4 Aspirin Morning, Kill Junior and Government Zero – Saturday, November 19, 2011

4 Aspirin Morning, Kill Junior and Government Zero – Saturday, November 19, 2011 at Club Tavern in Middleton, WI

I’ve been trying to expand my local music base by going to shows featuring bands I have never had a chance to see. Sometimes the bands are great, sometimes they aren’t great, but they are all a new experience. When I saw the chance to go to the Club Tavern in Middleton, WI to see a show combining punk, ska and metal, I was excited. I’ve been disappointed before, but this show was far from disappointing. Three bands lit up the stage with a lot of power and brought true talent to the night.

Photo from Government Zero's Facebook

To be honest, I thought punk was dead. Every punk band I’ve seen lately just didn’t have the right sound and often resembled other genres instead of punk. Government Zero proved me wrong. A punk rock band from Madison, WI, they are reminiscent of The Ramones, Fear, and The Exploited. Government Zero brought an amazing sound and over the top energy to this show.  Sometimes drums in live shows are washed out or too strong, but fast and fluid drums brought a great, consistent beat to the show and blended well with the other instruments without being inadequate or overpowering. The singer had the traditional punk sound nailed down perfectly, fluxuating from quick lyrics to mechanical sounding growl very well.

Following the excellent performance of Government Zero, Madison, WI punk and metal band Kill Junior came on. They have two guitarists that blend very well together, strong bass and fast drums. At first, I didn’t really enjoy the singer but after hearing a few songs, I started to warm up to his sound. The vocalist had a very punk sound to him being backed by metal instrumentals which made for an interesting combination. He had, by far, one of the best deep growls of any local bands I have seen. It seemed to come very naturally to him. I could see this band going far if they focused on more of a metal sound, but it was definitely a good and entertaining show. The bass player amused the crowd with a lot of personality and the entire band interacted well with the spectators.  They finished off the set with a rendition of “Blue Christmas,” which was ironically the best fit for the singer’s voice in the show. Despite some apparent equipment issues with the microphone, the band made the best of a sticky situation.  They weren’t my favorite of the night, but didn’t make me want to run out of the club.

The night finished off with another Madison, WI local band called 4 Aspirin Morning (or 4 AM for short). They classify themselves as punk, ska and rock and I think they are dead on with that, although I would definitely categorize them as ska-core upon listening to them without any prior knowledge. They are a typical four piece band but also have a saxophone, trumpet and trombone. When they first came on stage, I was a little leery about the idea, but the minute they started playing, I knew I was in for a treat. The guitars were true to typical ska, and the brass and woodwind section of this band were a great fit for the style and music. They mixed a reggae sound with the aggressive sound of ska and punk. Mixing the amazing instruments with the gravelly punk vocals of the singer created a unique show that sounded like a mix between Sublime and a hardcore version of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

Overall an excellent show that was worth going to. I found a few new bands I’d love to see again and a renewed faith in my generation’s ability to love punk rock.

Band Websites

4 Aspirin Morning
Kill Junior
Government Zero