Soulful Sunday

To say the crowd warmed to Last Target would be gross understatement: Initially met with scoffs as they mounted the stage and began their set, the members of Last Target left as everybody’s new favorite punk band. This turnaround could be attributed to the band members’ personalities and stage presence—see the above quote—but was really the result of their music, with girl-boy vocals and a Stiff Little Fingers fixation.

One Man Army had no such obstacle to overcome. Its relentless and seemingly never-ending tour schedule has left a trail of fans in its wake and forged a band that’s as tight as a wrench-cranked wing-nut. The members played as if the calendar hadn’t been invented yet, with sweat and swagger that ignored the fact that this was a Sunday night. And when it was time to leave, they hesitated, took two requests, played a Billy Idol cover and took another request. It was a moment you don’t often see in Chico: a band excited about its music and happy to be playing here.