Show Jounal 2025-06-13
Tonight was satisfying in a way that is hard to explain. It is so wild that 3 relatively obscure local bands that started in the 90s can get a room full of people, many with families, kids, and responsibilities to show up in 2025 and have a great time. So, how did this show come about? After seeing the clips and hearing about the success of the November show in Longview, a promoter who we’ve known forever (a.k.a. King Banana) asked if we wanted to do the same lineup, but in Portland. We all said yes, and suddenly it was real. Dante’s is a bigger club than many of the places we are accustomed to playing at, so we were definitely a little nervous to see if anyone would show up. Show up they did, and the crowd was loud and enthusiastic for every band. Berzerk was first, and I got to watch their entire set this time. So energetic, such positive energy, and so fun to watch. Something you may or may not know about Berzerk is that they’ve been playing almost as long as us. We started in 1994, and I believe they were 1995. The difference is that they were 15 when they started, which is amazing. They also didn’t take off nearly as many years as we did, so all the respect in the world to them for sticking with it and still making new music for as long as they have. Countdown to Life was second, and this web site is already full of positive words I’ve written about them. Honestly, I never have enough good things to say about them. The music was insanely tight tonight, probably one of the the best times I’ve ever seen them. Danny was owning the stage with a confidence I haven’t seen from him, probably better than the November show. It was surreal. So heavy. So immediately recongizable as Countdown. It was a tough act to follow, but our set felt pretty good. We played a few deep cuts including Now or Never, Alright, Get In The Van, with the most obscure selection being Destination: Space. It was definitely fun realizing people up front knew the words to that one. We had Tyler from Berzerk come up to sing Astro Zombies at the end, which was very cool. All in all, this was a great night. Big thanks to those who traveled for the show, including folks who drove from Bend, Longview, Tri-Cities, and Seattle. Perhaps more importantly, thank you to all of the local familiar faces who still keep up with us over the years. Extra shot out to King Banana for setting up the show, and the staff at Dante’s for the good sound and being cool to us. Lastly, big thanks to anyone who still looks at these journals!
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