Chick Rock

On Friday, August 14, Casbah staged a pop-punk triple bill featuring locals Revenge Club, Bay Area band the Lovemakers, and L.A. trio the Muffs.

Revenge Club was a pleasant surprise. You never know how the opener will be, and sometimes I find myself wishing I would have stayed home a little longer, but this wasn’t one of those times. There were only about 20 people in the club when they started playing at around 9:30, but as they got into their catchy, energetic set the crowd flowed toward the stage.

All three bands featured a female frontperson, each with a unique style. I’d have to say that Oakland act the Lovemakers were tops that night. Frontwoman Lisa Light reined in the crowd with her powerful voice, occasionally picking up the bass or an electric violin. Though the Lovemakers’ songs had a rock texture, their electro rhythms inspired the dancers in the crowd.

With so much energy spent at the top of the triple bill, some of the crowd had left by the time headliners the Muffs took the stage, but they did not disappoint. The seasoned pros came to play and threw in some between-song comic relief about the bathrooms at the Midtown venue.