Fliphouse, Flying Games 飞行游戏, Rat King, RayDio – Yuyintang 2021.05.29
As someone who grew up on Blink 182, The Get Up Kids, and Jimmy Eat World, I’m a sucker for a good emo pop punk song. It hits a switch in my brain and regresses me back to those fraught early high school years where you could paint any mundane problem as the end of the world – the emotional maturity of a block of wood and the energy of a Jack Rabbit doused in a bottle of Southern Comfort. Snuffing cigarettes out in your arm, getting stoned in your friend’s car before Psychology class, 4 AM Athenian Diner visits and pining for my best friend’s girl(s). Not a care in the world except everything. Like I said, a block of wood.
So catching Flip House for the first time was pretty dope. No pretensions, no gimmicks – just pure unadulterated emo pop punk that hits that sweet spot between messy heartbreak, volatile righteousness, and cheeky self-awareness that above all else is cathartic.
Tight and scrappy all at once, they’re a heck ton of fun and they delivered in spades. Clearly, these boys have evolved past the emotional platypus stages of their lives, but damn it – they know how to make feel like a sixteen-year-old ass clown jumping out of moving cars to impress someone. Props.
Joining them for the evening were Flying Games, who have tightened up since I last caught them last winter. Eagerly awaiting a new release from these cats. Still believe them to be one of the scene’s most under-appreciated bands – earnest indie rock that’s nimble on its feet and melodically pleasing – all the while maintaining an adolescent streak.
Rat King was also on hand jumping gleefully into their set of aerobatic hardcore tracks. Once again, no-frills hardcore music that doesn’t pretend to be anything else. When they’re having fun, we’re having fun – which is something that too many bands forget.
The evening kicked off with a set from Raydio, Shanghai’s resident singer-songwriter and gig organizer. Great resonating voice, solid tunes that dip into folksy blues – and despite going solo, owned the stage.
All in all, a fine evening of local music.
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