TEMPE, Ariz. — It’s ten o’clock on a Friday night at Yucca Tap Room, and the crowd is starting to trickle in at a greater volume as drum and guitar duo Face The Flames is finishing up their set. It’s a good mix and seems like the typical Yucca crowd. There’s a diverse array of people ranging from crust punks to cow punks and garage punks. The band up next was not one that I was familiar with at all, but my curiosity won the night. Quantum Colossus is a local self-described “Sci-Fi driven Punk/Sludgecore” band, and I’ve been tapped to come out tonight and check them out. So here I sat against the wall watching fans mill around in Bad Religion hoodies and Everything Dead tees, sipping cold Pabst and warm Jack. As Quantum began setting up I ducked outside for a quick smoke before they start tuning.
There was a slight change in scheduling because one of the bands had to cancel. As I sat on the curb speed smoking, I overheard the reason. Apparently one of the guys from the band was arrested the previous night and the other members only found out hours before the show. That sounds pretty damn punk to me. I sauntered back in after stomping out my Camel butt, and reclaimed my seat against the wall just as the show is about to begin, and I resumed people watching. I felt out of place. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Yucca. The last show I attended here was Future Loves Past with The Sugar Thieves, and this was by far a stark contrast in demographic.
Suddenly, as if a light had been switched on, the show had officially begun. No hello, no introduction, just thrash. I immediately noticed that bass player Andikrist bears a slight resemblance to a young Gary Oldman, which made me think of Batman’s Commissioner Gordon a la Sid and Nancy. As the intro lead into the meat of the first cut, the group had pretty much fully meshed. They sound great. The bass tone is very Godsmack. Deep and clear. Guitarist Kelvin Yazzie is an absolute shredder. The red Schecter SGR he’s playing has a bright tone that compliments the bass so well that I could have sworn it was a Paul Reed Smith. Drummer Mike Driscoll is on point and in time pounding out the heartbeat of the entire band as Yazzie begins a blistering solo that left me thoroughly impressed as well as checking to see if my ear drums were still in tact. Lead vocalist Geoff Lane seems to be a very hands-on kind of guy. He seems more comfortable in the crowd during the set than he does on stage, even going so far as hugging several fans during the set.
The band dedicates “Naked Ape” to legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio, incorporating an intro that seemed to me reminiscent of “Holy Diver” with plenty of crowd participation. Throughout the rest of Quantum’s time on the stage they shared banter amongst themselves and with the crowd. They were genuinely having fun up there. Their Grand Finale for the evening is “War of the Currents” and Quantum gives it the full beans. The band expertly maintains an impressive ebb and flow to their sound, alternating from slow and brooding into hard and fast with surprising precision. Punk is not my personal genre of preference but these guys are by no means amateurs. The YouTube videos I watched of Quantum Colossus online before coming to the show actually didn’t do the band justice all and I’m pleasantly surprised. They sound far superior live.
If I had even one criticism of the show, it would be that the vocals were difficult to decipher, but that’s to be expected and not necessarily a bad thing. It’s punk. It’s meant to be abrasive. At face value, Quantum Colossus is a pretty talented group of guys who seem to really enjoy what they’re doing on stage. The show had a fun-loving vibe and it was evident that their audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Even though this was a free event for a relatively obscure local band, I drove away thinking I would have gladly paid to see that show. Thanks for showing me a good time, fellas!
. With stark emotional lyrics focused on understanding, loss, and forgiveness, Souvenirs struck the perfect balance between the 90’s Sub Pop records catalogue and 
-era Brand New. Overall, while their set may not have astounded many of the ardent AFI fans in attendance, it served as the perfect transition to Nothing’s reverb-heavy set which followed after a speedy changeover.
, they revealed themselves to be truly adept performers and songwriters who deserved their spot supporting AFI on a large scale tour. Though Domenic Palerno’s airy, trance inducing vocals may have seemed out of place opening for the concussive ball of energy that is AFI, the fact that they were able to hold a largely unfamiliar crowds attention for a 45 minute set is testament to their well-deserved presence on the Relapse Records roster.
, Havok and company quickly ratcheted the energy up to a thousand by launching directly into “Miss Murder”, launching the crowd into a frenzy that never relented for the rest of the evening.
album received just as much of an explosive crowd response as tried-and-true 
–era favorites. “Aurelia”, “Snow Cats”, and “So Beneath You” all found great strength in a live setting where Davey Havok’s powerful vocal flourishes combined with a wall of guitar tone, propelled them beyond an album sound which many felt was a bit too “clean” for a band which has consistently based their career on raw emotion.
‘s legendary tracks “The Despair Factor” and “The Days Of The Phoenix”. Whether calculated, or simply a serendipitous surprise, this pacing showed that with age, AFI at their core is still focused on the same message of sorrow, regret, pain, and love.
, followed by longtime favorites “Saints and Sailors,” “The Sharp Hint of New Tears,” “As Lovers Go,” and “Remember to Breathe.”
” dropped, the crowd went wild. Although it wasn’t a full house, there was a clear sense of communal nostalgia that seemed to supercharge the audience.
” which kicked off with a signature Maja-esque display of her gives-no-fucks attitude, backed by airtight guitar and a stagelight-shift which illuminated fans as they sang along to every word. Hit after hit, The Sounds proved that ten years hasn’t slowed them down a bit, boasting a stage presence that could rival some of Rock and Roll’s most iconic female-fronted acts.
” before topping off their forty-five minute tribute with an additional 9 tracks including everything from classics like “
” (from their debut album) to the group’s recent single “
” which features an impressive display of Maja’s vocal diversity in addition to fast-paced drum beats, a reverberant dual guitar solo and some subtle synth-heavy, 80’s era keyboard.
” which Maja energetically concluded with one middle finger to the sky, and a cigarette in her other.
Joel Madden, Good Charlotte © Kataklizmic Design
Good Charlotte at Zombie Prom © Kataklizmic Design
Jim Adkins, Jimmy Eat World © Kataklizmic Design
Rick Burch, Jimmy Eat World © Kataklizmic Design
