Photos: Jackoffs, Menace, and Violet Approach at Replay Lounge

March 18, 2024

Maura Dayton,

This past Thursday, the Replay Lounge in Lawrence hosted a triple threat of fast-paced, in-your-face punk rock for any college student who decided to stay in LFK for spring break. The lineup consisted of Lawrence’s very own Jackoffs, along with Menace out of Springfield, MO, and Violet Approach out of Kansas City.

Violet Approach started off their set with mellow, doomy guitar chords, thanks to guitarist Say, that quickly turned into more up-tempo, raw punk rock.

Violet Approach is not one to shy away from cold hard truths about identity and gender. In their song “Svetlana”, vocalist Lio proclaims “I’m a babe, I’m a slut, I’m a chick, but I’m not a girl.” Halfway through their set, Lio and Rin—Violet Approach’s drummer—swapped instruments to perform a few songs, including “Pillow Fight,” then switched back to their respective instruments to end their set with “Crucifix” and “Svetlana”, perfectly warming up the crowd for the bands to come.

Coming from Springfield, MO, Menace took the stage next, proving that less is more with their approximately 10-15 minute set. If you weren’t there the moment they stepped on stage, sadly, you missed a truly phenomenal set from this hardcore band.

With every song being only a minute long, if that, they still pack a punch with their fast-paced riffs, drum fills, and impactful lyrics. Like Violet Approach, their songs also touch on various hot-button issues within our society, such as abuse, mental health, and climate change.

“This song is about the Earth” vocalist Chunks Young announces before going into their song “Revenge,” a song detailing the current climate crisis. With lyrics such as “How can I destroy a place as beautiful as this?” and “Mother Earth will rise again, one day she’ll have her revenge,” their stance is clear and direct. The same can be said about the rest of their songs in their short, yet powerful set.

Lawrence locals, the Jackoffs, took the stage last, delivering an energetic set of new unreleased songs from their upcoming second album to be released sometime this year. If you go to a Jackoffs gig thinking you won’t dance or move in some way, they will find a way to make you. Their pure, raw punk energy alone is enough to turn heads and get people on the floor to jam along with them.

Along with performing original songs, such as “Kiss and Tell” and “Phantom Strangler,” they also performed a punkified version of a Beatles cover. Before playing the song, vocalist and guitarist Jack Goodrich announces that “John Lennon is subjectively the worst Beatle.” leaving the crowd cheering in agreement and a bit amused by the comment.

Nevertheless, the Jackoffs bring the heat with their blend of punk, ska, and synth, truly being one of the most unique punk bands in Lawrence right now. Attendees definitely left Replay satisfied, tired, and maybe even bruised that night.

Our photographer Maura Dayton was there to capture the event:

Violet Approach: