Riley, Ghost Stories, Method Air & Hundos / March 13, 2014 / The Smiling Skull

By: Zack Baker, Editorial Director

Skull nights are special. There's an air of unpredictability, rowdiness and mystery behind every show at the Smiling Skull, and Thursday's show was no different. Unfortunately, it wasn't really the fun kind of mystery.

I walked into the Skull late, expecting to see the opening band on stage as I entered. It was almost 10 p.m. by the time I got there, a full 30 minutes after the Facebook event said the music would start. Even by Punk Time™ standards, an empty stage that late was surprising. I was stoked for the stacked line-up (Riley, Hundos, Ghost Stories and Method Air) and kind of awkwardly hung around with friends on the roof until we finally heard rumblings from the stage.

We collectively worked our way down the narrow stairs to see who was up first, arguing whether Method Air or Ghost Stories would get stuck with the closing spot. After making a quick pit stop for another Pabst, I worked my way into the crowd to see Danny Paul and Sam Stansfield warming up for their set. I was excited to see Method Air again--it had been a little while since I had seen them live and they never disappoint. The set wasn't very long, but the tunes were solid. 

After another retreat to the patio (seriously the best kept secret in Athens), Hundos took the stage. I only managed to see a brief portion of their set, but what I heard sounded great. Jam bands aren't normally my thing, and I suppose Hundos aren't really a jam band, but their chilled out vibes hit the spot. The crowd was amped for Riley, and it wasn't long before they took the stage.

Seeing the band last October only whet my appetite for its precise brand of guitar-driven rock. Having lost a synth player since they last performed in Athens, I wasn't sure of what to expect out of the band. The group absolutely slayed, ripping its way through a hefty handful of tunes. The drummer even cracked the shit out of his ride cymbal about two songs in, but kept on playing. He used the short tuning breaks between songs to spin the cymbal back around and distance himself from the ever-more splintering metal. Anyone who wasn't already a fan of the group was converted last night. The set expanded upon their recorded material greatly and blew songs out to incredible proportions.

Ghost Stories was up next, and I was personally geeking out over their set. It had been almost a full semester since I had last seen the band, and they both recorded new material and picked up Method Air's Stansfield as a second guitarist since I had seen them perform. The new material was everything I had hoped it would be--a little less Title Fight and a lot more Ghost Stories. It's hard to describe exactly what the new music sounds like, but if you're a Ghost Stories fan, it's everything you would expect. 

Stumbling out of the Skull and directly to the counter for a chicken and waffle, I couldn't help but think back on all the incredible music that had erupted from that tiny stage that night. I went into the show with impossibly high expectations for each of the bands, and every single one had blown those expectations out of the water. Like always, the Skull delivered.

ACRN Date Auction / February 13, 2014 / The Union

By: Garrett Bower, Staff Writer

The Union was true to its name last night. The ACRN Date Auction was fraught with love and alcohol. I couldn’t tell you who sold for what—or who even sold, for that matter—but what I can tell you is that between loud and amazing sets by four awesome bands, I was an inebriated cupid, scrambling to spread the love and hug anyone I had ever met or maybe even heard of once in passing.

On the stacked line-up was Friends In Distraction, Nightstalker, Hundos and Zaleski. It was one of the more well-rounded shows I’ve been to in recent memory, with each band offering up a nice spin on their loud, punk archetype. From Nightstalker’s fabulous, kimono-clad psychedelic set, to Zaleski’s unrelenting fury, everything clicked magnificently.

So it’s the day of sickly sweet mushiness and I’ve got a spectacular headache and a few fuzzy memories of me kissing a distraught Rob Kerr passionately on the cheek to recall Date Auction 2014. If you excuse me, I’ve got a hot date for hella free wings—more spoils of the evening.

Jimmy Vest, Eric Osbourne & Harold Bon / February 21, 2013 / The Smiling Skull

By: Ryan James, Contributor

Photo By: Ryan James

The Smiling Skull Saloon was teeming with excitement on Thursday night. ACRN’s Rock Lobsters came out in droves for the soulful sounds of Eric Osborne and Harold Bon. The local folk duo was joined by Hundos, an experimental jazz quartet by way of Columbus. All proceeds went to the Spirit of Kairos. This semesterly retreat offers students a break from their collegiate routines. Held at the Fur Peach Ranch in Southeastern Ohio, attendees are promised a weekend of camping, music and new friendships.

Eric Osborne and Harold Bon began the night with their brand of “electrified folk.” Audience members enjoyed a drink from the bar, and some even took up square dancing for the night. People told jokes while an amplifier was fixed. The atmosphere was lighthearted and sociable. Hundos kept the crowd moving with their Baroque rhythms and enticing improvisations. In the words of an impressed bartender, “That was amazing—I’ve never heard anything like that before!”

There was simply no excuse for low spirits. In addition to a hefty sum raised for Kairos, ACRN was also voted into the top ten of mtvU’s annual Best College Radio Station award. If that’s not a cause for celebration, I’m not sure what is. 

ACRN Presents: Evolve, Hundos and Emcee Kilgore / February 7, 2013 / The Smiling Skull

By: Ryan James, Contributor
Photo By: Ryan James

My walk to The Smiling Skull on Thursday night was a cold one. I was determined to make it there, though. The guys in Hundos are personal friends of mine. I’ve played many shows with their former group, Zapaño, and we even put out a split 7” together. Needless to say, I like to show my support whenever they pass through.

The place was deserted when I got there. I sat in a corner seat, “American Woman” dripping out of the speakers above me. Hundos played first. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t improve much over the course of their set. That didn’t seem to phase them. It’s evident that after all this time, they still enjoy playing together. I’m so used to seeing Sean Hundley sing, that I always forget how talented he is on the drums. His brother, Kevin, followed the grooves closely on bass. David Frush, with a collection of pedals at his feet, improvised over the wandering soundscapes, playing with grace and restraint. Chris Lee’s sampler wasn’t present in the mix at all. Their largely improvised songs grew from quaint jazz exercises into massive walls of sound.

Cincinnati rapper Evolve performed next. His table of drum machines and keyboards filled the tiny room with deafening beats. Many of his raps were introspective musings about the political climate. He appeared to be enjoying himself, and the few people watching him did begin to dance around during the middle of his set.

Once he was through, I ventured back into the cold. I walked back home thinking of all the little shows people miss out on. Hundos and Evolve gave it everything they had, and I was thankful for that.