Iron Plaid Fighter

American Ruins @ a random basement, April 23

May 16, 2011 at 4:23 PM (Uncategorized)

I love basements.  They possess a certain charm, a certain atmosphere that you cannot find anywhere else.  They hold a certain place in my heart.

While others fear memories of dark and creepy cellars, I only feel affection for the urban caves.  I remember running around in circles and playing freeze tag in my grandma’s basement with my sister and cousins.  I recall my favorite bedroom growing up, a corner of a basement in high school, my private getaway.

Anything goes in the basement.  Make noise.  The thick cinderblock walls buried in earth insulate the world from sound.  They also keep the basement cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Get messy.  You will fit right in with the cobwebs in the rafters and the pile of laundry in front of the washing machine.  The concrete floors, the drain in the center of the room, the crude shower in the corner: they all allow for a little dirt and sweat.

Create something new.  Use the half buckets of paint of all shades and colors.  Break out the power tools.  You can certainly outdo the velvet Elvis in the corner and the unfortunate attempt at modern art next to it.

This love affair colors my love for basement concerts.  The two belong together.  Concerts get noisy.  Concerts get messy and sweaty.  Concerts get creative.

As much as I love hidden gems like The Warehouse and small local venues like Alley Katz, sometimes you just can’t beat your friends basement for intimacy and atmosphere.  Recently, I enjoyed my first Richmond basement show.  Locals American Ruins provided space for Brooklyn-born Step Aside and Up for Nothing.

Both Brooklyn bands played a brand of straight ahead, upbeat punk but they didn’t make much of an impact.  The local Richmond scene seemed disinterested.  I did gather that Step Aside may have violated one of their social norms – perhaps too much drinking, parts of the Richmond scene believe in moderation or full straight edge – but I have no certainty.  Up for Nothing did win over the room a little after playing covers from underground icons 7 Seconds and Fugazi, but I still can’t offer my full endorsement.

Like the others, I went to see Richmond’s own American Ruins.  They fit right in with any punk or hardcore scene, but I immediately noticed a maturity absent in the clangling of many of their peers.  The guitars extend beyond the mere three chords of basic punk and the vocals, while still rough with passion, at least try to demonstrate a certain tonality.  As I listened they painted a picture reminiscent of the fuzzy, intricate guitars of Superchunk or the emotional register of post-hardcore gods Fugazi.

When talking with drummer James Moffit, the emo influence becomes particularly apparent.  This is not the pop-emo of Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco that became so popular, but its more raw ’90s roots.  James demonstrates a fondness for early-’90s emo pioneers Jawbreaker.  While playing around at the end of their set, he even grabs the mic for covers of Taking Back Sunday and Saves the Day.

American Ruins just released their latest recording, the seven track Blank Pages.  They also open for the Battleghost CD release part this Saturday at Alley Katz.  The matinee show begins at 4.

American Ruins embodies the spirit of the basement.  They play hard and loud, they jump into the pit with great fervor, and they provide a unique sound that really adds to the spirit of Richmond.