Superchunk at the Showbox Encourages Seattleites to Pogo

The pogo is a simple dance. You basically just jump up and down. You don't have to be in rhythm, you don't have to know any fancy steps, you just have to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. It is, by far, the happiest of all the punk dances.

Last Thursday, the Showbox crowd was pogoing its heart out to the '90s punk-flavored pop of Superchunk. Touring in support of a new record and some re-releases of old classics, the fine folks of Superchunk showed that they still have as much energy as they did when they began 20 years ago. Most of the crowd appeared to overcome the natural process of aging as well, and by the end of the night, the crowd was bouncing around like giddy schoolchildren at recess.

Superchunk inspired all this delight just by being a fun band. They provided the counterpoint to Teenage Fanclub's set. Perhaps it was just the fact that it was past my bedtime, but Teenage Fanclub were boring. They seemed to suck all the energy out of the room and my lovely date for the evening was even inspired to take a little nap. Locals Telekinesis were a much better fit and would have kept us awake all evening.

As soon as Superchunk took the stage, the room woke up. Around the room, heads started popping up over the crowd like human popcorn. By the last three songs, it seemed everyone had remembered that having fun was as simple as jumping up and down. Their encore capped it off with covers of great punk songs by Government Issue and the late Jay Reatard, as well as a Magnetic Fields cover.

Despite having to get up 5 hours after the show ended, the evening was very fun to be a part of. If you're in need of a pick me up, try putting on a Superchunk song and jumping around. Invite some friends. Have a pogo party!