Additional commentary on the state of the pit provided by Valerie Paschall.
“You should all be proud of yourselves,” mumbled a triumphant but visibly exhausted Rick Froberg following Hot Snakes’ blistering set at the Rock and Roll Hotel Friday night. In a city with an unshakable connection to standing still, the D.C. crowd bucked its own reputation and provided a feisty, sweaty rejoinder to the band’s impeccably sturdy punk rock and roll.
By the second song, “Gar Forgets His Insulin,” I’ve already received high-fives from two people I know…and three people that I don’t know. Not only is this crowd doing the opposite of the standing still, they’re actually singing.
Hot Snakes began in 1999 as a diversion, but their pedigree belied greatness; the band includes members of post-punk legends Drive Like Jehu and the impossible to describe Rocket From the Crypt. After three full-length albums in six years, the Snakes quietly disbanded in 2005, but their legend steadily grew. Following the split Froberg took his deadpan bark to Obits, while guitarist Jon Reis formed the more melodically inclined Night Marchers. Back in 2010, both bands played a show together at the Casbah that led to a brief spontaneous reunion. Since then, Hot Snakes has resurfaced occasionally, with Friday’s show being its first visit to Washington on its current victory lap.
The Suicide Invoice-era songs end and suddenly there’s less singing and more jumping. I’m decidedly glued to the back of the guy in front of me with this paste of sweat and at least the stage diver had the decency to land on my temple instead of directly on top of my head. I still sort of hate you, dude. A friend grabs me on the arm and shouts “KREATIVE KONTROL! KREATIVE KONTROL!” in my face before suggesting that I stage dive as well. I passed. Beer splashes on the back of my head. Punk rock is alive.
The band’s trip to D.C. came on the heels of the first oppressive heat wave of the season, making the sold out Rock and Roll Hotel feel like the city’s dingiest sauna. The moment the Snakes took to the stage however, they whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and the once slouching mass of bodies immediately began to thrash about. The 60-minute set included standouts from all three of its albums including “Suicide Invoice,” “LAX” and “If Credit’s What Matters I’ll Take Credit”.
By the time they closed with “Plenty for All,̶–an undeniable pop gem buried at the end of 2004’s Audit in Progress–a band known for its pummeling guitars and menacing lyrics revealed in the crowd’s unrelenting enthusiasm, guitarist John Reis and bassist Gar Wood wearing undeniable smiles. It was a startling rebirth for a band who may not have realized just how badly they were missed but the packed crowd was more than happy to remind them.
Two concertgoers grab mic stands from the stage to lead pre-encore chants of “Hot Snakes! Hot Snakes!” That’s right, we were cheering for their inevitable return to the stage on their own mics. A well-deserved rarity.
