Two nights with Thee Ohsees and I’m sore. Pathetic. John Dwyer, however, is probably not. In bands like Pink & Brown and the Coachwhips, the guitarist has never been one to contain himself live. Every time I’ve seen a band he’s a part of, he’s always filled to the brim with nervous energy, which makes it look like he’s constantly trying to put out a fire. What started as Dwyer’s solo project ten years ago has now become a full band, and its pure rock potential has been tapped with one of 2008’s sleepers, The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In.
Which brought them to Beerland on Sunday. The quartet set up next to the bathroom and with a simple introduction launched in to an hour set. Dwyer’s bowl-shaped mop of hair was wringing sweat down his face, making him look a little like an overgrown Eddie Haskell, as he and singer Brigid Dawson yelped in tandem. Guitarist Petey Dammit and animal drummer Mike Shoun are really the band’s secret weapon, the rhythmic base that fuels every stomper they play.
Last night at Club 1808, the Eastside’s delightfully grimy new punk dive, they encountered a few technical difficulties, but it was really the perfect venue for their dirty, collaborative punk catharsis. Check the gallery for color (Sunday) and black & white (Monday).
This article appears in September 19 • 2008.