Local punk band Happy Campers put together this mini-fest of Pop, Punk, Hardcore, Ska Punk, Sloppy Punk, and any other kind of punk known to man on the 20th of February at Café Espresso Roma, With well-known bands like Happy Campers, Civic Minded, 5 Finger Discount, 7 Foot Midget, Organic, the McCarthys, Faceplant, Perfect Generation, Fat Like Brad, Sweathogs, Conrad, and Curl Up and Die this concert was sure to be a hit, or was it.... or was it?

The show kicked off at about 1 pm. The first few bands were okay, but nothing special. The show started off as a big disappointment until 5 Finget Discount played. This being the 3rd time I'd seen them, I was pretty familiar with their music so I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. But they played a bit better at this show than at any other I had seen them at. A few bands later, Fat Like Brad played. I never heard them play before, but after much persuasion from Kirt (vocals) I stayed and watched. Their songs weren't too heavy or too light, all in all, they played a good show. Definitely not a disappointment. After Fat Like Brad and a few other bands like Conrad and the McCarthys played, the punk band from Faith, 7 Foot Midget, played. Like most of the bands playing, I had never seen them before, but they put on one of the best performances of the night. Not only were their songs good, but they mingled with the crowd. That's always a nice change from the hardcore bands that just yell and scream and forget the audience.

Besides getting drenched during Faceplant's hardcore performance, the show was a good deal for only $3. All in all I'd give this show * * *

Considering the age of the majority of the bands, they weren't bad at all. Besides, these types of shows are an inexpensive way to have fun. Just listen to a few bands and meet other people who are into punk, ska, etc.

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