Kong Rocks the ReAct
By SLK Beat Writer Joe Aliano
Last Saturday was the night. A sort of proving ground if you will. Sounds Like Kong was to play a gig at the ReAct, a hardcore punk establishment. The show began at 8 p.m. and Kong was lead off band. I arrived at the cozy establishment ten minutes before showtime. After paying the three dollar cover and browsing through some interesting books such as, "Gay Men in the Midwest", "How to Kidnap Millionaires", and "The ABC's of Starting a Millitia" I found SLK gearing up on the stage. I asked Marty if they were ready to go, he said, "Dude, rock and roll. Rock and roll, dude". Matt on the other hand was quiet. I asked him if he was nervous. He gave me a strange look and replied in a sarcastic tone, "Oh I get it, the drummer is always the nervous one right?! Well let me tell you something Mr. Stupid Reporter...guy! I was BORN for times like this! Buckle up cocheese cuz it's gonna be a bumpy ride", he said as he repeatedly pounded on his bass drum. Jim Greve was level headed as always. "Ya know. We're a band that's just getting it's feet wet. We figured that this would be a good place to start. Granted it's a more of a punk atmosphere, we're not gonna let that bother us. We have punk influence too! Hold on a second....WILL SOMEONE TURN ON MY AMP!!!? THIS ISN'T AN UNPLUGGED GIG FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Yeah, we just wanna relax and have some fun tonight." After a pack of mohawks walked in, the show was underway. The set started off with a blistering cover of Ebin which sparked a mosh of humanity. I was poked in the eye by a chain. At that point this writer knew that it was a special performance. SLK even threw out a few punk inspired melodies that drew a great response. The show ended with "This Sucks". It should have been called "This Song Will Stick In Your Head" as several of the ReAct patrons were overheard humming the songs catchy rhythm. It was truly an admirable performance. While SLK may have lacked the harcore punk sound of Sangria, Buster Hymen and the Penetrators, and The Guilty, they held their own and gained acceptance. Overall a good show. Rock and roll...dude.
