This review written by DCist Contributor Jim Smalley. Photos by Katie L. Thompson.

On Tuesday night, DCist took the opportunity to catch two D.C. hardcore punk bands on the backstage at Black Cat. What ensued was one of the most intense live performances you will find in the District. Opener The A.K.s feature not one, but two throat-shredding vocalists, Alexi Petersen and Noah Foster who equally share airtime. Behind them stand Justin Parker on guitar, Nico van der Kolk on bass and Ben “Tall Guy” Richardson on drums, who were locked in tight precision all night. Hailing from Northwest D.C., the high school friends are all currently enrolled in college, and only play out on semester breaks. Still, despite the layoffs, the band has earned considerable street-cred in the DC punk scene for their explosive live show.

Petersen is a war studies major at King’s College in England, and writes most of the group’s lyrics. He explained the band’s songs are about three things: “Pirates, military history, and Redskins football.” In contrast with the academic nature of the lyrics, the music and vocals are authentic hardcore punk, including fist-pumping chorus chants, gut-rattling double kick-drumming, and plenty of throaty roars.

Home for winter break, The A.K.s unleashed a raucous set, hitting hard from the beginning with traditional opener, “Save D.C.” For most artists the stage is sacred and few dare venture off their pedestal. Not The A.K.s – audience participation and integration are a must. Petersen and Foster spent as much time in the pit as they did on stage, mixing it up with their highly-active fans without missing a single verse in spitting their growling vocals. And don’t think it was just for the boys – there were plenty of girls dishing out punishment as well.