The Whigs’ Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip was recorded in an old mansion in downtown Athens, GA in the sweltering heat of summer, sans air conditioning. The house dates back 170 years, and you can bet if those sessions sounded anything like last night’s blistering set at the Rock and Roll Hotel, they probably shook the Confederate ghosts right out of the rafters.

A modest crowd, full of long-time fans, was treated to 45 minutes of no reprieve rock and roll, beginning with “Violet Furs." While Julian Dorio (a newly-minted Esky winner) covered the radio-ready tune in hi-hat wash, the turn from the album’s clean, mid-tempo version to the thrashing, howling live take wasn’t just jarring – it was a statement of intent. The band kept on with “O.K., Alright,” riding a jaunty little verse riff and cyclical overdrive bass through the bridge. Almost every song was a faster, more manic spin on the recorded version. The sweet, yearning “Written Invitation” recalled early My Morning Jacket, but with a little punk edge.

The show’s most arresting moment – a difficult competition in itself – came on “Half the World Away,” as guitarist Parker Gispert switched to keys. His harpsi-board intro borrowed from "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" in the most Beatlesque moment of the night, and the song built up gradually, methodically, before giving way to a searing guitar solo, this time from bassist Sam Gunn, taking over guitar duties for a song.

But everything aside, single “Technology” was still the most fun. The verses were pure Replacements – bash-and-pop and all that – the chorus rolled off Gispert’s tongue, and Dorio smashed away with boundless energy. It was almost a guilty pleasure to hear a band take a pop song and obliterate it, howling the words and filling the bridges with feedback and cymbal crashes. And that’s pretty much what the Whigs bring to the table – meat and potatoes songwriting played with consummate flair and impressive intensity. Which is the longwinded way of saying “kick ass rock and roll.”

Photo by Mark Edward from the band's MySpace page.