Diarrhea Planet + Western Medication + The Nude Party @ Cats Cradle – October 12th 2016

Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet are road warriors who have built a reputation for rowdy high-energy shows filled with garage rock, pop-punk, classic rock, and metal. Having released their third full length earlier this year, the more complex and sophisticated Turn to Gold, the band continued their relentless touring schedule with some new songs in their arsenal.

Featuring a drum set with a smiling devil and the phrase “Rock and roll will save you,” the six-piece Diarrhea Planet took the stage at Cat’s Cradle and immediately set about proving it to the raucous crowd by creating a noisy wall of sound crafted into raw, primal, and ultimately appealing songs. They kicked off with the swaggering instrumental, “Hard Style” from Turn to Gold. The band continued with new songs and launched into “Ain’t A Sin To Win,” followed by “Bob Dylan’s Grandma.” While the core of the setlist was centered around the new album, the band also dug into songs from across their previous albums including, “Platinum Girls,” “White Girls (Student of the Blues, Pt. 1),” and “Hammer Of The Gods.” The four guitarists ripped into each song with explosive energy, often coming to the front of the stage to deliver hook-laden power chords while leaning over and into the swirling mosh-pit of adoring fans. The sweaty and rambunctious crowd were absorbing the unbridled energy from the band on stage and amplifying it. Toward the end of the set there was even a stage dive or two, with both the crowd and band taking part.

The evening got underway with The Nude Party. Hailing from the rural mountain town of Boone North Carolina, The Nude Party played a set that mixed garage rock with surf guitar and a splash of country flavor. With tight musicianship and attitude to burn they definitely set the fun-first direction of the evening. Picking up the baton from the Nude Party was post-punk band Western Medication. Sharing the hometown of Nashville with Diarrhea Planet, Western Medication sounded like a heavier version of Wire mixed with the jangle guitar of early R.E.M. From the moment they took the stage, they were a blur of movement and energy. They took the party vibe laid out by the Nude Party and elevated it to an epic level.