Pissing off Scenesters Since 1995
The Avengers/Pansy Division
Maxwell’s, NJ
October 25, 2007
Last time I caught Pansy Division was at Lookout Records CMJ showcase way back in 1997. Jockcore was huge at the time, and Pansy Division had a blast plowing through a crowd of hardcore douchebags, spraying everyone with silly string while wearing womens’ underwear. It helped that they had classic songs such as “For Those About to Suck Cock, We Salute You.” While not a huge fan, I always regretted not seeing them again and actually absorbing their music, not just their homocharged stage show.
After a semi-retirement, Pansy Division are on the road in support of the legendary Avengers. The band is no longer a three piece and the songs are at the forefront of the show, even though pants were dropped by bassist Chris Freeman about halfway through the set. Songs were borrowed largely from the band’s new “Essential Collection,” which is peppered with hits from every Pansy Division record. Show stoppers included “Anthem,” “Bad Boyfriend,” and “I’m Gonna Be A Slut.” The band kicked ass through the whole show, playing for nearly an hour and switching up instruments on a couple of cuts. The crowd, consisting mostly of middle-aged men, ate up the whole set and begged for an encore.
When The Avengers hit stage, a slew of Pansy fans head off to buy merch, not realizing that what consists of The Avengers nowadays is basically one half of PD (both Luis Illades and Joel Reader are in the band). The band kicked things off with the song everyone paid to see, “We Are The One,” and then went through a by the numbers set. Singer Penelope Houston still sounds and looks great, but the band didn’t really move much during the set, and after PD’s visually draining show, The Avengers were a bit boring. Sure, they played “Desperation,” “No Martyr,” and “I Want In,” but by the time they closed with The Stone’s “Paint It Black,” most of the crowd was at the bar.