It's apparent where the "bouncing" part of the Bouncing Souls' name comes from. It's what the group's fans do, up and down, when they see them live.
The New Jersey punk act is quickly becoming a Salt Lake favorite since each show the band plays here is larger than the last one. For instance, Monday night's Bar and Grill show sold out within minutes.And not too surprisingly, the band may actually be worth such adulation. The growth the Souls have exhibited since recording the "Greenball Crew" mini-CD in 1992 has been nothing short of breathtaking. Incorporating bits of "old school" punk-rock, pop-punk, "Oi!" music and even some country and folk, the Souls play straight-ahead punk the way it's meant to be played, without pretense and with as much energy as possible.
The band's songs usually check in just under two minutes and actually pick up speed when performed live. That kinetic "bounce," especially that given to "I Like Your Mom" and "The BMX Song," made the packed house slam, mosh, crowd surf and otherwise jam the Bar and Grill's smallish dance floor to claustrophobic effect.
But it's pretty hard to resist such gems as "thesearethequotes fromourfavorite80'smovies," an affectionate homage to the films of John Hughes and John Cusack, and "Here We Go," a travelogue number that nearly raised the roof.
Of course, drummer Shal Khichi and bass guitarist Bryan Kienlen were responsible for much of the four-piece's musical onslaught. The two pushed tempos to the breaking point and then some, especially on "No Rules."
It would be easy to overlook vocalist Greg Attonito's sharp songwriting because of the controlled musical chaos going on around him. But "Born to Lose," an ode to both Social Distortion and Johnny Cash (who really aren't that incompatible), reveals that he and the band can't be pegged easily as "just" a punk-rock band.
Though the throng was obviously there to see the Souls, audience reaction for the night's sup-port acts got better as the night went on. Weston might have even stolen the show on any other night.
"Clumsy Shy" and "Got Beat Up" - the latter is the title song of the band's new CD - were slices of the bratty adolescent punk the Descendents made famous a dozen years ago. But what separates the New York quartet from the scads of other groups who are jumping on the pop-punk bandwagon is its obvious talent, especially in the songwriting category.
"Heartbreak Sandwich" could have been a truly schmaltzy love song in the hands of a more obvious band, while "No Kind of Superstar" actually achieves the awkward teenage atmosphere most punk bands are trying to obtain. Live, both songs, as well as others from the CD, far surpassed the original recorded versions.
Wisconsin's Boris the Sprinkler was also a surprise. The brainchild of vocalist Rev. Norb, BTS plays pop-punk that is as indebted to the Ramones as much as Screeching Weasel and the Vindictives are.
Norb's sense of humor and off-kilter lyrics and song titles (try "Screamin' Demon Martians Ridin' Go-Karts in My Head" on for size sometime), as well as the rest of the band's stage presence, made for a memorable, if too brief, introduction to Salt Lake City.
The night's opener, D.F.L., was completely different story, though. When the audience failed to react to its chaotic hard-core, the band had the gall to tell the spectators they didn't recognize good "West Coast punk." Crowd members likely didn't react because D.F.L. sounds too similar to the Beastie Boys' brand of punk (one of the Beasties was even in D.F.L.'s first lineup), but years before they got proficient at playing and songwriting.