Spectreview: The Garages – LIVE @ HECKDANG

Released: November 2, 2020

DIY Punk
(Live)
(Emo)
(Rock)

-LIGHT GREEN-

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“But then the Blood Drain gurgled
And the world went quiet
And his arms felt different
And the Lang Gang came alive”

There’s perhaps nothing more representative of the surrealism coating 2020 than a gang of Blaseball enthusiasts teaming up to help mythologize the trials and tribulations of beloved lines of code, only to earn a devout fanbase themselves. Yet unlike the circumstances that would lead to a fictional pitcher named Jaylen Hotdogfingers to be accidentally incinerated via crowdsourcing, The Garages don’t deal in such gleeful absurdity. Instead, the band’s paeans are slyly songs about fighting and sacrificing and falling to the odds, about achieving triumph and facing defeat, in ways that more often than not achieve poignancy over parody. In allegorizing the chaotic machinations between a line-up of fake sports players, The Garages have set up a curious tug-of-war between escapist silliness and the inescapable perils coloring a nationwide breakdown, and their music is all the more compelling for it.

Garages records (as many of them as you’re willing to listen to, considering their prolificness) are collaborative efforts involving as many as twenty individual artists. Collaborative here means taking advantage of the potential of file-sharing, as songs can vary wildly between mixing and mastering levels. No Garages record is an even listen all the way through, but that just reinforces the punk subtext of their creation. Without stakes, these records are instead celebrations of both unhindered creativity and modern fandom, allowing several underground talents from across the globe to use Blaseball drama as a universal foundation for very real topics. It’s as effective punk music as anything I’ve heard this year; no wonder they’ve accrued such a following.

And, just like any punk band, live music is often where they shine brightest. Charlotte band Heckdang’s recent Halloween livestream – a covers smorgasbord performed by Mint Green, Oceanator, Gilt and other stellar bands – allowed the sprawling collective a chance to make a brief live debut, and the results speak for themselves. LIVE @ HECKDANG is just four songs, but each is infused with a distinct electrical energy brought on by the live setting.

Slothfella’s “Lang Gang,” a tribute to the hilariously-unreliable Lang Richardson, receives a new coat of razor-sharp distortion and some more prominent background vocals. Similarly, Zack.ry’s anthemic “Lose You” becomes even beefier than its studio counterpart, with a breakout guitar solo and Zack’s emotive lead vocals heightening the pathos. And “Pathetic/Spineless,” with songwriter Rain taking the reins, is pure punk energy with an effective key change and the night’s single best line (No one you look up to/Is better than you you are”). Yet it’s the electrifying “Mike Townsend (Knows What He’s Gotta Do)” that stands out, for a bunch of reasons: the constant buzz of background harmonies underneath the instrumental clamor, the up-tempo energy working up a formidable forward momentum, and Riley’s star-making vocal showing blowing down the gates.

With uniformly remarkable performances and a mix to back it up, LIVE @ HECKDANG might just be your best entryway into The Garages uniquely-current, inclusive take on punk. It’s a challenge itself to wring as much emotional material as possible out of surreal slapstick chaos, but this band does it handily. Amazing how a fan-based offshoot of an internet browser game showcases the power of collective creativity, unintentionally begetting one of the most exciting DIY bands of the year.

Recommended for all who are love Blaseball.