It’s summertime and along with the heat comes many local music festivals. This week the Pabst Project brought me to the Star Theater to see The Sonics, The Pierced Arrows and eyebrow raising locals Fireballs of Freedom. The ticket was a steal at ten dollars, following a trend of low-cost ticket prices at this venue.
The atmosphere at the Star Theater is quite aesthetically pleasing, apart from the unnecessarily flashy stage lighting. The staff is exceedingly friendly and helpful with knowledge of the surrounding neighborhood. The drink service was fast even at capacity; you can purchase a 16-ounce PBR or Tecate for only three dollars, so a decent buzz is easily attained on a moderate budget. There is also a wide variety of well-mixed drinks and craft brews if you have recently cashed a paycheck and are feeling fancy. When all that cheap beer catches up with you there is Mediterranean street food available out on the patio, which looks and smells delicious but there were not many veg options, so I did not partake.
As for the show, the sound could not have been better. The Sonics were dynamic and looked comfortable performing, having only gotten back together in recent years after decades of hiatus. Judging by the crowd’s reaction to the new material, I think it’s safe to say they made it all that time, with their great music sensibility still intact. The Star Theater offers many great vantage points including balcony access at no extra cost if your days of rubbing shoulders with sweaty shirtless men up front are behind you. Taking this all into account I look forward to taking in some more shows at the Star Theater, with comfort in knowing my wallet will make it out guts intact.
You can check out the Fireballs of Freedom supporting a stellar Australian garage rock act Royal Headache at Mississippi Studios on August 11th.
For information on upcoming events at the Star Theater, visit their website.
For more information on the bands, visit:
- TheSonicsBoom.com
- PiercedArrows.com
- FireballsofFreedom.bandcamp.com
Support Local Music!
-Carsten
