Let's not pretend that a straight punch to the crotch sounds appealing.  In fact, I can think of little else less enticing.  That said, when first I learned of the band whose show I would be attending, I resigned myself to an aural assault by screaming, off-pitch "vocalists" and over zealous guitarists.  If we have heard it once, we have heard it a million times: do not judge a book by its cover.  Straight Punch to the Crotch transcended its ominous name and delivered, on every level, a very pleasant experience.

First and foremost: bravo to Aly Buchanan, Straight Punch's resident horn player.  Never was a group of instruments so underrated.  In this, the day of drum machines and studio magic, we tend sometimes to forget the inestimable value of more "traditional" musical elements, i.e. horns.  Straight Punch to the Crotch embraces rock, soul, funk, and yes, even Irish sensibilities, and Buchanan plays a significant role in formulating the band's unique sound.  Buchanan displays solid technical ability, but her charm lies more in the personality she injects into each song.  A horn player decorates music like no one else can, and Buchanan proves no exception.

Secondly, whoever opted to utilize backup singers deserves a big "Thank you!"  Their inclusion alone augmented the band's already full sound, but I wish they had asserted themselves more.  We may call them backup singers for a reason, but the two women can afford to make their presence a little more known.  When they did surface, however, they completed a song's vocals.  While listening to the radio, I often find myself pining after a simple harmony - I'd settle for some "ooos" and "aaas."  I encourage the two women to amp up their volume, but that aside, Straight Punch left me more satiated than most modern music.

Despite periodic vocal timidity, at no moment did the band fail to perform.  Nothing kills a live show more than anti-social musicians, and nothing makes ticket buyers feel more as though they have wasted their money.  Straight Punch engaged its audience and the audience responded in kind.  The lead vocalist's zeal did not waver song after song, and the rest of the band kept pace with its front man.  Great performers carry on a conversation with the crowd, and Straight Punch has mastered the communicative give and take that lends itself to a successful performance.  Furthermore, they danced!  No one on that stage displayed a shred of self-consciousness or hesitation, and such infectious confidence further fueled the enthusiastic crowed. 

You know you have impacted a local scene when more than three people in the audience know the words to your songs.  The band may not have drawn quite so large a crowd as the headliners, Kings of Belmont, but the audience in attendance seemed genuinely loyal and supportive.  A Straight Punch virgin myself, I nevertheless felt strongly as if I had stumbled into a large, somewhat drunk family.  I still puzzle over how these 50+ people all seemed to know, and in fact, be friends with, one another.  Whether there is any truth to that statement, the fact remains that for every band member there were five audience members who knew his/her name.  One cannot put a price tag on fans like this.  If Straight Punch can stand out in Charlottesville where you cannot walk down the street without tripping over another local artist, its future may be very bright indeed. 

Straight Punch to the Crotch's official website

Straight Punch to the Crotch on MySpace

By Author: Devon Spencer

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