Off! and Trash Talk @ The Ottobar - March 25th, 2011

Now this is how a live concert should be: fast music, engaging lyrics and people flying all over the place! Unlike most shows lately where stage diving is prohibited, at a true punk show it just a norm. Off! hit Baltimore on a Friday night and the Ottobar was definitely the place to be. Lee Spielman of Trash Talk

In the sense of the word that gets thrown around quite frequently, Off! could easily be called a "supergroup" by just looking at their pedigree. Here is a group of men that separately have made their marks on the music world and together are a force to be reckoned with seriously what else could it be with Circle Jerks/Black Flag singer Keith Morris, Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats on guitar, Redd Kross bassist Steve McDonald and Rocket from the Crypt/Hot Snakes drummer Mario Rubalcaba.

As with most shows the venue was a bit slow to fill up and while there were a few people attempting a circle pit during the first two bands, things didn't really get jumping until Trash Talk took the stage. Trash Talk is the perfect compliment for OFF!, think of them as the young kids coming up under their peers. Later in the night Keith Morris would refer to them as the young ones as well and definitely gave them props.

From the first moments Trash Talk took the stage the entire club was alive. A circle pit formed and bodies were flying from the stage as well as a few people skimmed along on the balcony and jumped to the floor. Trash Talk frontman Lee Spielman joined in the melee by diving off the stage, hanging on the balcony and being lifted up and through the crowd. The set itself was dedicated to a friend of drummer Sam Bosson who had died recently. We learned later in the night during OFF!'s set that Sam's friend was shot in the chest. Trash Talk was also playing with a fill in bassist as their bassist Spencer Pollard had recently been stabbed multiple times and was still recovering. Keith Morris of Off!

Finally Off! were ready to take the stage. With their longest song barely topping a minute and a half, they flew through their set though there were moments of cool down as Keith Morris tossed in anecdotes along the way. "Poison City was preceded by a bit of talk about 9/11 as that song is their take on that and he commented that "F**k People" would be what they would play if they were invited to play at the inauguration for Obama's second term or for Michelle Obama's inauguration if she became the first woman black president. Morris also took a bit of time to talk prior to "Jeffery Lee Pierce". The song itself refers to one of the founding members of the punk band The Gun Club who passed away due to a brain hemmorage back in 1996 at the age of 37. He was a good friend of Morris' and he commented how Pierce and the friend of the drummer of Trash Talk were up in the balcony together watching the show tonight.

The night was a great night of punk rock and one in which to get out your pent up aggressions. It's shows like this that the younger generation needs to get out to and learn what punk rock really is!