Leftover Crack w/ Anti-Flag
El Corazon, Seattle, WA
03.04.16
The famed squatters of Avenue C gave El Corazon a visit on Friday night, accompanied by punk legends Anti-Flag and supporting bands War on Women, Blackbird Raum, and The Homeless Gospel Choir. With a sold out crowd in tow, Leftöver Crack had plenty of eager ears awaiting their anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-sexist, and anti-establishment messages, tidily packaged in their distinct brand of hardcore punk/ska. These guys have been at this for a long time. Leftöver Crack formally began back in 1999 as an off-shoot of Choking Victim, a similar project by front man Scott Sturgeon, aka Stza, which yielded one glorious album, No Gods/No Managers. Since then, Leftöver Crack has dodged, piecemealed, and secured record contracts, band members, tours, and most importantly, more albums. The November release of their third full length, Constructs of the State, has reignited the burning embers of conversation; of life, death, and purpose.
Ladies, gentlemen, and folks of all identities â welcome to the American Spring 2016 Tour!
Packed like crazy, and as hot and uncomfortable as ever, El Corazon was filled with all-black everything. The crowd, unsurprisingly, was cordial in the chaos, offering up smiles and lost shoes. Leftöver Crack began their set at 9:15 to raucous cheers and obligatory moshing. From here on out, not a moment would pass without bodies floating about. That same guttural, goading, carnival-esque voice broke loose and dominated the space. As teenagers, my buddy and I had the fortune of catching Leftöver Crack on their Mediocre Generica tour back in 2001, when it was yet a fledgling band. Now battle-tested and polished, and armed with much more material, the set list took whimsical turns down memory lane, thankfully dabbling in some Choking Victim with songs such as “500 Channels,” “Crack Rock Steady,” and “Infested.” Blackbird Raum joined onstage for some kumbaya, and Leftöver Crack had planned to wrap up their night with “Rock the 40 oz.” The set time, however, became awkwardly extended for one reason or another. In the end this was all quite fortuitous, because the extra 25 minutes were spent playing gems such as “Born to Die,” “Burn Them Prisons,” and “Atheist Anthem.” The now hour-long set made for a memorable evening, intently watching Stza preach gospel to addicts.
Review by T. Monte
Photos by Bryce Cato
Leftover Crack
