Hardcore/post-punk act Ceremony returns to Rhythm Room tonight, and it is not a show to miss. I saw the band perform for the first time about six months ago, opening for Titus Andronicus. The vibe of the night was a little weird -- it was Election Night -- but it ended up being one of my favorite shows of the year. I can count on one hand how many times I've purchased a shirt from an opening band I wasn't familiar with, and I love my $10 Ceremony shirt.
If you're looking for something to do tonight, here are six reasons to consider going to the Ceremony show.
They're an awesome hardcore band. 2006's Violence Violence is full of short, fast, and all-in-all pissed-off songs that span anywhere from 16 seconds to 2 minutes in length.
Vocalist Ross Farrar is at his best while performing songs from Violence Violence and Rohnert Park. The way he keeps up with the pace of these songs live is remarkable, and not something you usually see at Crescent Ballroom. Before all these Black Flag reunion shenanigans happened, I said that watching Ceremony is what I imagined seeing Black Flag live would be like. 2010's Rohnert Park sounds like it could have been written 30 years earlier, making it a must-hear record.
They're an awesome post-punk band. Yeah, I know, you're pissed that Ceremony doesn't play hard music anymore, but there's no reason to discredit 2012's Zoo. The album is the most accessible of Ceremony's works and could be a cool new way for younger fans to get into hardcore.
Ross Farrar is a madman. I envy this man's energy. I loved taking pictures of him at Crescent Ballroom because he had all sorts of interesting expressions and never held still.
It's a headlining show. Full disclosure: I only saw half of Ceremony's already short set because I was wrapped up with election results. Ceremony will have a longer set tonight, and there's no reason to be glued to the news. Plus, it will be fun to watch fans get rowdy at Rhythm Room.
You have another chance to see Gay Kiss before they go on tour. Fellow Up on the Sun contributor Mike Bogumill describes Gay Kiss as "local hardcore weirdos" that are difficult to google while discussing the band's third birthday show/cassette release party/tour kick off show last weekend. It sounded like one hell of a party, making us curious to see what they deliver tonight.
It's cheap. Last and certainly not least, it's a cheap show. The price at the door is $14, which is about what you'd expect to spend to see a mediocre movie for an hour and a half.
Ceremony is scheduled to perform Tuesday, June 4 at Rhythm Room.
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