[pedro durruti]

Bands: Dan Potthast, Ted Dancin' Machine, The Planet Smashers, Mustard Plug, Catch 22.

So I get there and it is packed, then again it was a really small venue. Portland's ska scene is better than I thought, seeing as the past two ska shows I've been to have had 70-120 people each show. Ok, so after about ten minutes Dan Potthast (MU330 lead singer) comes out with his acoustic guitar. This guy is really cool and funny, and since he's a one mand band he goes out in the middle of the crowd and starts talking to us and playing. He works really well with the crowd and plays greatly, I really wish I could've seen him with MU330 when they came two or three months ago. He played two MU330 songs and some other random songs he wrote, one about his Catholic teacher-nun-thingy that said girls get pregnant if they're out when the streetlights are on and one about his 90 year old neighbor in St. Louis that tried to kill himself. His set wasn't very long but it was funny and entertaining.

After Dan TDM made their way through the crowd, that being my third time seeing them, and it was just as good or better than the other two times I've seen them. During the first song I was on the edge of the pit then I got kind of bumped among them so I started skankin with them, then moshed with all these tall dudes during the harder part of the song. I did that for two more songs then got a little tired so I stood towards the back for the rest of the set. Good set as usual, always a pleasure seeing them live.

Next comes The Planet Smashers. Starts off really good with Life of the Party, everyone's skanking. Their set just keeps getting better, despite the fact that it was ****ing hot and I was covered in sweat, whether it was mine or the people next to me I don't know. The best part was when they were playing Surfing in Tofino and got everyone to sit down, then we all counted up from one to ten and jumped up together. ****ing awesome. This was definitely the best band of the night, and I'd love to see them again. Oh yeah, during one of their songs I went outside because I was extremely hot and sweaty, and two guys were talking to me about my Link 80 shirt, they were pretty surprised because they said that's the first time they've ever seen someone witha Link 80 shirt. Yay Portland Link 80 fans

I could have sworn the Smashers said Catch 22 were after them but it was Mustard Plug. I wasn't expecting much from them because the songs I've listened to weren't that good. But what do I know, they were actually good live! I really liked the first song, very good skankin music. They were really good with the crowd, lots of shouting in unison and just general stuff that makes a band really good live. I was really hot and tired again so I went outside as the started a Specials cover, Too Much Too Young. I was right outside the door so I could hear it pretty well and it was an excellent cover. Unfortunately I had to leave over half way through their set but the show was the best show I've been to and totally worht the 12 dollars.

What's even cooler about the show was that there was no stage.