by John Gentile
Arriving in the early ‘90s as if they’d stepped through an ’80s haze, The Spits might be the most important thing to come out of Michigan’s “Mall City” after Glenn Miller & His Orchestra immortalized the town with 1942’s “(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo.” Their lo-fi angst propelled by the droning misuse of synthesizers, The Spits have either defied or redefined their hometown pedigree from day one, forging a reckless and unkillable career out of stripped-down punk rock snottiness.
The story goes that John Waters once introduced them — at the old Total Trash Burger Boogaloo festival in Oakland — as the best punk rock band on the planet. The raw energy and unapologetic attitude of brothers Sean and Erin Wood continues to support that claim.
After an early relocation to Seattle and the release of their debut single, “Tired and Lonely,” in 1997, The Spits became known for wild stage antics, relentless touring and fashion choices ranging from monks’ robes to Ronald Reagan masks. The Woods brothers’ commitment to high-octane live sets and a breakneck pace of studio output survives through external cultural shifts and internal lineup changes.
Sean’s drowned, almost mechanized vocals are one of the most instantly recognizable in punkdom. Imagine a cross between Canadian popsters the McRackins, the bedroom distortion of Nobunny and the punk blues fuck-all of Oblivians.
The Spits’ latest numerically self-titled LP landed in 2020 and saw a return to their roots with a potent dose of deceptively simple punk rock. In less than 20 minutes’ run time, the album reaffirms The Spits as instigators and legends. Recorded by Erik Nervous on cassette four-track, VI features ten selections like instant crowd faves “Kop Kar” and “Broken Glass” brimming with chainsaw punk riffs.
For a while now, The Spits have operated from different cities, convening for tours and splicing emailed tracks like some bastard Voltron piloted by the aforementioned Pope of Trash himself. They’re currently on the road with The Garden, another brother act embracing theater and punk synths.
The Spits and The Garden perform 7pm Friday, June 21 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. facebook.com/THESPITS ~ Abel Folgar
