Titus Andronicus and Spider Bags at The Roxy: a force to be reckoned with

Last Saturday the curtain raised at The Roxy in West Hollywood and there stood Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus strumming his guitar to a slow rhythm, wearing a Titus Andronicus logo-ed shirt that consisted of an anarchy symbol. He spoke to the crowd and wanted everyone to have a good time and not ruin anyone else’s time by getting violent in a mosh pit, he said: “punk is about having an autonomous space for all to have a good time, keep it respectful and peaceful.” He went on with a slow song and then at the end, he came back on the mic and said, “Hopefully you will find this both satisfying and intriguing, let’s fuckin’ rock” and then came the hard stuff that continued all through he night,

The crowd was pretty amped, and consisted mostly of younger people in their mid 20s. Fans respected Stickles’ wishes and did not get too crazy. It did, however, erupt into a pit a couple times but it was brief. The crowd mostly stood, and proudly sang every word with the band. I did at one time see probably the best crowd surf I have ever seen, well maybe it wasn’t exactly a surf: this guy was being held up in the air by multiple people and they held him quite steady in one place for quite a good amount of time. Is was more of a crowd levitation rather than a surf. I think that was able to happen because people were not crashing into one another in a pit. Definitely a different type of punk show than what I am used to seeing.

The band played fucking great, and Patrick Stickles has some amazing energy on stage. His robust beard and wild hair definitely added to his powerful presence. Titus Andronicus ended the show with Weezer’s “Say it Ain’t So,” which was pretty awesome.

Spider Bags took the stage before Titus Andronicus. These Chapel Hill spitfires perfectly primed the energy for the evening. Frontman Dan McGee is a ferocious musician. He put everything he had into his vocals and guitar playing. The guy was literally dripping sweat all over the stage. With a captivating energy, Spider Bags could have equally been the headliner of the show. Members of Titus Andronicus also joined them to do a song together.

Two solid acts, one epic night. Check out the photos below of Titus Andronicus with Spider Bags below.

Words & Photography: Wes Marsala

TITUS ANDRONICUS