The Music We Need Right Now: Bad Cop Bad Cop & Iron Roses
Alex Windsor, bassist for Bad Cop Bad Cop, being a total badass at the first show of the tour. photo by kim moenich
When Bad Cop Bad Cop announced their tour a few months back, my sweet husband, knowing my obsession with the band, immediately started trying to figure out which show we could attend. He knew we would be leaving Chicago that Monday after Riot Fest, so the next day’s show in Detroit seemed a logical choice. He bought the tickets, got a cheap flight from ORD to DTW, and we were set.
Bad Cop Bad Cop making the crowd soar. photo by kim moenich
I had run into Linh Le in Los Angeles a few weeks before the show, and we joked about my inability to say Hamtramck, the suburb of Detroit where the show was being held. But it turned out to be a great neighborhood with tons of cool restaurants and cafes near the Sanctuary, the club where the show was held. Sanctuary was everything I miss about old school shows- no barricade, they didn’t care if I brought my camera, Pride flags everywhere, and sweet staff, who were quick to joke around with you and make you feel at home.
Local Grand Rapids band, Boob Sweat (really great name, by the way) started off the evening, and man, that woman can sing! They were a super fun, straightforward punk band with incredible vocals that made you want to dance your ass off. Couldn’t find much info about them on the interwebs, but it’s pretty funny to google their band name and see what ads you get shown afterwards. I honestly could have listened to them for hours, they were so much fun, so I highly suggest you look them up. They have 6 releases available on Bandcamp, and it looks like they are getting noticed quite a bit, opening for bands like Pool Kids and Hans Gruber and the Die Hards.
While I had heard of The Iron Roses, I hate to admit that I had not delved into their music before this show. But that has most definitely changed now! Immediately after the set, I downloaded both of their albums on Bandcamp and have been listening to them nonstop ever since. This amazing six piece act from Elktown, Maryland, is fronted by Nat Gray, who you might know from BoySetsFire, but who also has an extensive back catalogue of solo albums. Combining their gorgeous voice with that of the firebrand, Becky Fontaine, The Iron Roses are a protest band to outshine all protest bands. Their songs address so many issues facing our world right now, but they manage to do in a beautifully loud, melodic yet ferocious manner that hooks you from the first chord and doesn’t let your soul go. I felt cleansed after listening to their set, and I believe they are the music the world needs right now. Nat’s honesty, both onstage and off, and the love those six people obviously have for one another and for us, make them a band you simply have to see.
Again, I was admittedly late to the party when it came to finding out about Bad Cop Bad Cop (leave me alone, I’m old and stuck in my ways!). But since discovering them during the first show of NOFX’s final tour in Austin, I have become a massive fan. (And I’ve seen them a dozen times since then, so I’m making up for missing out on them for the last decade!) Stacey, Myra, Linh, and Alex are the most talented, badass, outspoken, brilliant ladies in our scene today, and their music is amazing, too! I catch myself singing their songs when I need a reminder of why I fight the fights I fight, or when I’m feeling down about how our country is imploding. They are unapologetic in their beliefs on feminism, queer rights, immigration, abortion access, and so much more, and getting to watch them live fills me with the strength to keep fighting. I’ve always been amazed at the guts it takes for four women to stand up in a male-dominated scene and talk about menopause and access to Plan B, but these four do it with gusto. They are directly reponsible for giving me the courage to start being loud about some of the issues that are important to me as well. So it was a massive joy to get to see them in a small club like Sanctuary, where we could all hug each other and catch up, and just be ourselves. This was truly a special night, and huge shoutout to my amazing hubs for making it happen!
Make sure to check out this incredible tour and pick up “Lighten Up”, the new release from Bad Cop Bad Cop, and “Agitpop”, the new release from Iron Roses. Pick them up this Friday on Bandcamp during Bandcamp Friday and the bands get 100% of the money. You won’t be sorry!
Make sure to check out Punk Rock Saves Lives on this tour and get swabbed to join the National Bone Marrow Registry. photo by kim moenich