Digital Leather, Acid Dawgz, Weird Ladies, and Scorpion vs. Tarantula at Rhythm Room, 2/16/12

Photos by Anthony Sandoval

Digital Leather rocking out.

Last night's show at the Rhythm Room was in desperate need of clarity.

For the record, Digital Leather, Acid Dawgz, Weird Ladies, and Scorpion vs. Tarantula all played punk rocking sets. Figuring out who was who was a painful process of elimination, however.

Fortunately, closing act Scorpion vs. Tarantula includes at least one New Times staffer, so they were easy for us to spot. Digital Leather's Shawn Foree's deep monotone pitch was easy to distinguish, too. (Not to mention, his mug matches every picture we've seen of him). But if you didn't show up on time, you missed Weird Ladies, who opened the set, and Acid Dawgz after that.

I could be wrong on this, but I don't remember any of the bands identifying themselves last night. If Acid Dawgz did throw out their name, it was inaudible with all the echo effect on the mic. The Rhythm Room website linking to Acid Dogs, not Dawgz, only added to the confusion.

Now that that's been sorted out, it was a pretty bad ass show.

I expected to hear more distorted synth beats during Digital Leather's 30-minute set, but Foree and company left the keys in the van opting for a furiously-paced punk thrashing replete with poppy guitar twangs, and boom-thwack-boom-thwack drum hits. Foree fixed his gaze narrowly towards his mic as he sang out oh-oh-oh chorus's, and blasted through song after song, pausing in between just long enough for 1-2-3-4 drumstick counts.

Acid Dawgz did more somber, brooding post-punk new wave jamming, which was pretty fucking awesome. Thudding drums, and loud echoing guitar riffs kept the small crowd see-sawing as they threw down $1.50 PBR's.

It was all wicked cool fun, guys. But next time just throw your name at some point in your set for those of us wondering.

Critic's Notebook:

Last Night: Digital Leather, Acid Dawgz, Weird Ladies, and Scorpion vs. Tarantula

Overheard in the Crowd: "Everyone in here looks exactly the same." -- Melissa Fossum

Random Notebook Dump: Check out the stage presence on my colleague.