Sunday Sept 29

TEAM DRESCH

DES ARK

PRINCESS

$15 / Doors at 7:30

Combining the brazenness of Riot Grrrl with the angst dirge of grunge, Team Dresch didn't just raise the stakes of queercore: They created two near-perfect albums about longing, freedom, and belonging over guitar riffs as epic and intense as Jody Bleyle and Kaia Wilson's poetic couplets. On their 1995 debut, Personal Best, they rage against the Christian right and small towns, then kiss their girlfriends on the mouth. Donna Dresch, Bleyle, and Wilson play ferocious, intricate riffs fast while Marcéo Martinez hits the drums hard. To paraphrase their own song, they are amazing; their words save us.
It's been 19 years since Team Dresch has released new material - and 25 years since the making of Personal Best, when this particular configuration of players (Jody Bleyle, Donna Dresch, Kaia Wilson and Marcéo Martinez) recorded together - and the band sounds as vital as ever.
With the release of Your Hands My Pockets Donna Dresch, in her typical Team Captain spirit, busts out riffs that are rife with her awesome signature grunge/punk/melodic catchiness, Jody and Kaia trade off on vocal duties like they're in some frantic singing relay race, and Marcéo slams the toms around like he learned to drum from both Mel Brown and bam-bam (please note, Marcéo actually took drum lessons from Mel Brown in the 80's). While "Your Hands" is an undeniable pop/punk song, it is also brimming with bristle and depth, conjuring feelings of longing, angst, desire. When Jody sings "Oh I wanna want to be wrapped around, to wrap around" there is NO ONE who can't relate to this feeling of reaching out to one another for connection, touch, and love.
Team Dresch KEEPS IT REAL (gay) with their harmonious musical chemistry, queercore spirit, and attention to detail in their musicianship - the alchemy of these humans is clearly still alive and dancing, you know it baby.