The Static Jacks and Devin - Shea Stadium, Brooklyn, NY (1.27.12)
Posted by Matt Arena on 01.31.2012
At the 3-year anniversary of “misfit haven” Personality Crisis show, this month’s lineup included two of my favorite acts, The Static Jacks and Devin. These two at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn promised to be a night filled with sweaty, grimy, loud rock.
When I hear people say 2011 was a bad year for rock or that rock is dead, I get really annoyed. Why? Because there are bands like The Static Jacks out there. Loud, young, ear splitting rock bands that are breathing new life into the genre and make it easier to live in a world where Nickelback sells out Madison Square Garden. After forming in 2007 and releasing 3 EP’s before their stellar debut album last year, The Static Jacks have been making a name for themselves in the local NYC music scene. Whenever I suggest them to someone, I always struggle with the inevitable “so who do they sound like” question as I can’t draw a fair comparison between them and another band. Drunken Garage Party Punk is probably the best label for them. They blend the incredibly unique vocals of lead singer Ian Devaney with percussion heavy beats provided by drummer Nick Brennan to create a sound that is something truly different. The drunken boorishness that comes across on the record translates perfectly to their lives shows too. That probably has something to do with all of the drunken boorishness going on. And last Friday at Shea Stadium was no exception.
From the first note of their opening song, “Defend Rosie,” the packed house of 200+ erupted into a sea of clapping and foot stomping as the band ripped into the fast paced track. The floor shook as the thrashing guitar riffs and pounding drumbeats were mirrored by the intensity of the crowd. One of my favorite moments in Static Jacks shows are the handmade signs that lead singer Ian Devaney thrusts into the air, helping the crowd scream with him. Although my personal favorite “everybody fuck off!” sign wasn’t present this time, the crowd more than made up for it by screaming what is probably the most fun line to yell at a concert. There’s no doubt that the riotous feel in the pit of their shows has to do with the sheer explosion of energy from the stage. Devaney hurls himself around the stage, using the mic stand like a jouster’s pole as his band mates stretch themselves into the crowd to bellow the lyrics back to the audience. Playing a number of tracks off their debut album “If You’re Young,” they also worked in some new material that sounded fantastic. Packed both with friends of the band and fans, the crowd soon became of sweaty pit of rabble rousers climbing over each other to be the next to scream and point at the equally sweaty band members on stage.
A highlight of the night was hearing one of my favorites off the album, “Walls (We Can’t Work It Out.” The downright dangerous drum beat and screeching guitar intro drove the already mad crowd into pure bedlam. Half falling on the stage and half falling on the floor, it was pretty much like riding a wave of sweaty hipster around the pit of Shea Stadium. The venue is perfect for grimy shows like this as there isn’t much lighting to be found and let’s face it; I wasn’t there as take pretty pictures. I was there to rock out. The set closed with my personal favorite “Into the Sun,” which is about as perfect of a set closer as you’ll find. The band were enjoying themselves as much as the crowd, with guitarists Henry Kaye and Michael Sue-Poi yelling out the unforgettable “follow, together” lines of the chorus. As if the crowd needed any more incentive to sing, Ian Devaney stabbed into the air his double-sided sign that echoed what his band mates were shouting out. The last 30 seconds of the song was akin to a grenade being tossed into the center of the pit, as people fell flat out and had to be immediately hoisted up to avoid a sound trampling. As the band left the stage, all that was left to do was look to my friends and exhale. We just got rocked. As if it needs to be said, definitely go check out The Static Jacks album, “If You’re Young.” They are currently touring the UK with the likes of Grouplove, The Wombats, and Band of Skulls. If you’re not at one of their upcoming shows, you’re truly missing out on one hell of an act.
The next act certainly had a lot to follow, but newcomer Devin did a fantastic job of bringing his dirty, punk-crooning sound to life. Playing all the instruments himself on the debut EP “You’re Mine,” Devin brought a full band with him that perfectly recreated the madcap blues vibe that worked so well on his EP. Having moved back a bit from the crowd, it was still pretty evident that they were feeling it just as much as before. Having to dodge the bobbing mic stand that was constantly being knocked around by the crowd, Devin seemed to handle the rowdy crowd very well. With a Kanye West like attitude, he greeted the crowd in between songs by saying, “now I know I’m looking good, but how are you guys looking tonight?” It’s hard to not like him. Highlight of the night was hearing the short but utterly bruising “Thing On My Mind,” which turned the crowd into a swirling mass of thrashing and dancing. In a music climate that breeds a lot of acts that try too hard to be “indie,” Devin is loud, gutsy, and exactly what the genre needs. An attitude and a killer sound to boot, it’s pretty clear that Devin is headed for big things. Do yourself a favor and pick up his EP, You’re Mine and make sure to check him out as I hear he’ll be playing a lot more shows in the near future.
Below photos are from The Static Jacks at Music Hall of Williamsburg on January 19th, full photo set here
The 411: Two acts that work extremely well playing after one another, The Static Jacks and Devin both rocked Shea Stadium this past weekend. I wish all shows could be as fun as this one was. I’d challenge those same people who claim “rock is dead” to hold that belief after experience a gig like this. Leaving covered in sweat and ringing ears, what more could you ask for from a rock show? Nights like this make me optimistic for the current state of music.
