strung out

It’s been said before that punk-rock has a specific shelf life and that punk-rock is a young man’s game. While we can’t pin the quote exactly (We’re pretty sure it came from Noam Chomsky), it’s a platitude we generally believe to be quite true. However, one should never operate in blanket statements as time has shown there is always at least one rogue variable amid the herd that renders such assertions invalid and — in this instance — Strung Out stands tall as a the odd number amid the aging pack.

The Southern California-based band has been kicking it around since 1989 in one form or another and — while its sound has always been a unique, melodically charged, athletic take on punk’s energy — the band has remained steadfast to the “if it ain’t broke…” school of songwriting. With its new album (and first since 2009’s Agent’s of the Underground) Transmission.Alpha.Delta, Strung Out enters a new era of survival in the vague chasm between punk, metal, and rock ‘n’ roll that it’s carved out for itself. With the new record, Strung Out also further solidifies its status as a proper institution in a turbulent genre. However, this is not to say there has been no progression for the band that was an integral of building the Fat Wreck Chords legacy — it’s simply been progress in perfecting and honing the distinct sound Strung Out has always had, a sound Transmission… proves is as potent as ever, and a sound that was intrinsically linked to the sunnier punk-rock of Southern California before making its way to our side of the country through the interpretation of Gainesville’s late ‘90s punk scene and the myriad of bands that it’s since spawned. So, if you’re really stoked on the lineup of bands playing Gainesville Fest, you really should recognize and show Strung Out some love when they come to South Florida!

Strung Out will be returning to South Florida on Friday, May 15th, to blast through West Palm Beach’s Respectable Street. The show features support from Red City Radio, a band from Oklahoma that sounds like it was imported directly from Gainesville in the ’90s in the best way possible plus La Armada and Break the Hero. RSVP
~ Von Bader