There is nothing like a good, loud punk show to take you back to the ’90s. While I missed local band Chernoff at the Slice, April 9 due to radio show commitments, I was just in time to catch a couple big doses of prairie punk.
Calgary’ punk rock trio the Ringwalds embraced the ’90s with their quick set of punchy, three chord punk and rousing choruses. They reflected the sounds of Blink 182 and Bowling For Soup with plenty of upbeat punk, rock and gang vocals punctuated by the occasional growl.
“Leave Me Alone ” was a highlight near the end of the energetic set, which they ended with a few bars of Judas Priests’ “Living After Midnight” before making way for the Lethbridge debut of Winnipeg’s Screaming at Traffic.
Screaming at Traffic had a touch of emo, but carried on in the ’90s pop punk vein.
They began with a few bars of two handed tapping, before breaking into big choruses and layered rhythms with the angst of Moneen and the fun of Teenage Bottle Rocket.
They mostly focuses on their most recent album 2019’s “ I Don’t Like Sports.” They mentioned on stage they were supposed to be in Lethbridge opening for
the Real McKenzies a few years ago, but the show got cancelled by Covid. So they had a lot of new music to play including the last album and a new single “New Year.”
The title track of “ I Don’t Like Sports” came near the end of their set.
But “Bitter was an early catchy highlight.
They ended with “People pay Good Money for Secrets.”
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
