Arriving at Brighton’s Patterns venue and realizing I was about to witness OFF! perform in an intimate space stirred an immense excitement within me.

The opening act, Teen Mortgage, a duo hailing from Washington, D.C., took the stage amid a backdrop of loud beats. They dived straight into their repertoire of punchy one-and-a-half-minute songs, brimming with raw energy, celebrating life’s simple pleasures.

In a bold move, Teen Mortgage delivered a speech about indulging in substances at work, hinting at its perceived necessity. Positioned above and slightly outside the PA output, I could not grasp some of their words, yet their presence added a certain coherence, at least in my head. In between their set, a rallying cry of “NO TO WAR” echoed, expressing vehement stances on global issues, segueing seamlessly into their lineup.

Embracing the DIY ethos reminiscent of Ian MacKaye’s Dischord Records, Teen Mortgage forges ahead independently, without making agreements with major labels, a choice that I find particularly intriguing. Musically, their sound bears echoes of ’90s grunge fused with the fuzziness akin to Osees, layered over a foundation of noise, translating into straightforward yet forceful punk structures that often veer into hardcore territory.

They concluded their performance by stringing songs together, culminating in “Tuning In & Falling Down,” mirroring the great energy with which they started.

And then came OFF! The anticipation soared with the punk rock supergroup featuring Keith Morris, co-founded in 2009 with Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides). This was a chance to intimately experience a band touring one of the standout punk albums of 2022: the mind-expanding hardcore opus “Free LSD.” Their set juxtaposed layers of electronica against hard-hitting 90-second bursts of punk rock, diverging from the more straightforward hardcore punk, reminiscent of Morris’ earlier work with Black Flag and Circle Jerks.

While Keith engaged the audience, Dimitri conjured waves of disorienting feedback from a concealed case of pedals, adding a distinct sonic layer to their performance.

The energy radiating from Keith was palpable; his kinetic presence seemed on the brink of bouncing off the walls, fueling the electrifying impulse that drove their music. Conversely, when not weaving in feedback, Dimitri prowled the stage, embodying a hybrid of Thurston Moore and Keith Richards—a spectacle of slashing chords and swagger.

The setlist spanning almost an hour and comprising 25 songs from OFF!’s first two albums and nearly all of “Free LSD” showcased a notable evolution. Accompanying this musical shift, Keith and Dimitri enlisted a formidable new rhythm section, featuring bassist Autry Fulbright II (…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead) and drummer Justin Brown (Thundercat, Herbie Hancock).

The grand, frenzied conclusion ensued with “Darkness,” “I Don’t Belong,” and “Panic Attack,” elevating the experience to an ecstatic crescendo.

Written by Victor Velardiez