1 A Night at the Funhouse with Warning:Danger!

I just want to premise this post by first letting the cat out of the bag so to speak about one of Seattle’s best kept secrets. Spoiler Alert! WARNING: DANGER! friggin kicks ass! They rule! Go see them live ASAP! The band not only brings an entertaining and amusing shtick and stage show to the table, but also a scathing display of pure punk rock as well. You will not only walk away from their show overcome with joy, but you will thank me by throwing money at my feet, which I will then turn around and give to Warning:Danger!, so that they will go make another record. Thank You.

From my experiences, you can always expect a few sure things when taking in a show at the Funhouse. 1. There will always be plenty of frosty cold Olympia cans available for consumption. 2. You will encounter some of the more “interesting” people in Seattle. 3. The restrooms are more disgusting than many of the restrooms you’ll encounter in India (from my friend Jerry, who just spent over a month in India). 4. You will see some of the best local DIY punk/noise/metal bands the city has to offer, and once in awhile somebody like Destroyer 666 will make an appearance. (It was back in 2006, and was pure destruction).

All 4 of the sure things were true down at the Funhouse last Saturday while a pretty descent crowd turned out for the “Blood on the Flat Track: The Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls” documentary soundtrack release party. “Blood on the Flat Track” is a new documentary featuring the all-female roller derby league which has taken the city by storm in recent years, and the soundtrack is ripe with killer bands such as the A Frames, The Gloryholes and the one and only Warning:Danger!

The Gloryholes were not only celebrating the soundtrack release but also a recent reunion. Formed in 2000, and now revamped in 2009, their first reunion gig went off without a hitch as the band ripped through one tight hard driving punk rock song after another. Frontman Doug White was a ball of energy, and it was obvious why he might have the reputation for giving himself concussions during shows. He seemed more comfortable bashing it out in the crowd than staying up on stage.

The stage was primed with caution tape, warning signs, safety cones meaning the time had come for Warning:Danger! The self described bastard offspring of Black Flag and the Dead Milkman took the stage dressed in their usual safety stage attire including bright yellow reflective safety jackets and hard hats. Fronted by creative and driving force Mark Ostler, who for half the set was fitted with a giant cardboard cutout “Big” era Tom Hanks face, W:D! unleashed an onslaught of concise hardcore punk ditties about some of life’s most treacherous and lurking dangers such as Killer Bees, STD’s, Avalanches, Bills!, Godzilla, and Scissors just to name a few.

As Mark, James, Mike, and Eric honed in, the crowd got rowdy. Soon bodies were on the ground helping to mop up the inch of spilled beer on the floor. For a time it was madness as those “interesting” people I mentioned earlier lurked their way to the front. One particular oddball even jumped onstage unannounced for a seductive striptease. This was the same bare-chested guy who came out that night wearing leopard print skin tight pants, and had black ovals for pupils.

Warning:Danger! left everything they had on the stage, and convincingly spread their message of awareness and safety while simultaneously winning over quite a few very happy and quite sloshed people in the process.

I had no idea how bad I needed a trip to Seattle’s premier punk rock club until I indulged in the acquired tastes that make up a night at the Funhouse. The perfect combination of punk rock, frosty cold Olympia, and restrooms flooded with piss made me wish I ventured to the Funhouse more often.

Go see Warning:Danger!

Live Review by Nik (SRG)