“MONTREAL! IT’S COLD!!!” Poor Strung Out frontman Jason Cruz evidently doesn’t know what has hit him; our start to Spring 2024 is not for the fainthearted! Still, after playing together for 35 years now, the band know a thing or two about warming up a cold room, and for 40 minutes, Olympia is on fire!
Crowd surfers abound from start to finish, and there’s a constant pit churning, though things go up a notch during an incendiary cover of No Use For A Name’s Soulmate, after a moving tribute to their late frontman Tony Sly. No Use’s last show together was at Rockfest in Montebello in 2012, and his loss still stings the Montreal punk community, so perhaps that explains the outpouring of emotion. In any case, Tony would be proud to see how his music still lights up a room, almost 12 years after his passing. 1998’s anthemic Matchbook closes out the set in furious manner, as the place goes nuts one last time.
Strung Out Setlist
- Too Close to See
- Exhumation of Virginia Madison
- Firecracker
- No Voice of Mine
- Never Good Enough
- The Kids
- New Gods
- Rebellion of the Snakes
- Analog
- Daggers
- Soulmate (No Use for a Name cover)
- Matchbook
It’s remarkable to see how beloved Less Than Jake still are too, selling out the 2,438-capacity Olympia with days to spare. Supporting their classic 1998 Hello Rockview record by playing it its entirety, the entire tour has sold well across all of North America; bassist Roger Lima jokes “looks like we’ll be doing more tours for our other records!”
I find myself on the fence by the time the band arrives on stage, and as Roger’s unmistakable wandering bassline intro sets off album opener Last One Out Of Liberty City, the room explodes with punks singing at the top of their lungs (this reviewer included). Guitarist and co-Frontman Chris DeMakes jokes “wow, you guys are old!” I certainly feel that way, as the crowd surge that accompanies Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding cracks a rib against the fence, winding me temporarily, but I’m able to get it together in time for the iconic ska anthem All My Best Friends Are Best Metalheads. The crowd surfers are buzzing around like summer mosquitoes, and after a few near misses from flying boots – yes, being almost 6 feet tall on the fence is asking for trouble, I know – I realize that I would prefer to avoid any further injury, and retire to the side of the room. The rib still stings as I write this up, so I am happy with my decision!
The run-through of the Hello Rockview record is everything I hoped it would be, bringing back memories of all those punk shows back in my homeland of England during the Y2K era when the genre was at its zenith. History of a Boring Town is one I related to so much, wondering if I would ever be echoing the words of that chorus: “A boring life in a boring town / In the same old crowd / And I used to say that I’d never stay / But I’m rotting here today!” Would I end up that way?? Thankfully not, ending up in this wonderful city as I did!
Chris continues to poke fun at the room of old punks: “How many of you had to find a babysitter tonight??” The roar that greets him suggests that it wasn’t a joke question at all! Besides the banter, another set highlight is a guy who came dressed as the businessman on the Hello Rockview album cover, which Chris appreciates so much he pulls him up onto the stage to dance with them during Big Crash, before he courageously dives off the stage, across the photo pit, and into the crowd mid-song.
The encore is a quick 6-song “Best Of” which includes the ska-poppy The Science of Selling Yourself Short (“this was popular for 3 weeks in Nova Scotia in 2003!” according to Chris), the furious Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts, and the anthemic Gainesville Rock City, which see’s Chris and Roger trade lead vocals in perfect complementarity, Chris’ gruff punk tones perfectly alternating with Roger’s higher tones. After Chris’ invitation to hang out at Fouf’s afterwards is greeted with deep roars (“so me and 16 dudes, awesome, gonna be a great night!”), the show closes with the anthemic Look What Happened, after 75 wonderful minutes.
Before leaving, Chris makes the pronouncement “Best show of the tour, you know that right?!” Sounds like everyone had a blast then!
Less Than Jake Setlist
- Last One Out of Liberty City
- Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding
- All My Best Friends Are Metalheads
- Five State Drive
- Nervous in the Alley
- Motto
- History of a Boring Town
- Great American Sharpshooter
- Danny Says
- Big Crash
- Theme Song for H Street
- Richard Allen George… No, It’s Just Cheez
- Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin
- Al’s War
Encore
- The Science of Selling Yourself Short
- Automatic
- Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts
- Lie to Me
- Gainesville Rock City
- Look What Happened
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Kieron Yates
