7 Seconds is one of my all time favorite bands, and I am always stoked to see them live. Well, maybe not at 2 a.m. on a Monday morning, but it was small price to pay to see these punk/HC stalwarts at such an intimate venue. And while the crowd was a bit sparse due to the day and time, they rocked it as always.
The set list was littered with the usual classics from The Crew, Walk Together Rock Together, and New Wind, as well a few cuts from their latest album, Leave A Light On. My only minor complaint is that I would love to hear at least 1-2 jams from each era of the band, especially with a discography spanning 10 studio albums and numerous EPs. I may be one of the few 7 Seconds fans that has enjoyed the bulk of the band’s recorded work (OK, I’ll admit that those albums from the mid-90s get little to no airplay at my house) and I would love to hear/see a more varied song selection in the live setting.
Locals Guilty By Association, Lambs to Lions, S.F.T. and Sector 7G opened the show. I can say that every band was fairly competent live, and that each consecutive group was a slight improvement over the next. Locals Guilty by Association were far and away the best of the bunch, and they turned the energy level up to 10 with the help of a great front man backed by tight and melodic punk.
On a final note, I have to tip my hat to 7 Seconds for not allowing smoking in The Dive as part of their tour rider. I think The Dive is a cool venue, but I do not smoke, which makes bar shows a bit of a chore sometimes. It was certainly nice that my clothes did not reek of cigarettes when all was said and finally done.
-Lance Wells
7 Seconds photo by Emily Matview from Punk Rock Bowling
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