It Hurts to Be Dead returned to the stage in Wichita Falls with a gig at the Iron Horse pub that also featured three other bands — Basics and Darstar, whom we did not make it in time to see, and Ex-Regrets.
Headliners It Hurts to Be Dead never fail to impress with their refined-but-edgy punk rock, and their stage show is always lively. They treated the crowd to fan favorites from their catalog, including one of ours — Mollie Marie — and new songs they’ve been workshopping which will surely be coming to streaming before long.
We’ve said before, one of the most impressive live shows we’ve seen was It Hurts to Be Dead’s Dystopian Graffiti EP-release party, and after seeing IHTBD a half-dozen times, one of the reasons why has become clear.
The respect and energy the crowd shows to this band is rare. Few sit. Most stand, right up front, and that show of respect says something. People recognize talent, effort and dedication when they see it, and fans give their spirit back to performers that pour it out onstage. It Hurts to Be Dead draws them to the front, faces beaming, bodies moving, and hands in the air. If we haven’t said it enough, we urge music-loving people to catch It Hurts to Be Dead live every chance you get.
DFW’s Ex-Regrets made their second appearance at the Pub, featuring Zooki on vocals, Mikey Frenchtoast on guitar, bassist Dres Cifuentes, and standout drummer Stormi King.
Ex-Regrets Facebook page describes them as “the chaotic love child of Nirvana, The White Stripes and NOFX. Ex-Regrets blends RiotGrrrl, 90’s alternative, garage rock and pop punk into a raw genre-bending sound.” Based on our observations, every bit of that is true.
We were particularly impressed with Ex-Regrets’ energetic frontwoman Zooki, their attention to gang vocals, and the drumming of Stormi King. We look forward to seeing them again.
The other two bands on this bill, Basics and Darstar, are on our list of bands to capture live, and we plan to do so first chance we get.
Were you there for this show? Have you seen IHTBD and/or Ex-Regrets? Tell us about it in the comments.
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