.That probably does not satisfy your curiosities, but it will have to do for now, because we have business to attend to. To get back into the swing of things, we are starting off small with a few words about a tiny show in Baton Rouge, LA. Lafayette locals The Class War get the honors of kicking off our brand new blog segment about live music, and it is an interesting initiation. Particularly because we had seen this band in their hometown the night before they played the Northgate Tavern in Baton Rouge, and for many reasons, homefield advantage proved advantageous indeed for this power pop quartet (trio?).
Well, the source of the afformentioned confusion is the first issue we'd like to address. Due to last minute booking and the fact that the band members still hold jobs outside of their musical endeavours, The Class War was a man down this particular evening because of their guitarist's inability to get off of work. Being as though we found him to be the most interesting member of the band to begin with, this was quite unfortunate. However, sonically, the band filled all gaps that might have been left open by their colleague's absence. Their relatively small roster certainly showed itself in their stage presence, but could not be detected by ear alone. Kudos to the band for filling us with such big sound having only three people.
Also (and this is key), they were playing a college town, on a night when the football team had a most disappointing loss, thereby leaving bar attendance, and their dancefloor, relatively bare.
Despite all this, these kids put on a pretty decent show. It might not have reached the "kick-ass" status of the previous night, but still pretty strong. Solid tempos, thick bass grooves, gritty guitar, harmonic surprises, and strong, singable melodies are the building blocks for their dark & dancy, glam & gloomy pop sound, akin to the sultry sadness of Canadian post-punk descendents The Stills. Opening the set with a slow, soothing waltz number may have been a questionable decision, but by the time they rolled around to "Put Your Lips On Me," one of the shining stars of their current EP "A Crack in the Mask," the show was in full swing with forward momentum to spare.
In summation, the band has gobs of potential and definitely should not be discarded because of one off night. If ever our travels put us back in the lovely town of Lafayette, LA, our google searches will be ablaze with queries on where The Class War can be seen serenading.Check out The Class War on Myspace!
