Screeching Weasel + The Queers // Hobart Arts Theatre, 30 March 2025
- samuelalove219
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 2
Me and mine spent some of the best parts of the 1990s renting the Hobart American Legion for local punk shows. So when two of the biggest independent bands of that era roll into town and play the Hobart Art Theatre... well that's a can't miss. I've caught a lot of metal shows here, and I find that those bands have aged well and still put on great gigs. Could the same be said for the teeny-bopper pop-punk of my youth?
Openers Hayley and the Crushers brought fun punky power pop, with melodies shining through despite a muddy and sometimes muffled sound.
Up next were The Queers, who I probably last saw in 1997. Recent setlists suggested that Joe Queer & Co. would rip through a selection of his less-melodic, faster tunes but tonight was not that night. Instead we got some of the poppiest of mid-90s pop punk, drawing heavily from Lookout!-era albums. Nice touch to have some of Joe's friends from a side-project, the '66ers, join onstage for some doo wop backing vocals.
Unless it's been corrected, Setlists.fm leaves out the solid cover of the Ramones' "I Want You Around." The Muffs cover ("End It All") was a nice touch! RIP Kim Shattuck.
Don’t Back Down
Janelle Janelle
Burger King Queen
Definitely
Girl About Town
I Enjoy Being A Boy
Today I Fell In Love
Surf Goddess
I Think She’s Starting To Like Me
End It All
Mrs. Brown You've Got An Ugly Daughter
I Wanna Be Happy
Sidewalk Surfer Girl
I Want You Around
Fuck The World
This Place Sucks
The first three songs are up on YouTube:
And here's the full set:
Admission time: I'd never seen Screeching Weasel, in any of their formations. I got into them when they covered the first Ramones album. I saw the first Riverdales shows. But I'd never experienced Weasel live.
It was ripping set. I don't think they paused until the 9th or 10th song. And Ben was in a good mood so it was a fun show.
A fight broke out as the band launched into the penultimate “My Right.” Some bonehead hit a guy with glasses, drawing an ejection, the ire of the crowd, and a stern lecture from Mr. Weasel, who then promised a free t-shirt to the guy who got hit.
After re-playing “My Right” without incident, Ben invited up a little girl who had been bopping along all night from side stage. The toddler got a bit mic-shy but triumphantly showed off her teddy bear to the crowd, who roared in approval. "That's the real cool kid," said Ben as Weasel ripped out their final tune, "Cool Kids."
The set list was similar to the first night at Reggie's, with minor differences not reflected on what Setlist.fm has. Here's what I heard in the order I heard 'em:
I'm Gonna Strangle You
Veronica Hates Me
Dingbat
Baby Talk
Totally
Falling Apart
Leather Jacket
My Favorite Nightmare
Science Of Myth
Become What We Hate
Guestlist
Slogans
(something from his last album)
Supermarket Fantasy
Back Of Your Head
Hey Suburbia
Ashtray
My Brain Hurts
First Day Of Summer
Second Floor East
I Wrote Holden Caulfield
Encore:
Cindy's On Methadone
Acknowledge
Don't Turn Off The Lights
Totem Pole
Joanie Loves Johnny
99
I Can See Clearly Now
My Right
… take 2 cuz of fight
Cool Kids
Here's the first three songs:
I think you can find your way to the rest...
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