Plow United, Nona, Ma Jolie and The Holy Mess @ The Barbary.

Text by Joseph Gallagher. Images by Jessica Flynn.

Three generations of punks came out to The Barbary for Plow United‘s record release show Saturday night.

The overlooked band that had its first run in the early 90s as part of the same wave of post-Year that Punk Broke pop-punk bands that also birthed Lifetime and Weston (among hundreds of others) curated the night.

Ma Jolie

Ma Jolie

Nona

It began with Ma Jolie, all big chords and shout-alongs that sometimes remind me of The Loved Ones.

Next were Nona, originally out of West Chester, now from parts all over including Philadelphia. Fittingly, they’re made up of kids who five years ago were inspired by Plow, the Chester County legends. Their music somehow finds the place where the longing poetry of Paul Westerberg and the Replacements meets the massive riffing and soloing of the Smashing Pumpkins.

The Holy Mess are likely the last bearers of classic punk attitude we have in this city. They’re a band of true weirdoes who seem equally at home in a basement or a big stage. I think they’re benefiting from the addition of Scarier Area guitarist/folk punk guy Jeff Riddle.

Since their reformation two years ago, Plow United has been quietly become the model for how to do the “reunion thing” correctly. We’ve seen hundreds of reunions over the last decade, most barely-disguised cash-ins. Plow, however, earned this after years of their records being passed around as lost classics. Marching Band, the record being celebrated last night, is a study in realism and being an aging punk guy. It amazingly has no embarrassing moments and really ably brings together the fast, screamed punk they perfected almost 20 years ago (and the wisdom earned in the interim).

Nona

The Holy Mess

The Holy Mess

The Plow United with Jeff Riddle

They played about 25 songs in 45 minutes and were done by 8:30. There was no bullshit, which is something every band young or old should take away from their performance.