The Briefs
Schedule
Sat Nov 09 2024 at 09:30 pm
UTC-07:00Location
2501 Kettner Blvd San Diego CA 92101 | San Diego, CA
Daniel Travanti: guitar, voxSteve E. Nix: guitar, vox
Chris Brief: drums, vox
Steve Kicks: bass, vox
Punk rockers don't age, they just get weirder, baby. Twenty years have zipped by, and The Briefs are as
frantic, energetic, and snotty as ever. Like a scud missile from outer space, the band's debut album, “Hit
After Hit,” set out to destroy the new Millennium's flaccid alt-rock scene—and, in turn—inspired two
decades of raucous radioactive fallout. Sewing together a tattered tapestry of 70s-style punk—with a nod
toward Dangerhouse Records, DEVO, Thrasher Magazine, and ABBA—these iconic bleach blonde brutes
have urged countless kids to grab a junk guitar, a pair of second-hand sunglasses, and a bottle of peroxide.
What started with four idiot savants in a downtown Seattle basement has led to a remarkable two-decade
career that has spawned some of the catchiest anti-hits this side of Y2K. Any self-respecting rocker will
argue: “Hit After Hit,” (2000); “Off the Charts,” (2003); “Sex Objects,” (2004); and “Steal Yer Heart,” (2005);
are more than essential punk classics—they're commandments, damn it. Sweat-drenched singles like
“Rotten Love,” and “Poor and Weird” may have even aided in reversing punk's once terminal diagnosis.
But how have they survived this long, this loud? A dynamic, leave-everything-on-the-stage live show paired
with relentless US and European touring has garnered the band a fierce following (although you can't spot
Briefs fan based on age, they are indeed known to harbor a certain swagger). 2008-2012 saw a much-
needed cat nap for the band, but diehard pals will tell you this was no radio silence. Guitarist Daniel
Travanti formed Sharp Objects and co-founded Modern Action Records; guitarist Steve E. Nix and bassist
Kicks formed The Cute Lepers; drummer Chris Brief formed Suspect Parts. In the end, it all came back
around to the beginning—to The Briefs.
Yeah, the songs are brief (not unlike glue-induced euphoria), but the legacy is stickier than industrial hold
hairspray. 2012-2015 brought fans a new box set of their previously released 7" singles, “Singles Only,"
(2012; Modern Action Records), as well as the Briefs fifth LP release, “Odd Numbers" (2015), a love letter
littered with studio outtakes, demos, and live recordings. The band also performed a number of U.S. West
Coast tours, completed an East Coast tour with The Damned, and shook the main stage at Punk Rock
Bowling in Las Vegas. In 2017-2018, the boys toured Europe on three separate occasions, played a set at
Rebellion Festival in the UK, and recorded "Platinum Rats,” perhaps their most vivacious and vital album to
date. 2019 once again had the boys back on the road, first with The Stitches in the USA, followed by a
slew of club and festival dates throughout Europe.
What's next? Whatever they want. A US tour alongside the legendary Dead Boys kicks off Fall 2022, with
European dates coming shortly thereafter. For the Briefs, the radiation is still in the water and - good
news for the survival of our species—the mutations are alive and kicking. – Hayley Crusher Cain
Where is it happening?
2501 Kettner Blvd San Diego CA 92101, 2501 Kettner Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101-1217, United States,San Diego, California
