By: Tiffany Detzel
Edited by: Erica McNatt
On the warm and spring-feeling night of March 4, an unexpected scene lay before me: a seemingly unending line of fans waiting outside to hear live music. This area of Columbus hosts three music venues right by each other (Kemba Live, The Basement, and the one I was attending, A&R Music Bar). I immediately got excited that so many people were there to see the amazing lineup containing Dikembe, Thelma and the Sleaze, and Laura Jane Grace. A good chunk of the line outside was for whomever was playing at Kemba Live, but this show ended up being packed as well!
First up for the night was Dikembe. Their sound was a pleasant mix of emo, punk, and even a hint of grunge. The crowd was quickly drawn in by their fun energy on stage, and they did a great job kicking off the night. I highly recommend checking out their music, as they were truly talented and quite entertaining to watch live.
Next up were Thelma and the Sleaze. This is a band I have been wanting to see live for a while. Unfiltered rock and roll at its best! Between hard-hitting songs about life, politics, and love, their singer was entertaining the crowd with funny jokes and raunchy stories of their various touring adventures. Their energy on stage never let up, and the crowd was as happy as I was watching them own the night. Do yourself a favor and drop everything when TATS play a show near you!
Last up for the night was the one and only Laura Jane Grace. There is no one else that embodies the “punk rock” ethos quite like her. I have sadly gone my whole life having never seen her or Against Me (which have been on hiatus since 2020) live. She has recently released her second solo album “Hole in my Head” though, so I was ecstatic to see she was touring. Based on the cheers of the crowd once she took the stage, they shared in my excitement. Laura poured her heart out in this set, exuding such raw emotion with every note and lyric. A smile did not leave the face of the gentlemen playing bass the entire night either. About halfway through the performance, another person was brought on stage, which turned out to be Laura’s wife Paris. With this new addition, Laura shared her and Paris’ love story and the origin of the band’s actual name, Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals. I won’t spoil it, so be sure to catch this tour live to hear the details for yourself. There are still plenty of dates, so there is no excuse.
