Against Me! With Tim Barry, and Ninja Gun

Posted 19 February 2010 Live Music Review, Music News

February 19, 2010

Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Written by Kate Dingle

After a week of abnormally cold nights South Floridians were given an opportunity to get heated, and that chance came in the form of an Against Me! show at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale Thursday night.

Valdosta, Georgia based quartet Ninja Gun hit the stage first. Fusing classic rock with a good ol’ boy southern flare, these guys got the crowd moving; even if it was clapping and stomping along as if we were all at country bar line dancing. Though their lyrics were about pawning your first guitar and getting new shoes, their sound was refined and well thought out. Many times throughout their set, you could close your eyes and imagine Tom Petty doing the exact same thing.

Following Ninja Gun was Tim Barry. Hailing from Virginia and most notably known as the lead singer of the Richmond based punk outfit Avail, Barry appeared onstage with only an acoustic guitar. He opened his set with a little ditty called “Dog Bumped”. Somewhat of a modern day “Folsom Prison”, Tim Barry channeled his inner Johnny Cash while telling a story of a man who laid his hands on his sister. Even though this acoustic set was somewhat unexpected and a bit out of place, Barry’s lyrics were honest while he sang about joblessness, helplessness, and hope for a better tomorrow.

After two phenomenal opening acts, the crowd was amped and ready to lose it for fellow Floridians, Against Me!. When Tom Gabel, James Bowman, Andrew Seward, and George Rebelo took the stage, they immediately began doing what they do best; shaking fans to their very core and not letting up until the final power chord was played. One fan is quoted as saying, “The one thing I love about this band is there’s no middle, they just go”. And go they did. There was very little chatting with the crowd, and it seemed as though what they were doing was strictly business. However, every now and again, front man Gabel would raise his glass and toast the crowd and smile uncontrollably during tunes like “Teenage Anarchist”, “Don’t Lose Touch”, and (newly unveiled) “White Crosses”. Other set highlights included “Thrash Unreal”, “Baby, I’m An Anarchist!” (which was probably in response to a ranting fan from Jacksonville who claimed they never play it), “Americans Abroad”, and (another new one) “High Pressure Low”.

It was an extremely eclectic night of music to say the least. From Southern boys singing about the simple things to a lone musician singing about the meaning of life to the otherworldly performance put out by the seasoned veterans, concert goers were given everything these musicians had to offer and nothing was held back. It’s been nearly a year since Against Me! has graced a South Florida stage, and many devoted fans would agree that it was well overdue.

Photos by Christina Mendenhall