by Sofie Vasquez

Punk is such a broad genre nowadays, with so many variations and alternatives tied to it. However, at the New York date of The Party Month Tour at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, the audience is delivered an entertaining display of all the subgenres of punk rock.

First up – Stepping onto the bedazzled, vibrant Baby’s All Right stage was the Newtown, Connecticut born, heavily 90s influenced band Stove. Kicking into a bass and drum centered intro, Stove establishes a soft punk atmosphere to their music that’s immediately appealing to the audience as everyone bops their heads alongside the bass guitar. But Stove promptly switches the mellow, broody guitars to a fast-paced, cranked up mesh of thrashing cymbals and guitars wailing from the amps that could come off ugly if it wasn’t so good. Thanks to the faulty microphone that haunted the artists the entire night, the vocals were easily overpowered by the captivating mix of sullen, slow guitar and bass chord progressions tied to a poppy, catchy tune that so effortlessly works.

The Twitter bio of the California based trio Tennis System simply says “Bring earplugs” and oh boy, it’s there for a reason. However, Tennis System does utilize more delicate techniques to balance out their heavy sound. The garage punk trio pounce and jump to the thumping bass, their “in your face” vibe isn’t overwhelming to the crowd. You couldn’t help but lose yourself to the rowdy tunes.

As Partybaby followed, the growing audience swarmed to the front immediately. Their presence ignited a rowdiness previously suppressed and now fully unleashed. The only distracting element was that damned mic continued to cut through the vocals. Partybaby looked past the mishap and entertained everyone with their high-flying jumps, roaring into mics, and shameless dancing. Their hit track “California” is a crowd pleaser that guaranteed everyone in the venue to join in unison and scream “All I have are these California dreams!”

However, after a few more electric rock tracks, the tone suddenly took a twist as Partybaby unveiled a new song, heavily influenced by their views on current events (i.e. Trump’s inauguration, racial divide, women’s rights). It’s evident Partybaby has been heavily impacted by these issues as it shows in their completely passionate playing right up to the point where suddenly all the guitars are pulled off its straps and slammed onto the stage. With Partybaby running off the stage (returning moments later to pick up their battered guitars), the audience is left simply stunned.

As Potty Mouth steps on stage, clad in their neon tights, platform boots, and funky skater dresses, you can’t keep your eyes off them. They start with “Smash Hit” – an infectiously catchy pop infused punk anthem that guarantees your feet off the ground. Standing still is not an option for Potty Mouth, as there are rows of jumping, head-bopping individuals within the crowd, hollering along with the all-girl trio. Delivering their audience an up-tempo, post-punk-esque performance (and the mic finally works, bless!) – Abby Weems, the lead vocalist and guitarist, gives every track a potent punch thanks to her sing-speak delivery, packed with an attitude laced on every lyric.

Weems isn’t the only one running the show, bassist Ally Einbinder caught eyes with her rhythmic but vicious playing, causing her fingers to bleed amazingly. Drummer Victoria Mandanas’ punchy, heavy onslaught on her drums is a wild contrast to her soft, harmonious backing vocals. Touring guitarist Kate Meizner captivated the audience with her sickening, guitar playing as she playfully danced around, banging her head like a true punker.

With a concert completely comprised of punk tunes, it could be a concern that Potty Mouth, being the one who closes the show, could have lost the audience, now tired and bored of the same ol’ jams. But Potty Mouth’s ambitious dynamic is invigorating and fresh, distinguishing themselves amongst everyone thanks to their addictive melodies and to-the-point songwriting. The music of Potty Mouth contains exciting and amusing feeling that urges you just to sing and dance along with them. Infusing the hard-hitting elements of raw punk but with the appeal of bubblegum pop, Potty Mouth stands out triumphantly as the audience is fully engaged in their kickass finale.