Blackbird Raum

Is there anything more punk than being able to play anywhere, at anytime? Chances are, if you asked the crusties who make up the folk-punk collective Blackbird Raum, the answer would be a strident "fuck no!" The group channels the anarcho ethos of gutter-punks like Crass, but don't bother with...

By Jason P. Woodbury

January 21, 2010

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Is there anything more punk than being able to play anywhere, at anytime? Chances are, if you asked the crusties who make up the folk-punk collective Blackbird Raum, the answer would be a strident "fuck no!" The group channels the anarcho ethos of gutter-punks like Crass, but don't bother with any of the pesky amplified electric instruments that might prevent turning a parking lot, alley, or street corner into a public performance venue, instead opting to rock washboards, banjos, singing saws, and accordions. Of course, the stage diagram the band offers on their Web site makes it clear that the group is more than willing to play traditional art spaces, as they will when they roll into the Trunk Space. Even if the band's anti-everything politics polarize, their music, with its high-energy vibe and roaring dance-party aesthetics should please fans of Andrew Jackson Jihad, even as their unplugged jams put them at odds with decidedly electro-leaning acts like Treasure Mammal and I Hate You When You're Pregnant (both of which are scheduled to play the show as well). It's a typically eclectic example of what makes the Trunk Space so special, a unified middle finger at the mainstream.

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Jason P. Woodbury is a music and pop-culture writer based in Phoenix. He is a regular contributor to the music blog Aquarium Drunkard and co-host of the Transmissions podcast.

Contact: Jason P. Woodbury

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Twitter: @Jasonpwoodbury