This show didn’t get going until it was already pretty late, so had resigned in myself early on that I’d be here for just BIGWIG and ENSIGN, and unfortunately have to skip the SUICIDE MACHINES. Not exactly the happiest decision to make, but what can you do…Anyway, BIGWIG and ENSIGN are both great bands, so the night still ended on the upside (well actually, no, that parking ticket I got at the metro sucked – I can’t believe they actually expected me to put a coin into this thing called a “”meter.”" Those weirdos…).

BIGWIG never cease to amaze me. With the recent release of their third full length, “”An Invitation to Tragedy,”" this band proved to the world that they do the melodic hardcore thing better than nearly anyone else. I had the priviledge of watching BIGWIG up close at the Warped Tour and these guys play with such intensity, it’s sickening. As usual, the band was super tight, enthused, and looked pretty excited to be playing a thursday night show to about 200 people. Tom has one of the best sing/scream voices there is in punk rock, and overall, the band seemed to be playing at 100% which is cool considering how many line-up changes BIGWIG goes through. The set consisted of many tracks from the new disc, the classic, “”Girl in the Green Jacket,”" the ancient, “”Flavor Ice,”" and all the classics from their epic release, “”Stay Asleep.”" New tunes such as “”Thinning out the Herd,”" “”Sore Loser,”" “”Sink or Swim,”" and “”Mr. Asshole,”" were all of the crazy fast variety and sounded rather huge with the drum work overpowering everything else. BIGWIG’s drummer is the only one I know that manages to play just as hard while jumping up and down. Near the end of the set, Tom asked the audience if anyone had bought their new album yet, and I swear, you could have heard a pin drop. It was one of the most bizarre/funny moments I’ve ever seen at a show. BIGWIG rule, check them out live and pick up their new one.

Truth be told, it was ENSIGN that provided the real reason to attend this show. I’ve only seem them twice before, once in 1995 (with a completely different line-up, minus Tim Shaw), and again in early 2000 (with an almost completely different line-up, minus Tim Shaw – you sense a trend here?), and their entire discography is incredibly impressive among modern day hardcore standards. Like the great KILL YOUR IDOLS, ENSIGN often seem underappreciated, and hopefully, that will one day change. Now back to the review – which can summarized in a giant “”wooohoooo!”" ENSIGN have some of the best lyrics, hardest breakdowns, and most ferocious approaches that I’ve witnessed in any band. Not only are these guys inspiring, but they are stunningly tight with their song execution and play with nearly unmatched energy. “”Cast the first Stone,”" ENSIGN’s debut on Nitro is a killer album, as well as their recent follow up, “”The Price of Progression,”" and much of their set consisted of tracks from these. At one point, ENSIGN burned through 5 straight songs before taking a break to breathe. Standouts included, “”The Spark,”" “”Black Clouds vs. Silver Linings,”" “”Grasping at Straws,”" the bone-crusher, “”Pale Horse,”" “”Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars,”" “”The Road Less Traveled,”" and my personal favorite, and absolute mecca for all standards concerning mammoth breakdowns, “”Never Give In.”"

A bunch of tunes from their debut full-length, “”A Direction of Things to Come,”" were hit a well, including, “”Page 32,”" “”Foundation,”" and “”Tourniquet.”" It was great to see full on, kickbox mayhem at the Black Cat since it’s predominantly an indie-rock venue. If you like to dance up a storm, ENSIGN provide that essential soundtrack. Since both ENSIGN and BIGWIG were asked to support THE SUICIDE MACHINES on this nationwide tour, both bands respectively thanked THE SUICIDE MACHINES, but ENSIGN must have mentioned them at least 10 times, which was odd, but not really important. Tim also had a few poignant remarks about our “”generation needing help,”" to assist in getting through the tragedies of September 11th. From a peer-to-peer standpoint, it was just another cool element in making a show feel more personal and cohesive. On the metro ride back, I was mentally screaming the sing-along part to “”Never Give In,”" which couldn’t have been any more appropriate.

I really did want to stay for THE SUICIDE MACHINES, and it’s unfair to not write anything about them, so i’ll just plug their new disc, “”Steal This Record.”" I think it’s pretty rockin’ and a nice mix of power-punk rock and passionate lyrics. Good energy all the way through.