So I just finished the review of the show I went to see at the Bug Jar on Sunday and I figured I would post it up on here...Enjoy!

Five hours of hilarious people and exciting punk music for only seven dollars, what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon? Four local punk bands representing the Rochester/Syracuse area sold out the Bug Jar on January 25th. The friends and fans of Claire Danes, Like Wolves, Forfeit, and Polar Bear Club crammed themselves into the bar to watch these musicians play raw and invigorating music.

Claire Danes, the first to play started out tentatively but soon the biting guitar rifts and fast-paced drums instantly ignited the members as well as the fans. Singer Trevor Smith sang with all of his strength and emotion, stretching his voice to its limits that the occasional squeak of his voice made the songs even more endearing. From their first song it was apparent that Claire Danes is heavily influenced by Saves The Day, which places them at the opposite end of the punk spectrum as Like Wolves and Forfeit.

The Syracuse based band Forfeit immediately gave me the impression: the US Marines meet hardcore punk rock, and they certainly sweated as hard as a Marine. The intense drumming and intimidating bass lines created an onslaught of moshing and circle pits within the crowd. It was music that literally shakes your core and makes you move despite ever having heard their songs or not. Forfeit was completely dedicated to their music and having a good time with their audience that even when Steve Hornyak’s microphone failed several times he continued screaming as loud as he possibly could.

Like Wolves describes the genre of Thrash Punk perfectly: loud, fast and absolutely insane. Their lyrics were impossible to discern and the songs were filled with chaos, but it was impossible not to have fun watching this band. Lead singer Ben Kruger screamed wildly into the microphone while jumping off amp stacks, crowd suffering and literally standing on the crowd while gripping the upside-down furniture attached to the ceiling. Like Wolves gave the greatest sense of camaraderie that comes from local bands when Kruger stated, “This stage is as much yours as it is mine…push me out of the way if you have to [laughs] you don’t need me.”

When Polar Bear Club took the stage the temperature of the room increased twenty degrees because it was jammed pack with as many people it could fit. Polar Bear Club is an exceptional local band who are starting to make it big and must be seen live to comprehend their immense passion for music. They were recently signed to Bridge Nine Records and about to embark on a European tour so it was amazing to see their closest fans singing along and raising their arms to the ceiling with sheer happiness. The melodic guitar and expressive drums sublime perfectly with Jimmy Stadt’s gruff voice, which filled the room with some of the greatest music Rochester has to offer. Their raw emotion and unrelenting power made every song an anthem for each person in the room, and the entire band gave it their all despite the crushing heat.