Monday, December 8, 2008

The Broadways - Broken Star


For a band that couldn't have been around for more than 2 years, I saw The Broadways a lot. As such, they were a very pivotal band in my punk rock listening career. I'd heard of Jawbreaker and Crimpshrine, but it wasn't until every zine that ever reviewed The Broadways compared them to those bands (and Fifteen) that I gave either a real listen. Out of all the times I saw them, two shows stick out specifically to me.

1) A matinee show at The Fireside Bowl with The Broadways, Luke Skawalker and Showoff. Luke Skawalker throws beer all over everyone in the front and Pete, the singer says, "haha now you have to go home and explain to your parents why you smell like beer in the middle of the afternoon." During the Showoff set two girls (one in a camo shirt) says something to Chris Envy, the singer of Showoff and he starts making numerous comments about her being "a dyke" and a bitch and whatever else. This sends everyone into an uproar and the girls start threatening him and calling him a sexist. Some of their friends take them outside and they leave the show. Someone shuts the PA off on them much to the anger of the sound guy and their set ends. This seemed to be the end of anyone in the punk scene wanting to be involved with Showoff and they were signed by Maverick not too long after this. Brendan Kelley, singer of The Broadways decried Chris Envy's comments and everyone got really psyched and applauded. Then they killed it.

2) The first Arlington Heights Knights of Columbus show. It was in the fall or winter and it was dark really early. The KoC is in a neighborhood and it's pretty dark so we started going door to door asking people where we could find the show. Someone finally pointed us in the right direction and we walked into a very crowded room full of young kids in really terrible baggy pants and big shirts (I was one of them). This was also the first time I witnessed a wall of death. Great show.

Overall, I have to say The Broadways remain my second favorite band of the Slapstick family tree (behind Alkaline Trio of course). Memories aside, they simply play great, catchy punk rock in the Chicago tradition.


The Broadways - Broken Star

4 comments:

Matt said...

Nice story, but you might be going TOO far back

Todd said...

Dog I can't subscribe to this blog please fix that.

Also, I got into Slapstick right when they broke up and then didn't appreciate The Broadways until right when they broke up. However, that meant that I got to make my parents drive me to a lot of Lawrence Arms and Honor System shows. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm jealous of your experiences.

Anonymous said...

"we'll have BIG MACS"

Stephen said...

Todd - I made it so people can subscribe to my blog. Let me know if it still won't work.