A Wilhelm Scream, The Riot Before, Red City Radio, Blacklist Royals | Photo Essay

by Andrew Norman

Full disclosure: I grew up with Red City Radio drummer Dallas Tidwell in Imperial, Neb. I handled much of their publicity for a couple years, and I tour managed for them last fall. So I'm completely biased in my coverage of the band. Tidwell's roots in "The Good Life" state, however, make the Paper + Plastick band natural fodder for Hear Nebraska coverage. So my wife Angie and I jumped at the chance to drive the band's van from their home base in Oklahoma City to Gainesville, Fla., for this year's The Fest. The band had been touring Europe for a month, and flew into the annual punk rock Mecca to play Saturday's show at the Double Down Live (formerly Common Grounds). After Fest, they headed north to play a couple sold-out boat shows in New York with Less Than Jake before touring home sometime around Nov. 10. 

We started the day at the Paper + Plastick warehouse, picking up Red City Radio's new 7-inch splits with the Gamits. All 105 records were on different colored vinyl, and feature an original song by each band, including a cover: Red City Radio did White Lion's "Little Fighter"; The Gamits did Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone." Both songs (like their original versions) are quite excellent. 

Instead of bouncing around from venue to venue on Saturday, we hung out at the Double Down Live. We didn't want to risk missing one of the bands while standing in the fluctuating, but always-long line outside. Though it meant skipping Kid Dynamite, Smoke or Fire, Off With Their Heads and Dillinger Four elsewhere — it was worth it to catch some of the bands I've been listening to most this last year, including The Riot Before, A Wilhelm Scream, Dirty Tactics and Nothington, in addition to seeing Naked Raygun frontman Jeff Rezzati's new band, The Bomb.

Check out the photos below.

Paper + Plastick HQ

Dirty TacticsDirty Tactics

A Wilhelm ScreamA Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream

The Riot BeforeThe Riot Before The Riot Before The Riot Before The Riot Before The Riot Before

Spanish GambleRed City Radio Spanish Gamble

The BombThe Bomb

HeartsoundsHeartsounds Heartsounds Heartsounds

Blacklist RoyalsBlacklist Royals Blacklist Royals

Red City RadioRed City Radio Red City Radio Red City Radio Red City Radio Red City Radio Red City Radio Red City Radio Red City Radio

Andrew Norman is Hear Nebraska's publisher. For the first time, he witnessed a crowd surfer on stage when at least 50 people crowded the stage during Red City Radio's closer, "We Are the Sons of Woody Guthrie." Contact him at andrewn@hearnebraska.org.