Bad Cop / Bad Cop “Lighten Up” Tour
Stacey Dee and Linh Le of Bad Cop / Bad Cop - All photos by Paul Holstein
The day before the show, I was reviewing the new Bad Cop / Bad Cop release and was watching their string of new videos. They are on Fat Wreck Chords, which is a major label for a punk rock band, so the expectations were high. I was definitely not disappointed. I was, however, excited that a band this good is still touring punk rock dive bars (kudos to them). I love the new album and was glad to get familiar with the songs before the show. I'd also never seen The Iron Roses or Boob Sweat, so this was a show that was worth going out to on a Tuesday night.
Boob Sweat—All photos by Paul Holstein
I was pushing it with the time, expecting to show up during Boob Sweat's set, but ended up with time to spare. Boob Sweat is from Grand Rapids, MI, a few hours away, but is still technically considered a local band. Singer Kate Zacharias did a few bars from the "Frosty the Snowman" chorus ("Thumpety-Thump-Thump") during the soundcheck, and that was enough to show off her exceptional singing voice. They did a cover of Chappell Roan's "Good Luck Babe" (I had to ask a young kid in the front row, who was singing along with the band, who sang the original), but also plenty of originals that picked up the speed and were legitimately punk songs.
The Iron Roses are a 6-piece band with two singers and two guitar players, along with bass and drums. They share members with local band Mustard Plug as well as Boysetsfire. I was familiar with a couple of their songs ("Screaming For A Change" and "Class War"), which were both included in their 9-song set. They put on an energetic show with plenty of crowd participation and were genuinely having fun.
Rob Rushing from Punk Rock Saves Lives—All photos by Paul Holstein
Michigan has its own chapter of Punk Rock Save Lives, but for this show, we got Rob Rushing himself (the national chapter is following the Bad Cop / Bad Cop tour). I've run into Rob a few times (Punk In The Park, Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival, etc.), and he's one of the best human beings you will ever meet. If you run into him or anyone from Punk Rock Saves Lives, GET SWABBED!
There were other notable photographers at this show (Chris Sherburt Smith, who toured with NOFX on their final tour, and Kim Moenich, who also writes for In-Spite Magazine). If you are a Bad Cop / Bad Cop fan, make sure to also check their socials for additional photos and anecdotes. I also spotted members of several local bands, including The Suicide Machines.
Bad Cop / Bad Cop jumped right into their set with a pair of songs from the new album "All Together Now" and "Strugglinh." This was the first show of their tour, and while the venue wasn't technically packed, both the band and the crowd were full of energy. Their set included the classics "Pursuit of Liberty" and "Womanarchist," and they came back out at the end for an encore with "Las Ventanas." Another great night at Sanctuary Detroit.
