Concert Review: the Shitty Limits, Logic Problem and Dark Ages at Love Garden

Thank God the Shitty Limits played last night. They were the only band on the bill at Love Garden that had any sort of exuberance going on. Perhaps it was the fact that they’re touring the United States, perhaps it’s the fact that their blend of garage and snotty punk tends to perk me up, but it seemed that the Limits were the odd band out.

By the time the Shitty Limits stepped up to their instruments (as there’s no stage on which to step at Love Garden), I was ready for a band that wasn’t so fucking bleak as the openers, Logic Problem and Dark Ages. I’m not saying every band in the world needs to be happy — no, no. Far from it, actually. But when the Shitty Limits were playing, the floor was literally bouncing along with the crowd. People were smiling. They were happy to see the Limits.

I like the Shitty Limits because both in person and on record, they sound an awful lot like the early stuff from the Explosion. It’s a tenuously tied-together sound, where the instruments power along with snotty vocals dropped on top, all the while mere seconds from a possible collapse. You can sing along, too. It’s powerful, and their lead singer flails around like his microphone is a broadsword, ready to cut down anyone who dares get in his way.