Basement Shows Rules, OK?

New Jersey has the most diners, the worst traffic, the densest population, and the coolest basement shows of any state.

Yesterday I went down to 233 Hamilton Street, the punkhouse known as The Parlor, for a show with New Brunswick's awesome Screaming Females, recent L.A. to Brooklyn transplants The One & Only Band, Baltimore's Sick Sick Birds, and The Assistant Principals (also from NB.)

There was a really good mix of your typical underage drinkers, college kids, and member of the NJ pop/punk scene. The Assistant Principals had a lot of songs that all sounded like the same garage/blues jam but they were visually interesting and had a lot of energy. The Screaming Females whipped the crowd up into such a frenzy that I couldn't even get close enough to take any photos. That leaves the Sick Sick Birds, who prove that older guys can still bring the punk, even to a basement of drunk teenagers.

The Assistant Principals





The Sick Sick Birds