Images: Off With Their Heads, French Exit, Holding Onto Sound, TheCore. December 1, 2012 at The Bunkhouse Saloon

It had been a while since Off With Their Heads last played Vegas, so the people who packed the Bunkhouse Saloon on December 1st were eager to sing along with Ryan Young and company’s bevy of poppily depressive anthems. The band had to cancel a few tour dates due to Young falling ill but if he was still feeling it, he didn’t show it. Although I’m not sure how you’d tell through his awesome signature rasp. The band gave us a hint of what to expect from their upcoming full-length with a new song but mostly kept to fan favorites like “Drive” and “Die Today,” with everyone in attendance pushed up close to sing along.

Holding Onto Sound killed it as usual, although I must admit I was sad not to hear fan favorite “Tommy Boy.” We’d never seen LA’s French Exit live before, but had been eagerly awaiting a Vegas visit from them since hearing their excellent split with Signals Midwest. While it was clear that not many in attendance had heard their music, I think they won over more than a few fans with their style of catchy punk rock in the vein of later-day The Impossibles with a hint of Weezer and vocals like a rougher Mike Herrera (MXPX). If you missed it the first time around, check out the Stripped Down Session we filmed with them, of a previously unreleased song “When There’s a Fork in the Road, Take It.”

While the show ultimately belonged to OWTH, a sizeable portion of the crowd came out specifically to support openers and local favorites TheCore. on what was the release of their excellent sophomore EP ThunderMakers. Reinvigorated by the release of new material, they played one of the best shows we’ve seen from them in a long time. If you hadn’t heard, TheCore.’s Sal Giordano recently had his home burglarized and his guitars stolen…so be on the lookout for a red Gibson SG and an Ibanez acoustic.

-Ashleigh Thompson and Emily Matview

Photos by Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/

and Steven Emily | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/

All images appearing in the Punks in Vegas web site are the exclusive property of the photographers and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws.

The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of Punks in Vegas.

Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration (digital, artist rendering or alike) is a violation of the United States and International Copyright laws. All images are copyrighted © 2011-2012 Punks in Vegas.