You might think from last week’s post that I’m all about gentle atmospheric music, but the truth is my tastes are very eclectic. Last week a very alert friend let me know that my favourite punk rock band NOBRO was playing here in Ottawa at Overflow Brewing. I went mad in my haste to buy tickets so the fact that there were other bands playing first came as a surprise. So before I was able to soak up all that NOBRO goodness I first needed to watch a local “mom punk” band called Wet for Days and an emo band playing at sounding punk called Neon Ghost House.

We’d never been to the brewery before so we left time to get lost – arriving too soon to be let into the venue. However they do have a nice patio with tables and chairs where we waited with what turned out to be the ladies from Wet for Days. I asked them about the “mom punk” thing wondering if they sang about children that didn’t call or write which made them laugh. Then they explained that they were hard rocking mommas in the literal sense with 6 children between the 3 of them. Their sound is authentically and enthusiastically classic punk and they put on a great show despite the fact that we almost never understood what they were saying.

We didn’t not care for Neon Ghost House but the audience certainly did and they certainly were masters of their instruments. The band simply wasn’t to our taste. NOBRO was brilliant as always. I love their energy and we could understand all the lyrics. I will go see them any time they deign to return to Ottawa. They’re just the best. Forgive the poor audio from the phone

But you know who else was the best? Every person in the audience. The crowd was rowdy and into it without being jerks, and the bathrooms stayed surprisingly clean. The cross section of people was astounding. Some were young people in full on punk regalia. Some were original punk rockers STILL in full regalia despite their advanced ages. Some, like me, were wearing t-shirts from previous punk shows, yet others were wearing classic band shirts like Queen, The Doors, and The Beatles. Some people looked like they strolled in wearing whatever they wore to work that day. Some even looked like they’d somehow stumbled into the brewery straight from Iowa. Every single one of them was friendly and considerate. I wish we could have stayed and hung out with all of them for days.