Invasion of the Saucer Men Show
w/ Orchestra of Munitions, Rest of Us, Abandoned Vehicles, The Tim Version
Words: Crystal Farina
Photo: Crystal Farina

Appeared:
June 2, 2007
Springs Theatre, Tampa

People are afraid of punk rock.  It’s as if they expect to see Neanderthals running around, smashing their instruments, and fondling each other to no avail.  Don’t forget, the beloved anarchy symbol flashing in the background, while a voice-over repeats: “Rebel! Revolt! Reform!”

While I’d like to claim that such a strange brand of entertainment did occur, it did not.  I am not saying that I am as knowledgeable of the genre as I would prefer to be, but I am not afraid.  As the mantra chants, “People are afraid of what they do not understand,” and so my encounter of “The Invasion of the Saucer Men” show should shed some light on the prevailing community of punk rock in Tampa Bay.

A wide range of people wandered into the Springs Theatre this night, and at times, the audience was so engaged that they seemed to be a part of each performance. The theatrical epitome of this was presented by Orchestra of Munitions.  During a long break between sets I was standing in the lounge and my train of thought was abruptly ended with a, “Fucking, they’re tying somebody to a chair.”  Like a dutiful observer, I ran forth to the performance area to witness the crowd growing quickly as a man rolled in a chair across the floor.  Maniacal laughter echoed behind him as an assembly of heads formed and moved in unison to the serenade of relentlessly liberating power chords and toiling vocals.  The sounds were uproarious from every part of the Springs Theatre, and there was no reason to be afraid, for you could only feel empowered.  For some bands like Abandoned Vehicles, the vocals were inaudible, but the music certainly did not falter.  The Tim Version’s band members wore bright green shirts, and surprised me with their brand of punk.  The Rest of Us also proved that punk is a genre that can grant authority to those who lack it, and every bit of that was hammered out hard enough to strengthen any atrophied muscles that were exposed to the sound.