Lovable Locals: Lemuria’s Return Home
Lemuria @ 99 Custer, 10.17.07
10/10
by Patrick Dowd
Lemuria, one of the most popular punk bands to come from Buffalo, is making a name for themselves everywhere. They just finished a tour in Europe and have a new album on the horizon, these Buffalo natives were happy to come home to the town that has supported them with so much love over the yearsr. This three-piece indie power-pop punk group did not come alone. They brought a pair of touring bands, Off with Their Heads from Minneapolis and Four Letter Word from the U.K. to 99 Custer last Wednesday. Not only was there some nationwide and international support, there were also local groups, Unwelcome Guests and Marcia Kay, on the bill.
After the two openers, Four Letter Word took to the stage. They turned out to be one of the least entertaining bands of the night, playing old seventies, Sex Pistols-type British punk. The lyrics were not very gripping. They talked about many “punk rock” ideals that have been around since the beginning of the cultural punk revolution, like the overthrow of religion and waging war on the upper class, but didn’t make them their own. Simply reiterating everything we’ve believed in for years made them sound unoriginal. Nonetheless, their guitar solo sounded like Motorhead, and if there is one thing that Motorhead has always done right, it’s playing sick solos. Outside of their resemblance to Motorhead, Four Letter Word flunked in style and ingenuity.
The last band to come on before Lemuria was Off With Their Heads from Minneapolis. As the basement slowly started to fill to 99 Custer’s capacity, Off with Their Heads took the stage to play a fast, loud set of hardcore pop punk. They played a bunch of hits off of their Hospitals LP, including “Your Child’s Dead,” and “Hard to Admit.” The audience screamed along with the band, especially to the simple “Hey!” chorus of “Die Today.” Chanting the short but energy-filled salutation got the crowd really excited in anticipation of the fun-filled Lemuria set that was to follow.
Lemuria took the stage after a short break. All three members seemed comfortable in the 99 Custer performing space they have played in so many times before. They started off their set with some older tunes, including “The Origamist,” wasting no time getting intimate with the crowd in the small, friendly atmosphere. After playing a few more old ones, Lemuria took some time to debut their new material to the Buffalonians. These songs mixed a catchy, complex sound using intricate, creative drum kicks along with poppy guitar hooks, a driving punk-influenced bass, and a sweet combination of male and female vocals.
The crowd’s reaction to the new songs was as intense as its reaction to the old ones. Lemuria switched back to some of the fan favorites, including the highlight of the set, the captivating “Home for the Holidays” off their self-titled seven-inch. Many of the locals joined in, singing along with the chorus to this catchy classic.
After two encores, closing with a song off the new album, the band finally nodded off for the night, having proved why they have grown to be one of the best punk bands to come out of Buffalo in a long time.
After their set, I got a chance to talk to Alex Kearnes, the drummer of Lemuria about their European tour. “The tour was great, it was a lot of fun,” he said. “One of the best sets of the tour was in Paris, despite the fact that our driver told us that the show would probably be terrible. It turned out to be one of the best. The only downfall were some cancelled gigs.”
Afterwards, we began to discuss what was next for the future of Lemuria, as they seem to have a lot on their plate. With an upcoming tour down south to play the Fest 6 with other excellent punk acts including Avail, The Lawrence Arms, and Dillinger Four, among many others, and a new album coming out sometime in January 2008 on Asian Man Records, the next year will undoubtedly prove to be big for Lemuria.
When asked how Lemuria got hooked up with Asian Man Records, Kearnes said, “Well, [Asian Man Records] contacted me about trading records and they were mostly asking for Lemuria stuff, so I offered them the new songs we have recorded and they suggested to put it out.” For a band that has been around for quite some time, this will be their first full-length. Most of their material has already been released on splits because, according to Alex, every time they had new material, a band approached them for a split. They also wanted to bide their time and make sure they were ready to release a strong full-length instead of a sloppy, rushed album.
With more opportunities on their way, this Buffalo band has a great ability to expand and evolve, but will never forget their home. Playing an exciting set in the place they love to kick the dirt around, Lemuria once again charmed their Buffalo audience.
