by Maggie St. Thomas
Legends Take the Stage
We rolled up just in time to catch FEAR at 5:15 as they took the stage—the no-bullsh*t legends we came to see, fronted by the one and only master madman, Lee Ving.
They kicked things off with deep cuts from their second studio album (More Beer, 1985), tearing into “The Mouth Won’t Stop” and the title track. Then Lee shouted, “There’s one group of persons that you’ve not had beer with yet—‘Have a Beer with Fear!’ 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4!” No one does it like him. Lee didn’t miss a beat.
L7 Still Shreds
L7 followed and came in wild. I’d been looking forward to seeing them again. They opened with “Andres,” then ripped through “Shove,” “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Shitlist,” and “Fast and Frightening.” Always a treat to see these gals throw down live. Been a fan since ’91 when I first saw them perform at City Hall, Dave Grohl was filling in for them on drums.
Ceremony sounded tight, but I was mid-line for a $25 Baja bowl. No way I was giving up my spot—or scarfing food just to catch the first few songs in the photo pit. So I sat back, enjoyed my overpriced bowl, and afterward found myself backstage in FEAR’s green room—where Lee Ving casually serenaded me with a bit of Italian operetta. Not kidding.
While there, I chatted with Frank Meyer about On the Road with the Ramones, the book he co-wrote with Monte A. Melnick. Real cool guy. We talked Ramones and I snacked on peanuts. There was zero coffee in sight—but hey, it wasn’t exactly that kind of crowd. I missed the Snow Strippers, but they seemed to set the tone for the featured performers.
The Garden Blooms
Last time I saw The Garden was ten years ago in the Constellation Room. Now here they were headlining the event, surrounded by mounds of fans in full face paint. Surreal. They played “Egg,” which hit hard—I used to blast that one in the mornings while getting my twin sons, just like Fletcher and Wyatt from the band, ready for school. They crushed it. Still a huge fan.
One Strange Night, Indeed
It was a strange night, no doubt. But as FEAR’s guitarist Eric Razo put it best after the show:
“At first it was One Strange Night… but in the end, it made total sense.
The crowd was energetic and alive, the lineup was mixed, and the bands were on fire.
It’s wild playing alongside Lee, Spit, and the dudes—true musical pioneers still making brand-new fans go crazy to this day.”
Article & Photographs by Maggie St.Thomas