Source: Promo Image
Playing at The Koko on a Wednesday in the middle of April may not be the most glamorous of occupations, but it is one that The Menzingers seem to have embraced extremely happily. After a slew of outstanding reviews for their latest album After The Party (of which you can find our very own here) the atmosphere inside the venue was one of quiet, barely repressed excitement for a good old sing-along to some of the best punk rock melodies the entire scene has to offer.
The Flatliners, from Ontario, Canada, are an unsurprising yet not unwelcome main support to The Menzingers. Their particular blend of rock, punk and super-catchy choruses felt like a very pleasant and fitting addition to the bill. Though many of the crowd seemed to be unfamiliar with the work and were thus unable to participate in the kind of massive sing-alongs that The Flatliners will undoubtedly receive when they return later this year, their raw energy and unfalteringly Canadian happiness kept the energy up more than enough to last throughout their set.
How The Menzingers aren’t one of the biggest bands on the planet yet is something that none of us can understand. When you can come on stage to tumultuous applause, open your set with songs as massive as ‘Tellin’ Lies’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore’ and still have over an hour’s worth of material that people sung themselves hoarse to, it must surely be a sign that you are more than just a punk rock band.
The crowd at Koko was on spectacular form for The Menzingers; the sing-alongs to tunes like old classic ‘Good Things’ and even to newer material from this year’s After The Party like ‘Midwestern States’ and ‘Your Wild Years’ just went to show that the passion in the room was not based solely on the stage. If you enjoy belting the words to great melodies at the top of your lungs and haven’t listened to The Menzingers then put them on immediately and buy a ticket to see them. You will not be disappointed.
With a set comprised of cherry-pickings of the very best of five outstanding albums, the ability to carry those songs live and a light show that show-enhancing without being too overstated, there cannot have been a single person in the entire venue who didn’t come close to having an actual religious experience when watching The Menzingers.
The Menzingers are far from being the biggest band in the world. But by God do they deserve to be.
