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Punk rules.
This m̶o̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ afternoon I’m riding high after an excellent gig last night. It was the first night of Lasso’s US tour. Not only did I get to see the band but also they’ve been staying at my house and hanging around at Sorry State for the past two days, so we’ve had some time to get to know one another. Then last night we got to introduce them to our NC punk friends and have an epic show and hang. And better yet, we get to do it again in Norfolk tomorrow, where we’ll add all our Norfolk homies to the mix. It’s going to be epic.
Sorry State has put out 3 of Lasso’s 7”s now. Their most recent EP, Ordem Imaginada, arrived at Sorry State HQ a few days ago, just in time for them to bring copies along on their tour. Lasso is one of a handful of bands whose records I put out based on an unsolicited email. As you might expect, we get lots of messages from bands asking Sorry State to release their music. Much of it we don’t even consider… I think sometimes people just google something like “North Carolina record label” and email every search result, not even taking the time to realize we only release punk rock. It’s easy to ignore those messages, but it’s tougher when a band submits something and there’s a connection there, whether it’s that they’re fans of Sorry State, we know the members, or their music is just good. A band being “good enough” isn’t the only factor in deciding whether we want to release something, though. That’s one thing I learned being on this side of running a record label, and it sunk in even more when we started hiring employees at Sorry State and I had to conduct job interviews and decide between competing candidates. Those decisions are less about being “good enough,” because plenty of people are “good enough,” and often way more than that. It’s more about whether the timing is right and the fit works in other respects. I know rejection can sting, though, and whenever I can, I try to write polite rejection letters that explain all this.
Back to Lasso, though. When I first clicked the link to listen to their music, it blew me away. As I do when I hear something I like, the first thing I did was show it to Jeff and Usman, who confirmed that my response wasn’t idiosyncratic… this band is really good. I can’t remember what other factors I was weighing, but I knew right away I wanted to put out their record. I felt even better about the decision when I saw their friend Carlos Casotti’s illustrations, which they’ve used for the artwork on all their records so far. Lasso had the total package… great music, great performances, great sound, and great artwork. And across their second and third EPs they’ve only gotten better.
Seeing Lasso live, though, gave me an even deeper appreciation for their music. Not having met the members before they arrived at my house on Tuesday afternoon, I didn’t know what to expect from them. I don’t think I’ve even hosted a band from Brazil before, so I didn’t know what to expect from them as people. I could tell right away, though, that they take their music seriously. Raleigh was the first stop on their tour and they had all their gear shipped to Sorry State ahead of time, so the first thing they did when they arrived was check everything to make sure it was in good shape. I could tell by the way they plucked the snare drum’s head or checked the intonation on their guitars that they are meticulous. They confirmed that impression when they rehearsed at the Sorry State warehouse later that evening. I was working in my office down the hall while they played, but it sounded more like someone was playing their records than a band playing live, which is impressive given they’d just endured two and a half days of exhausting travel and were using unfamiliar gear.
The sound I heard carrying down the hall at the warehouse, though, paled compared to what I saw and heard at the gig last night. The vibe last night was great. I love going to shows at the Fruit… even though it’s in Durham, the next city over from Raleigh, the club feels like home. It was my wife Jet’s birthday, so there was a lot of love in the air. Overgrown Throne got the night off to a great start, playing the best set I’ve seen them play and setting the crowd off. Then it was time for Lasso, and it was transcendent. That spark I felt when I first heard their music returned in force as I experienced the band’s power live in front of me. Just like at their rehearsal the day before, their performances were totally locked in. Lasso’s songs are mazes of subtle rhythmic shifts and accents, and the band seemed to execute them with one body, each note as precise and visceral as a hammer hitting a nail right on the head. They moved like a massive bird of prey, their grace difficult to reconcile with their heaviness and power. They were fucking great.
Scarecrow wrapped up the show, then the two bands and some of our friends went out for late-night burritos, hanging out until 2AM on the patio at Cosmic Cantina, our go-to spot for a late night meal after gigs at the Fruit. The vibes were great, everyone having taken a deep swig from punk’s goblet, and even though it was super late and I knew I had a newsletter to write today, I was reluctant to leave.
How amazing is punk, that we have this community where we can all share in this incredible music, and that the music creates a bond that can transcend differences in language, culture, education, class, and every other way humans can differ from one another? When we stand together in front of roaring amps and pounding drums, we taste something profound and elemental. Perhaps not every time, but often enough to keep me coming to every gig I can. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow night. Viva Lasso! Viva punk!