Following the somber, somewhat uncomfortable set from Cokie the Clown, Teenage Bottlerocket were presented with the daunting task of pumping some energy back into the frozen crowd, but if any other band is more qualified for the task than this Wyoming-based pop punk powerhouse that draws influences from classic pop punk bands All and the Ramones (especially the Ramones), I can't think of them, and TBR was clearly prepared for the job, and set to it quickly.
TBR hit the stage and tore into a Ramones-fueled set that was intent on (and successful at) getting everyone moving. They opened with "Skate or Die" and were flat-out relentless from that point on, blistering their set with 3-minute punk tunes that started with the requisite "1, 2, 3, 4!"
The set was a fast, frenetic whirlwind of punk rock, and crowd was whirling just as fast, making things a little more comfortable in the freezing tent. The crowd was there to have a good time, despite the cold and the tainted tequila, and TBR was there to facilitate.
As the set drew to a close, Teenage Bottlerocket called for what they called "30 seconds of rad" where, throughout the length of one 30-second song, they had the entire crowd pogo. It's an amazing thing to see, a few hundred people doing a frantic pogo out of a mixed desire to have a good time and to simply survive and stave off a frigid night.
Never has the fight against hypothermia been so much fun, but when a band is from Wyoming, they no a little bit about dealing with the cold, and when the band is Teenage Bottlerocket, they know even more about a set that feels good.
Photo © Nicole Lucas
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