Review: Flatfoot 56, Huntingtons, and more – Live in Chicago

Reggies – 18 Mar 2022

Flatfoot 56 headlines an eclectic bill in their hometown for a rowdy St. Patrick’s weekend crowd.

As the month of March marched on, my continued celebration of my (completely non-existent) Irish heritage took me all the way to the Southside of Chicago to see local celt-punk favorites Flatfoot 56. They headlined an eclectic bill at Reggies that had a little something for everyone. Baltimore’s Huntingtons brought their Ramones-core sound, Cincinnati’s 500 Miles to Memphis added some Americana punk flavor, New Jersey’s Crazy & the Brains upped the weird quotient, and locals Evil Empire contributed some Latin flavored ska. 

Five bands is a lot, even on a weekend. Too many. Not being a ska fan, and this being such a big bill, we missed Evil Empire’s set because we were drinking on the rooftop bar. This appears to have been a mistake, as everyone reported to me how great they were. I guess calling them a ska band doesn’t really do them justice. Sorry guys. Next time. 

Crazy & the Brains, a last minute addition, played next. While I’m still not completely sold on these guys, their strange, danceable sound continues to grow on me. (Like a fungus.) It was interesting watching them at a club, after seeing them at a small bar a couple weeks ago. They seemed just as comfortable on the bigger stage, Hawaiian shirts and all. 

I had really been looking forward to finally seeing 500 Miles to Memphis. While I’d only heard them for the first time last year, I’d been listening to their last two albums steadily since then. They seamlessly blend their punk with old fashioned country, gospel and Americana. They’re one of those bands that could play completely different sets for different crowds. Their set on Friday night maximized the punk and minimized the twang. 

The size of the band can vary too, and this time they were a big six piece with three electric guitars, bass, drums and a fiddle. It was a wall of sound. I moved to the front to see 500 MTM play a bunch of tracks from their excellent new record, Hard to Love. Songs like “Stereo”, “Drop Out” and “Dead in the Water” translate really well in an aggressive live setting. They curiously ended their set with a jacked up version of The Police’s “Message in a Bottle”. I loved every minute of it. 

By comparison, Huntingtons were extremely stripped down. They played as a trio due to second guitarist Josh Blackway having become a proud first time father to a baby boy two days earlier. (Congratulations Josh!) They were still able to pull off their classic Ramones sound, but they did at least occasionally miss the extra guitar and backing vocals. They played a handful of songs from the recently reissued Get Lost (1999) and Plastic Surgery (2000), and a couple from their most recent record, Muerto, Carcel, O Rocanrol! (2020).

It was my first time seeing Huntingtons, and I wrongfully assumed that they’d play one or two of the many Ramones’ songs they’ve covered over the years. Instead, perplexingly, they played a Poison medley where “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” morphed into “Talk Dirty To Me”. Those of us of a certain age enjoyed it. Overall, it was a fun set. 

It was pretty late by the time Flatfoot 56 hit the stage, but the crowd was still full of energy (and beer). I’d seen the Flatfoot boys a few times, and they always put on a good show. They’re really just a punk band who accentuates their sound with some traditional instruments to add a little Irish flair. It’s easy to pick brothers Tobin (guitar/vocals) and Kyle Bawinkel (bassist) out of a crowd. Kyle is really tall, and Tobin is even taller.

Truth be told, I spent a big chunk of their set catching up with friends old and new. (I plan to see them again in a couple months with The Rumjacks.) I made it down front in time to catch the last few songs, including closer “I’ll Fly Away”. Few bands could successfully pull off closing a punk show with a hymn! We all wandered back into the rainy Chicago night satisfied and exhausted. 

Confessions of a merch whore: I got a lot of swag at this show. I bought three Huntingtons’ LPs – Get Lost (root beer marble), Plastic Surgery (olive marble) and Back to Ramonia (pink). I also grabbed the most recent Flatfoot 56 LP, 2016’s Odd Boat (black). I got some 500 Miles to Memphis coffee called Hangover Easy, along with the Hard to Love CD (vinyl in June) and a four way split 7″ called Old Friends (green).