The Touchdowns
Grand Emporium
April 5th, 1999

Review by Aaron Weber

I was nowhere in the remote vicinity of cool in high school. Had my adolescent fantasies somehow sprung to life, I would have alternately been a telekinetic ninja superhero or a kick-ass guitarist in a super-cool band. (Remember that I was heavily influenced by comics.) So I'm fairly certain that a good deal of the Touchdowns' appeal lies in the fact that they have the sheer gall to get up and rock at the tender age of sixteen. While a few of my friends were indeed rocking out at that age, not many of them can say they played to packed crowds at the Bottleneck and the Grand Emporium.

Choice gigs with high-profile bands don't come easily to the Touchdowns just because they have the gimmick factor of being high school sophomores. This trio ROCKS. Drummer/singer Ryan pounds out the beat while guitarist Chris displays all the qualities of a soon-to-be guitar god. Dillon does an admirable job holding down the bass line, playing the musical straight man to Chris and Ryan's antics. From a purely stage presence point of view, these guys are in line with Danger Bob and Ultimate Fakebook for sheer enthusiasm and sincerity. (Yes, I know sincere is not often ascribed to DB, but they're very sincere smart-asses.) That fact alone elevates these Iola, KS boys to level beyond their age and experience.

Musically they are reminiscent of early Frogpond with simple, but catchy guitar lines, and fast, driving choruses. Ryan's lyrics combine a class clown's eye for parody with some very poignant and biting views on the high school experience as well as the general comings and goings of small town life. While this trio doesn't light any fires as technical musicians, their potential is as obvious as their sheer joy of playing.

Monday night's set consisted of the bulk of their debut EP, Rookie Phenom with some new songs from their still-untitled forthcoming release. Semi-nonsensical songs like "Lemon Station" and "Fire in the Hole" kept the night at an even rock pace, with the big singalong numbers like "Rocky 15" and "Drunk & Loaded" kept the crowd alternately laughing and cheering along. Ryan got my complete admiration with their last number, a Beastie Boys style rock/rap number that pushed the limits as to what a drummer should be able to accomplish when both rapping and drumming. The crowd favorite though, had to be their stripped down tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and "Crazy Train". Even as a simple rock trio, these boys showed the faith with the maniacal laugh opening, along with the "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah" which faded out by means of Ryan moving back from the mic. Chris's inspired noodling during the guitar solo whilst atop a mini-riser certainly proved to me that this is a band with great, great things in it's future. Funny and slightly naughty fine rock things from which we can only benefit.

--Aaron Weber