Photo by JOSH PELTA-HELLER
“Our drummer quit.”
Pissed Jeans drummer, Sean McGuiness, was running a little late last night. The other three members of the band, vocalist Matt Korvette, bassist Randy Huth, and guitarist Brad Fry, stood on stage at the Boot & Saddle, hands visoring the stage lights from their eyes as they peered deep into the sold out crowd, searching for some sign of their missing drummer. It wasn’t too long before McGuiness appeared and made his way up front, wading through the crowd. Once all the components were in place, Korvette produced a copy of HELP! by The Beatles on LP and proceeded to mangle it, declaring to the crowd, “We’re gonna release this Beatles album from its fucking misery!” The band then launched into “She is Science Fiction” from their 2009 album, King of Jeans, and bodies were suddenly in motion.
Celebrating the release of their new album, Why Love Now at Boot & Saddle, Pissed Jeans playing to an energized crowd willing to share in the band’s evident disdain for Beatles albums, shredding copies of Sgt. Pepper’s and Magical Mystery Tour after Korvette blew his nose with the former and wiped his ass on the latter.
Preceded by the AmRep-style commotion of Body Spray and self-generated electronic ensemble of M Ax Noi Mach, Pissed Jean’s vitriolic response to monotony resonated with those us in attendance. A stead flow of crowd surfers and general flailing-gone-viral ensured not a single person would be still throughout the performance. “Save your applause for a band that needs it,” Korvette sneered at one point in between songs, followed by punishing renditions of older songs like “False Jesii Part II” and “Half Idiot” that served as primer for new-album offerings like “The Bar is Low” and “Have You Ever Been Furniture.” Our appreciation never wavered.
As their set neared its close, Korvette acknowledged there was still time left. “You wanna play all night? We’re gonna take you all the way to 11PM!!!” he declaimed, gently mocking the venue’s neighbor-enforced curfew. Their finisher was “Romanticize Me,” one final onslaught before calling it a night. We all headed promptly toward the merch table, our collective path littered with the torn and shredded remnants of The Beatles’ best work. — SEAN CALDWELL