Live music review: A ruckus at Chess Club July 1 with Dregs, Leche and Richard
Not long after sunset on July 1, members of Richard, Dregs, and Leche hung out on the back patio at Chess Club, chatting with band mates, catching up with friends, and preparing for their respective evening sets. The dimly-lit, intimate room set the perfect stage for a punk showcase.
Around 9:30 p.m. Richard took the indoor stage, opening the night with a blistering pace.
Emitting enthused punk eccentricity, front man Brian Rowland, with a lit cigarette in hand, made the venue his arena, making his way through the crowd of spectators, interacting with each member of the audience, and at one point, pulling his pants down and showing his bare ass to the crowd.
Touching on many of the current tensions we face, “Nothing To Do But Drugs” was a standout number from the Austin quartet, consisting of Rowland on vocals, Aaron Cobb on bass, Andy Bauer on guitar, and Jonathan Emora on the drums. For those who caught Richard’s set, consider yourselves lucky. Cobb let The Cosmic Clash know the band is on hiatus until October.
A definitively defiant tone was set for the night with Richard’s rousing performance.
Patrons at the densely-packed venue on the corner of 7th and Red River (formerly DJ spot, Plush) were more-than-ready by the time Leche stepped took the stage for their first live show in over two years. Lead vox and modern-day philosopher, Vik Dogwood, was in classic form, addressing many modern societal and political issues .
Dogwood introduced “I Must Have Lost It” as — in so many words — having been inspired by Rand Paul’s neighbor, and the audience erupted in response. Seemingly slipping in and out of consciousness, Dogwood, along with band mates; 20 Dollups (guitar), YT (bass), and Toenail Jones (drums) played much of their older material, including “That’s My Wife,” along with some of their new material. Incorporating intentional feedback into the heavy instrumentation, the band worked the crowd into a frenzy, with those up front engaged in a hearty mosh pit.
Leche setlist:
To close out the night’s performances, Dregs got on stage around 11:30, building and culminating on the relevant, timely topical themes and frenetic pace of the evening. Not long into the set, Band leader and vocalist, Evan Jones removed her overshirt, and on Evan’s torso, “My Body” conveyed a message that offered emotional and situational context to the performance, and catharsis of the frustrations caused the controversial Supreme Court decision currently felt by so many.
Jones sparked the set with ferocity, belting out energetic lyrics backed by banging drums from Eli Deitz, Lindsay Hornbeck’s heavy bass, and Mark Nolan’s commanding guitar. Dregs’ song, “High Anxiety” was a standout number of the set; the guitar and bass work off of each other so well, with Deitz’ drumwork as the glue of the instrumentation. Jones belted out lyrics to fully-engaged, raucous spectators.
Dregs set list:
All three bands delivered performances that served as commentaries for the current political and social anxieties, frustrations, fears, and dangers our current age seems to be serving up by the platter. Richard, Leche, and Dregs reminded the audience that we are not alone in feeling angry, and that all of these emotions can be channeled into performance that offers a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.
All photos by Brian Hillsman
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