"We're starting with a soft one so you can get close and don't have to be afraid" claimed Ian Shelton, lead singer of Militarie Gun, the LA hardcore group that's been taking the scene by storm. As the band graced the stage of Baby's All Right in Brooklyn for a free show, the crowd was amped up and ready to let loose and as soon as the band finished the "soft" version of "Never Fucked Up Once," they cranked things up to 10 and never looked back. The mega riffs and gang vocals mixed with more melodic rhythms and grooves that you can tell were inspired by the likes of the Stone Roses, Oasis, and Blur, made for such a powerful combo and allowed the band to bring their take on hardcore to a crowd that was well versed in their musical landscape. "Very High" was an early favorite that got the crowd screaming back at the band with a ravaged intensity as a pit took shape in the venue's tiny floor space. Packed to the gills, the band utilized the size of the crowd to get things moving and Shelton told the audience "we have two sounds and when I do them, you jump up and down, alright?" It was a crystal clear message and everyone in attendance followed along without question. Even with the band's all out intensity, there's still something quite approachable about their sound that gives it such mass appeal and their live show doubles down on this feeling making the space feel incredibly safe and well cared for, dispelling any notion of what hardcore music must equate. "This song is about taking care of yourself and realizing when to ask for help as well as when to give it" proclaimed Shelton before they whipped out their newest single "Thought You Were Waving," again highlighting the communal aspect of their scene. As the night proceeded, things picked up and the pit expanded to the edges of the room and bodies began to hit the stage and surf back over the crowd with folks grabbing on to the ceiling and whatever else they could get their hands on. Things really picked up steam as they hit the end of the set and tore into "My Friends are Having a Hard Time" and "Will Logic," more headbanging moments that had the crowd feeding for me and ready to let it all hang out as they pummeled away in the pit. Hitting us with "Return Policy" was another huge moment, but when Ian called out their last song, everyone knew exactly what was in store. The looming anthem "Do It Faster" was marvelous, capturing every feeling you could imagine as the room barked along with the "ooh ooh" guttural vocals and the life affirming chants that clearly resonated with everyone in the building. It was a total euphoric moment and just when it seemed to be over all too soon the band did the unthinkable and just yelled out "AGAIN!" bringing it back to the top and unleashing the pandemonium on us all one more time. It's an absolute rockstar move reminiscent of Kanye and Jay doing "N*ggas in Paris" on repeat to close out their Watch the Throne shows or Kendrick Lamar drilling into "Not Like Us" over and over on his Juneteenth special. Getting one more shot at one of the best songs of 2023 was an all out highlight and sent everyone home on cloud nine.
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