Alice Donut/Victims Family @ Brooklyn Monarch, Brooklyn, NY 4/25/25

 


Bill: Alice Donut/Victims Family/Nasalrod

Venue: Brooklyn Monarch, Brooklyn, NY

Date: Fri 4/25/25

Door: $43.50 via Dice 

8:45pm Alice Donut



Active: 1986 (New York, NY)

Latest Release: Poof (MVD, 2013)

Bandcamp Facebook  Setlist Discogs AllMusic Wiki YouTube

7:45pm Victims Family



Active: 1984 (Santa Rosa, CA)

Latest Release: (split with Nasalrod) In The Modern Meatspace (Nadine, 2024)

Bandcamp Facebook Instagram Setlist Discogs AllMusic Wiki YouTube

Missed: Naselrod

The long-awaited pair of reunion shows for Alice Donut are underway.  Last night was night one, tonight continues at Brooklyn Monarch with Very Pleasant Neighbor and Babe The Blue Ox opening.  These shows were originally scheduled at Brooklyn Made but there was a bit of fast shuffling rebooking the show when that club suddenly closed several weeks ago.  Miraculously they were able to get the same date with people flying in from all over the place.  The last time I saw Alice Donut was in the 90's sometime at CBGB's so it's been a while.  

Fellow era specific Alternative Tentacles alum Victims Family were on tour with Naselrod from Portland, OR and have a split album with them.  Unfortunately, Naselrod were on at 7 sharp and we were dawdling around the corner at Anchored Inn, so by the time we got in Victims Family were on the stage and this was before 8.  I didn't know their singer was twin brother of old friend Jonny Couch so I'll have to see them next time around.

Victims Family I never saw before, and it seems like they haven't been on tour in a while.  Maybe since the 90's as well since 1994 at CBGB's is the last date in setlist (although those level bands are often incomplete for clubs going that far back unless someone is sitting there typing in an itinerary from days of yore).  I had a fuzzy recollection of their records from back then, but it was good to finally see them.  It's a very specific brand of art-punk they do veering on heavy prog or Zappa or maybe even an early precursor to Primus except more guitar and less funk.  Definitely closer to SST than 80's/90's frat prog.

Alice Donut were weird to witness this time around since I've been seeing 3/5 of their band in Mustafina in recent years on a regular basis.  Now the faces are more familiar outside of Alice Donut.  My mental memory of them from way back was replaced a few decades on.  Chet made several guest appearances walking on stage.  I remembered the CB's show being a bit more rambunctious, but this was definitely a reunion show for the grays.  Considering this was a band I heard for a decade only a record before seeing, then finally seeing before knowing anybody by face, then several decades go by. Having had recent years seeing a majority of the players outside of the context of the band, it was a bit of a mind meld.  They sound good though!  They said it themselves; the prior bands were so tight they could crack walnuts in their butt.  Alice Donut were much looser given the situation, but they could take more walnuts in.  

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

Mustafina @ Sleepwalk, Brooklyn, NY 10/25/24

Mustafina @ Main Drag, Brooklyn, NY 10/5/24

Mustafina @ The Meadows, Brooklyn, NY 9/12/24
















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