Fat Wreck Chords (2024)
I have never owned a Me First and the Gimme Gimmes record before this one. They have always just been one of those bands that existed, doing their cover band thing and frankly, by about 1998 or so, I was pretty content with the number of punked up cover songs out in the world. I really didn't need a whole band that played nothing but them.
What changed my mind? Well, it was the fact the the Swami himself, John Reis, joined the band for touring over the last couple of years. He's manning the guitar on this album which was recorded live at an actual quinceañera. While this record is never going to be a gateway drug to launch me into the band's entire catalog, it's a fun enough listen and it being a live album helps quite a bit - despite me not being a fan of live albums in general.
There are songs like "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Dancing Queen," which are the sort of things I expect when I think about when imagining what the Gimme Gimmes would be playing. But an unexpected highlight are the five songs sung in Spanish. Some have horns (with Jason (JC2000) Crane on trumpet) and a more dynamic approach to the songs. I dig those, they're genuinely fine. As a frontman, Spike has a really good, self deprecating/self aggrandizing schtick that makes for some fun banter.
Swami on guitar is fun. I'm not used to hearing him in the Fat Wreck style, but he pulls it off effortlessly and you can here his influence on the guitar sound in places. But this band isn't really a showcase for John. It's a showcase for Spike, a showcase for a band having fun and hopefully a showcase for Madison having a great quinceañera.
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – ¡Blow It…At Madison's Quinceañera! :
https://gimmegimmes.bandcamp.com/album/blow-it-at-madisons-quincea-era
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