

It’s A Sin (Pet Shop Boys cover)

Love Came

Cocksucker

No Pro

Whipt

Bunnies

Encore:

He Whipped My Ass In Tennis (Then I Fucked His Ass In Bed)

I’m Gonna Be A Slut

You can see some pictures the show on the Punknews Instagram.