With a refined kind of garage punk power, hometown boys Mark Bragg & the Butchers laid waste to the beginning of Saturday morning with a wild set that incited wild dancing at the Ship. Though it's true that it rarely takes much to incite people at this bar to throw down, Bragg possesses this focused, manic energy as a performer that held everyone's rapt attention. He contorts himself into shapes but he's a strong enough singer to keep his voice and mind in control. His songs remain dark but triumphant — an extroverted Gordon Gano, tapping into angst with intellectual introspection but posing and pogoing like Iggy Pop letting loose. When the band left the stage, people demanded their return by yelling out "the best!" Hometown bias aside, Mark Bragg and the Butchers made a strong case for this sentiment.
To see Exclaim!'s Lawnya Vawnya photo gallery, head here.
To see Exclaim!'s Lawnya Vawnya photo gallery, head here.