Whores
April 25, 2018
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO
With warm weather and the sticky mugginess of summer upon us, bands are back on the road and touring the scorched earth. Among the motley gangs of wandering acts are Atlanta thrashers Whores. Their ferociously intense and anarchic live shows are a must-see and the three lads melted sun-kissed faces at legendary local watering hole the Hi-Dive in support of their 2016 debut full-length album Gold. Fusing hardcore punk, thrash metal, grind, and sludge into a lethally potent admixture, the band ripped through a fast-paced, abrasive set that pulled no punches. Bassist Casey Maxwell and drummer Donnie Adkinson balance technical prowess with furious dynamism in their playing, while guitarist and frontman Christian Lembach maintains the irreverence lyrically and in his on-stage persona that keeps the group grounded in their punk origins. When he leapt into the crowd for show closer “I am an Amateur at Everything,” appreciative hordes feverishly embraced him for the denouement.
Opening the show were Kansas City, MO’s Bummer and Bland Canyon. Bummer in particular is a band for whom to be on the lookout. They’re loud, catchy, and young, the basic ingredients for any great band to build off. Their set was a rollicking blast, as was the case last year when they opened for Whores. at the very same venue. One of the few opening acts on par with the headliner, Bummer brings the hardcore catharsis like no other.
This summer concert season, enjoy live music and see the fun festivals and outdoor gigs, but don’t scorch your skin in the punishing sunlight. Step inside your favorite dive for a good old fashioned punk or metal performance and save the sunscreen for whatever cheaper version of Coachella you patronize.
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by Steve Lustig
