Austin Sound

Really? 8 freakin’ years of these guys? Wow. It’s like the Midgetmen haven’t aged a bit - at least in maturity. Of course, that’s one of the reasons that we love them. The local pop-punk rabble-rousers will be taking over the Mohawk this Saturday, May 8. If you’ve never experienced the Midgetmen, then you’re in for, well, an “experience.” Plus, Austin Sound’s own regular contributor Marc Perlman will be holding down his regular position at bass, so all you folks that he’s slammed in his reviews of your albums can come out and heckle! Although, we should probably warn you that the Midgetmen only get louder and stronger the more you harass them - we learned this lesson the hard way. Because it’s 8 years, the quartet will of course have 8 acts playing (7 bands, and Team Fabrication DJing between sets). Did we mention the Free Beer! part of the equation? Oh yeah, there’s free beer - one wave when the doors open, and another later in the night to make sure everyone is good and sauced when the MM go on stage (and you’ll want to be, really). The lineup looks a little something like this, with doors opening at 8:00pm:

If there is one band in town that knows how to throw a party, it’s the Midgetmen, and every year they pull out all the stops for their “Anniversorry” show. This year promises to be better than ever, as they have commandeered both stages at the Mohawk for a Friday night blowout. Not only do they have an awesome 7 band lineup (see below), but because no Midgetmen show is complete without loads of beer, they’ve gotten the show sponsored by Pabst and there will be free Blue Ribbon while it lasts! The music begins at 9:00pm, and all this can be yours this Friday, May 1, for only $5. Check out the schedule plus a recent live video filmed by Channel Austin!

The end of a Midgetmen show is one of the best things to experience in Austin. That’s worded badly, but they’ll appreciate the jab. Exploding in a frenzy of sloppy, beer-fueled guitar excess, the Midgetmen’s finale is a tough act to follow, and the energy of their live shows has consistently placed the group among the top punk acts in the Austin Music Awards. Over the course of two albums, the second recorded after the departure of frontman Keith Shepherd, the foursome has crafted songs that range from ridiculously fun and juvenile pop-punk to surprisingly understated, melodic rock, but always with a loose humor and raucous attitude. This Friday at Emo’s Lounge, the Midgetmen celebrate their 5th anniversary of survival as a band in spite of themselves, and they’ve put together an all-star lineup of past Austin Sound featured bands to celebrate: Golden Bear, Mice and Rifles and Peel. Buy the guys some drinks!