Youth Brigade

First of all, made this one of my top five punk rock shows ever...and what a show it was! The Local 662 venue in St. Pete is great and the perfect size for an amazing "punk rock" experience! The opening act: "Johnny Unite Us" continues to make a name for themselves  in the Tampa Bay Punk Scene! They played a very energetic set and they certainly set the mood for the rest of an unforgetable evening..I expect to see more of them and you should look them up too! "Gonad Rehab" took over and immediately kicked things into "hyperdrive"! These guys grab you by the throat and won't let go until your face is purple and just when you think you had enough, they get faster! Their cover of "I don't want to hear it" by Minor Threat made me wanna start a fight and I'm a wimp so that should tell you something! Look them up! Now! The opening bands have done their part and now it was up to the "Brigade" to bring it! They opened with "Violence" which shows how confident they were with the set they had prepared for this show! The guys played loud, fast and perfectly! Shawn Sterns vocals continue to spread a sense of urgency and emotion that it's impossible to turn away from and in the same way they did 30 years ago! They had the crowd going and by the time they started playing "Modest Proposal" which is one of my all time favorite songs I had no energy left! I had to reach deep and got the batteries going until the end of an unforgetable set! Their skill and level of playing defy belief! They were amazing!  But that was not the best part! The best part is how approachable and friendly these guys are! They give new meaning to the word fame! As well known and legendary as they are already among us punk rockers they took the time to greet everyone, took pictures and Shawn Stern even bought me a beer! How amazing is that? So if there's anything I would like this review to do is to send a message to all those young kids listening to Punk Rock music in their bedrooms and reading good books and feeling different right now! I was a skinny guy from Puerto Rico the first time I heard "Violence" with no hope of ever meeting the guys who played such an awesome tune but sometimes dreams do come true! I just shared a couple of beers with Shawn Stern from The Youth Brigade, got up on stage on sang "I Hate My Life! It can happen! Don't give up! 

The Middle East has a great "underground" atmosphere that really gets you in the mood for punk. Off With Their Heads was a good warm up and plays good music, but the small crowd didn't really get into it. The Unseen put on an amazing show. Mark is very energetic and got the crowd moving. It was also very interactive. Youth Brigade played very well, but it seemed like only the older fans came to see them.