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Concert Sat Mar 03 2007
Smoke Signals
Quick: Smoke or fire? Which do you choose?
Give up? Well, lucky ducky, you get to have both when Richmond, Va., quartet Smoke or Fire play loveable hole Ronny’s (2103 N. California) on Friday, March 9. They’re touring in promotion of their sophomore album, This Sinking Ship, which, well, sounds like a Fat Wreck Chords album: heavy riffs, tight ‘n speedy drumming, and shouty-yet-harmonious vocals. Mind you, it’s not meant to be entirely disparaging—unlike many bands who have similar styles, the boys of Smoke or Fire actually have their shit fairly together.
This Sinking Shipfeatures a new drummer, Dave Atchinson (from crust-punk group From Ashes Rise) and more lyrics about drunken nights, constant touring, and broken relationships. “Irish Handcuffs” slows it down just a hair from half-time drumbeats, while recounting their glory days and rueing the inevitable aging process (“Young livers dying slowly through reckless days we’ve come to accept…/To tell the truth this shit is starting to make me sick”). “Shine,” with it’s nicely explored intro, seems to be the prerequisite song about How Politics Sucks, while “Folding the Pages” is knee-deep in urban dystopia. It’s all well and good, and fairly catchy.
Opening is local heroes (and equally Fat Wreck-produced) The Lawrence Arms.