There is a comraderie between both bands that is absolutely spellbinding. From the first notes of LOOK MEXICO’s set (which, by the way, started an hour and a half late, in what I’ll politely desribe as a hole in the wall grown, tumor like attached to a bar…) to the end of FAKE PROBLEMS’, the two bands were in each others face, helping out on vocals, drums or whatever else could be found.

LOOK MEXICO’s set, did indeed sound like AMERICAN FOOTBALL mixed iwth a dash of EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, but they took themselves far less seriously. Perhaps it was the beards, male tank tops and shouts of “chesse” in between songs, but when the band sat down during an instrumental, the crowd looked around, smiled and did as well. I whispered over to one of my friends “dude, I feel like I’m watching AMERICAN FOOTBALL back in the day.” He agreed.

FAKE PROBLEMS, for many, may perhaps never live outside of AGAINST ME!’s early shadow. I can’t say I wasn’t going back to that Florida four piece in my attempt to pin their sound down, but the guitarrist’s voice seem to echo CHUCK RAGAN more than anyone else from the state who comes quickly to mind. Super fast Gainesville punk rock, mixed with just a hint of southern twang sounds about right, and the veiled reference to REHASHER should give you an idea of exactly how fast the group was playing. However, FAKE PROBLEMS songs are meant to be sung with a bunch of people at a show, and at least for “To Repel Ghosts”, that mantra was done perfectly.

So, FAKE PROBLEMS, now shirtless and exhausted, finishes SRQ on their setlist, and for a brief moment, everything looks like it’s winding down.

That is, until LOOK MEXICO comes onstage, and the drummer announces “we’ve got one more special one”, and picks up a guitar and mic or two. What were they going to sing? Two of the LOOK MEXICO guys had microphones, one was on the guitar, and another was rocking the drums. What were they planning?

Apparently, they were planning “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by THE BEASTIE BOYS. Members got on each others shoulders, singing, passing out the microphone to cap off what had to be one of the best performances I’ve seen all year.

The time was now around 11, and local band VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL watched helplessly as FAKE PROBLEMS’ fans lined up and walked out the door, turning what was a packed offshoot of a bar into like 10 or 12 people in an offshoot of a bar. Truth is, VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL could have played like GREEN DAY, and they still would have been blown off the stage. But, for a Chicago pop-punk band, they were fairly good, with more than a few SCREECHING WEASEL overtones. Fun, hooky and as honest as can be, had it not been 11, and the two bands before them absolutely on the top of their respective games, I would have said I was impressed. The truth is, I was still in shock from FAKE PROBLEMS…

- Seriously, I leave for one night, THURSDAY goes back to Victory, VAUX breaks up and Trustkill signs another crappy faux-emo band…what is wrong with this world?