School Bar was in fine form last weekend – boozy, unhinged, and slightly off kilter (I blame the full moon) – the perfect cocktail for the hard-hitting punk that has unleashed upon audiences. The guests of honor were Kunming’s Plastic – the no holds barrel melodic punk outfit were managed to play close to an hour and a half without any lulls. Serious chops even as their members began to show signs of collapse and comatose. The band seems to built up a diverse catalog of songs that play to their strengths – pogoing from frantic and surly to mischievous and romantic; from reckless rampaging to slower-paced ballads. They’re the real deal and I’m mighty curious how they’ll manage to capture that lightning on record. Opening for the evening where the ‘new and improved’ Xiao Wang, who have added renegade Hangzhou export YangJi on bass and have continued to hone their sound. They’ve only gotten better in my book, tightening the screws and delivering high-octane bittersweet ferocious tunes that strike down with precision. I was equally impressed with The White Books, who seem to have stripped back their sound, giving their post punk fire more of a jagged edge and leaning into the energy of their musicianship rather than the framework of their songs. Overall, a rowdy rambunctious grand ol’ time at the one and only School Bar.
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