Live review: Channel 3 / Fastplants live at Liar’s Club

Chicago IL – 05 May 2023

SoCal legends Channel 3 are still kicking ass and taking names more than 40 years into their career.

I remember being stuck at home in 2020 and vowing that if things ever got back to normal I’d never miss a show again. Here we are three years later, and every band on the planet is trying to tour. I’ve already had to make some tough choices. Ultimately, I decided that 2023 was going to be a year that I concentrated on catching bands that I’d never seen. After a couple hits (Midnight, Trauma) and a miss (The Meteors), I’m ready to turn my eyes on some bigger prizes. I have plans to see GBH, Electric Frankenstein, WASP, Armored Saint, The Exploited (fingers crossed) and Cosmic Psychos for the first time this year. (I’m also scheming to finally catch the mighty Anti-Heros!) 

I’m getting ahead of myself… Next on the agenda were Southern California punk legends Channel 3. The band actually formed in Cerritos 1981, but they’re doing an extended 40th anniversary celebration. They flew in for a pair of midwestern shows, starting with a Cinco De Mayo gig in the Windy City. The show was at Liar’s Club, a classic Chicago dive bar. It’s a long narrow room with the bar on the left and a few tables against the wall on the right. It opens up a bit in the back near the stage, but it is definitely intimate. It also seemed like everyone there knew everyone else. The regulars were friendly, but at times it felt like we were crashing someone else’s party. 

Locals Lollygagger opened the show about 10 PM, and were an odd fit. The trio were clearly talented. As a matter of fact, the bassist was excellent. Still, their funky metal didn’t do much for me despite my heroic consumption.

Another Chicago area band, Fastplants, were just what the doctor ordered. The quartet play fast, hardcore influenced skate punk. I made my way up front for a good chunk of their set. They played well, even though it was the new bass player’s first gig with the band. I enjoyed their deafeningly loud performance. Did I mention that it was excruciatingly loud up front? I was glad I brought earplugs. 

Channel 3 used Fastplants’ gear, so they were loud as hell too. By the time they took the stage a few minutes after midnight, the crowd was definitely warmed up. It’s sort of endearing that founding vocalist/guitarist Mike Magrann and guitarist Kimm Gardener still enjoy playing those old punk songs together after all these years. Magrann is tall and thin, with a full head of mostly gray hair. Gardener is shorter, with spiky blond hair and a face pleasantly weathered by the hot California sun. Both do their damage with Gibsons slung around their necks.

While they played songs from throughout their long career, they concentrated on their early, Posh Boy years. I was too in the moment (drunk?) to keep very good track of the setlist, but “I’ve Got a Gun” probably drew the biggest cheers of the night. A woman from the audience jumped up to help them with the classic punk duet, “You Make Me Feel Cheap”. Overall it was a fantastic hour or so of timeless punk. I’m rapidly approaching my 50th birthday, and many of my favorite musicians are in their 60s. While getting older mostly sucks, it does elevate our ability to truly appreciate sublime moments like these. 

Confessions of a merch whore: I picked up CH3’s career spanning double LP 40 on translucent purple vinyl. I even had the two OGs sign the inner sleeve for me. At $30 it felt like a bargain. I was also gifted a T-shirt, a fun reproduction of a 1983 tour edition.