Concert Review: KTP / Brutally Frank, Friday, May 29, at the Replay (+MP3)
A Friday night with gorgeous weather usually calls for some Replay time. Add in a can’t-miss combo with the Lawrence Soul Club spinning rare singles and hits on the patio, with two fine punk rock acts inside, add beer, and your weekend gets started off properly.
The Lawrence Soul Club features DJs such as Sadie Soul and B Sears kicking out rare tunes you’ll never hear at Stax of Wax, along with hits from the Temptations, the Shirelles, and others. You can usually find a bevy of folks all tanked up on PBR and cheap whiskey (in Friday’s case, Jim Beam) groovin’ in front of the stage. Although, when the drum lick that kicks off the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” came out the speakers, I saw girls all over the bar instantaneously start dancing with their men – and they were nasty about it, too. Never underestimate the ability of drunk people to take something sweet and make it filthy.
After an hour of listening to smooth-ass jams, it was time to head inside to see some slightly more dangerous music. Literally. If you stand at the edge of the Replay stage, there’s a distinct possibility you could get knocked in the teeth with a guitar neck. You’d think the danger and being about five feet away from the amps might be off-putting, but I’ve come to find that if you get too close to the stage at the Replay, you can’t hear squat. The speakers are actually behind you when you stand in front of the stage. You usually hope for a band that sings loud if you like to be up close and personal.
KTP is that sort of band. They’re loud, they’re rocking, and they’re pretty much the only act in the area playing straight-up, no-frills punk rock. Andy, Merrit, Al, and Brent are KTP and they play the sort of punk rock that Epitaph put out for the better part of the ’90s. It’s not political, it’s not emo, it’s not hardcore – it’s just punk rock. Saying “just” punk rock is a bit of a misnomer, though. It’s like saying it’s “just” pizza – because something’s no-frills doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with it. As a matter of fact, stripping all the excess away usually results in a higher quality product. Such is KTP.
