THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Titus Andronicus and Partner, Will’s Pub, Nov. 13
Going in, I still wasn’t quite sure if Titus Andronicus were one of the most flexible punk bands going right now or a rock band that just uses punk as a springboard. Really, it doesn’t matter either way because that lack of blind, niche devotion has freed them to be an evergreen act. But now, after seeing them live for the first time finally, it’s clear: they are foremost a rock & roll band. Everything else is just gravy.
What is undeniably punk about the New Jersey group is that, despite how many different strands of rock they take on, they rip it all with full-throttle abandon. Moreover, punk has kept them concise and direct. Even when indulging in considerable reaches of conceptual ambition, their music has seldom suffered from drag.
But one clear sign that Titus Andronicus are no ordinary punk band is that their performance here began more like a Lucero show with bandleader Patrick Stickles bleeding solo with rugged heart. From there on, though, it was full, glorious steam ahead in a charging set of nonstop rumble and roar. Even with their tight onslaught, they manage to pack the full wingspan of their proud heritage. It’s classic Jersey rock grandeur at total, exuberant velocity. And it’s equally suited for the pub or the arena, so long as the gang’s all there.
But if Titus Andronicus are models of stylistic variety then tourmates Partner are an all-out rock rainbow. In the span of just an opening set, the Canadian band swung far and wide on the spectrum in a dizzying romp that at the very least touched on chunky 1990s indie rock, heavy rock, classic rock & roll, blues rock, stadium rock, punk rock and ended in a salute to their own native rock gods with a cover of Rush’s “Limelight” (i.e. Canadian AF).
When it comes to rock music, you’d be hard-pressed to find an act as devoted and encompassing as Partner. Add in their lyrical humor and you’ve got a band that handles practically all of rock’s colors with love and levity.
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Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
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This article appears in The Beer Issue 2019.
