The nexus of Texas garage rock these past two decades emereged like UK pop/punk pioneers the Buzzcocks and Jam in the Seventies and Eighties. Skipping stage banter and (for the most part) guitar solos, the Marked Men walked a high-wire last night, flipping between rapid strums, sneering vox, and pop melodies flashing a heart-on-sleeve libretto.</p<
Opening with the one-two punch of “Right Here With You” and “On the Outside,” the band lit a mosh-pit bomb outside at Red 7 for an audience just waiting to explode. Sensitive snot rockets “My Love,” “Broken Record,” and “Wait Here, Wait For You” stepped one foot down inside the Seventies, when power poppers were inspired as much by the Stones as the Beatles, and melody came accompanied by a sneer.
The Marked Men sliced through chunks of blazing rock & roll, favoring bruised hearts to brutal feelings on “Stay Away,” “So What” and “Ditch.” By the time they closed down with a stomping plea for understanding, “Fix My Brain,” the crowd roiled in full mosh mode, letting the sentiment get swallowed by beery exuberance.
The peak of Denton’s four-pronged invasion at this year’s Chaos in Tejas, the Marked Men blew 17 songs in 35 minutes, keeping their audience satisfied without wearing through the welcome mat.
This article appears in May 31 • 2013.
