JOEL GEHRINGER / GZO | Posted: Thursday, June 29, 2006 7:00 pm
For seven years Wasteoid has quietly observed the Lincoln music scene.
Er, well, maybe not quietly, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
They’ve seen bands rise to popularity on the shoulders of indie rock bandwagoners, then disappear almost as quickly.
All the while, Wasteoid has retained an underground status, playing for a steady crowd of diehards who’ve acquired a taste for the band’s vicious, frantic speed.
Well, Wasteoid is getting its due.
The band should get extra attention Friday night when it plays Knickerbockers with the popular bands The Show is the Rainbow and Vvervvolf GrehV, the solo project of the Faint’s guitarist, Dapose.
Wasteoid members aren’t bitter about their underworld status or the lack of respect they seem to get from music elitists. They know their brand of music — they call it “no coast power violence” — will never be the most accepted of styles. It’s gritty, it’s loud and it’s sometimes downright scary.
But they’re content with who they are, and they knew when putting the band together what they’d be getting themselves into.
“It seems like some people don’t want to take you seriously,” said Wasteoid drummer Raws, “but we are serious about it.”
The three members of Wasteoid prefer their chosen names — Raws, bassist Jeff Metal and guitarist Cooter (a blatant “Dukes of Hazzard” homage). It’s fitting for a band out to shock and awe while displaying its technical prowess.
“When we started, we just wanted a band that would be really tight and scary,” Raws said. “A lot of people can confuse our sound with just basic noise, even though there’s an order there.”
Raws said Wasteoid’s music might sound simple, but those willing to listen will hear perfection in the insanity.
“The style we play isn’t the easiest,” Raws said. “We really have to keep our stamina, make sure we’re really tight and make sure we make songs that are interesting to people.”
The band’s been on five national tours and has been a mainstay of Lincoln’s hardcore community. Even so, an unsuspecting audience occasionally gets assaulted by Wasteoid’s abrasive thrashing.
“Those are the kind of shows you want to play and freak people out,” Raws said. “There’s always the thrill of people having their jaw dropped. But there’s a good feeling you get from people who really want to see you, too.”
Raws said this weekend’s show will be just like that — a mixed audience of new, fresh ears and a diehard audience of seasoned fans.
“We’re just glad there’s a variety of bands coming where all different kinds of people are going to show up for this,” he said.
Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.
If you go
What: Wasteoid, The Show is the Rainbow, Vvervvolf Grehv
Where: Knickerbockers, 901 O St.
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Admission: $5, all ages