On their own, The Messthetics continue to bring the punk esthetics that they helped define when two-thirds of the band was the rhythm section to legendary act Fugazi. James Brandon Lewis is an award-winning jazz saxophonist and brings straight-ahead jazz into modern times with his own vibrant sound. When they team up together, they bring out the best in each other in ways you may not expect, but ways that will leave you totally floored. On record, they sound like a cohesive unit and a proper band rather than one with a guest player. On saxophone, Lewis adds new language to the band's already intense sonic force using his instrument like excalibur to strike down lethal phrasing of seething blasts of pure adrenaline and the Messthetics double-down with their own tight-knit groove. Behind the kit, Brendan Canty rips through major fills and Anthony Pirog tears through guitar solos that are heavy enough that you could really start to see the room moving with energy. The flairs of jazz from Lewis meshed perfectly with the band's hardcore tendencies in a stunning sonic marriage of the two genres that may not make sense on paper, but absolutely crush when presented either on record, but even more so on stage. Pirog's guitar lines ripped through the room with a buzzing energy that was enhanced every time Lewis added his blasts over the top and the crowd ate up every moment, everyone on the verge of stirring up a pit while holding on to those tendencies with just enough restraint to keep things together and not cause a scene. "That Thang" from their self-titled collaboration sounded massive, the drums pounding away like colossal thunder while Lewis and Pirog rained down with surging melodies and enough momentum that your head was left spinning. There were several times when songs concluded that people looked over at Lewis, partly worried about his lung capacity and to understand just how he keeps the stamina to keep going with such intensity and determination. "Emergence" was another highlight of the evening as they nimbly made their way through spindling guitar licks before lashing out with blistering sax. Through it all, Canty kept the night in lock-step and had a giant smile on his face the entire time. Lit up with joy, he looked at each of the men in front of him and it was a thrill to see how excited he was to be in the moment, bashing away at his kit with such precision while watching his bandmates leave it all on the stage. Wailing solos carried the night and each track felt more electric than the one before it so much so that when Canty announced they only had a few left, you could sense the room deflate, slightly, at the thought of this all coming to an end. Bringing it all home with "L'Orso" and "Dick Does" were powerful triumphs and the energy remained throughout it all, a killer end to a night of nothing but great songs from a group who merge their styles in sonic perfection.
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