Philly House Shows XI brings us to one of our favorite Philly show houses, The Mitten House for a rad hardcore punk billing. Located in West Philly’s 50th and Kingsessing Ave. neighborhood, this niche house is home to some punk rock veterans and has hosted some great shows over the last several years. A huge, well-managed basement with the support of like-minded housemates allows for band merch spreads in the living and dining rooms, all complemented by a sweet side garden area and back porch for cool-off in between sets- You really can’t ask for much more from a show house. Top this off off with mellow vibes and rad individuals, and you have the fixings for a prime house bill.
On this particular evening, NYC punks Brain Slug were rolling through with NJ’s 2-piece grind outfit, Budd Dwyer. The show was rounded out by Philly’s own Thousand Lights and scene veterans War Emblem (ex Pink Coffins).
Without a weak cog in this package, Thousand Lights made a poignant opening with raw punk riffs and sociopolitical lyrical motifs to set the mood. Despite the band’s brief history, they are primed to make waves soon enough with a batch of compelling hardcore punk tunes. Two-man powervoilence/grind outfit Budd Dwyer picked up and proceeded to fire off a solid batch of quick numbers- par for the powerviolence course. Not reinventing the wheel, but it’s clear these lads are paying homage to long history of great PV bands.
NYC’s Brain Slug broke into a manic set of rowdy and pissed off punk rock that quickly saw the basement fill with bodies. No shortage of intensity of rawness, this quintet has mastered the art of no frills hardcore. Great live band with a handful of solid releases under their belts.
Last and certainly not least, Philly’s own War Emblem (Ex Pink Coffins, Dying, etc) closed out the evening with a blistering set of hardcore-induced punk that found these veterans at the peak of their game. Full of infectious emotion and great poise, this is one Philly band to keep an eye on in 2013.
We’ve included links to all of the band’s websites for music and further investigation, so do be sure to utilize them! Until our next installment of Philly House Shows, enjoy a fresh batch of photos by BTS’s Joshua T. Cohen.
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