[mousepod]

Wow! What a great show. The opening band, The Red Hearts (a local quartet) played a fun set that would not have sounded out of place at CBGB or Max's in 1978 - very retro but lots of fun. Pansy Division rocked the house with their power-pop gay anthems - for a band that hadn't played together in several months (they no longer live in the same city), they sounded great. Lastly, The Avengers took the stage. Yes, it was not the original line-up (the rhythm section was made of of two Pansy Divisioners). But the foursome that played Spaceland last night reminded me why punk rock was important to me back in my high school days. Penelope delivered the music that she originally wrote back in the late '70s with the same raw energy and feeling that she did 30(!) years ago. The intervening years must have been kind to Penelope, because unlike many of her 1st gen punk peers, she looked and sounded great (one caveat: a major mosh pit forced me to the back of the room). Their original bassist joined them onstage (on twang guitar) for two encores - which was almost a superfluity. Considering the fact that this was the band that opened for the Sex Pistols at their (original) final show at the Winterland, this was a reunion that counted - unlike the dog and pony show that the Sex Pistols reunion promises to be.

I'm sorry that I was the only LoTer to make the gig - anyone up for The Fiery Furnaces @ The Troubador on the 22nd (other than €uro and NA, of course)?