Ah, the coveted opening slot. Depending on who you ask, it’s one of two things: either a death sentence for the energy of your set as you play to a slowly filling and thoroughly sober room or an opportunity to bring the noise and kick off the evening right. And thankfully, Last Waltzon’s set at Casa del Popolo on Saturday night firmly fell into the latter category.
Young, loud, and punk to the core, Last Waltzon is the epitome of devil may care. They brought together an electric set that started at 11 and never dipped down for a second, with hair-raising gang vocals, raw, frenzied drums like a nailgun to the skull, and a thrashing array of jangly, guttural guitar that doesn’t waste any time in getting you moving. Perhaps it’s Last Waltzon’s idea of not wasting time that appeals to me. The songs are short, concise, and absolutely lean, with each track bringing an emotional urgency, as if the boys would drop dead if they didn’t get it out of their system.
Aggressive, angsty, and a damn good time—opening slot or not—Last Waltzon got Saturday night off on the right foot.
