Music

REVIEW: Chixdiggit! with Kepi Electric at Sneaky Dee's

by Keith Carman

It’s not D.O.A. It’s not Subhumans and it certainly isn’t Forgotten Rebels. If ever Canada had an answer to the primal, pelvic and pleasurable essence of punk rock progenitors The Ramones, it has to be Calgary, Albera’s Chixdiggit!

Yes, that’s a mighty statement. Still, the ample audience in attendance at Toronto’s illustrious Sneaky Dee’s on this particular evening entirely understand. While coming to the table some 15 years later than the rest of the amazing aforementioned brethren, it’s upon seeing Chix well into their 20th anniversary tour that we lucky, lucky Canucks can realize just how, well, lucky we are to still boast something as engaging, enthusiastic and enviably fiery as these four fur balls.

Opening the night with side-venture Kepi Electric, a band comprised of all Chixdiggit! members yet seeing namesake bassist Kepi and vocalist/guitarist KJ Jansen switch leadership roles, things were off to a fun start. Brimming with excited happiness fuelled by Attention Deficit Disorder, the lanky four-stringer gushed about Canada, professed his love for Toronto and shared hilarious quips on his life between short bursts of pop-infused punk tracks worthy of any album the succeeding band has issued in their two-decade career.

Maintaining that same level of hilarity, excitement and warmth, as the band strolled back out after a brief pause, Jansen stepped into his traditional role as Master of Ceremonies. Urging us to do everything from applaud their merch man’s virginity to boo them for signing with Sub Pop in the 1990s before wising up and moving over to Fat Wreck Chords, Chixdiggit! was simply hilarious.

Not to mention tight. Despite admissions of not practising for some five years, they managed to pull off tracks from every one of their releases seamlessly and powerfully. Jansen’s suffering throat that seemed to plague him for the set’s duration was all together ignored as the crowd bounced, bandied and screamed along to favourites such as “My Restaurant,” “(I Feel Like) Jerry Cheevers,” “Chupacabras,” “Miso Ramen,” “Geocities Kitty” and “Henry Rollins Is No Fun.” If it was called out, it was played…perfectly. And that’s despite getting so wasted they could barely speak.

Fun, inspiring, welcoming, hilarious and blasting out some enduring pop/punk that got even the toughest of wallflowers hopping, Chixdiggit! proved that while clearly behind the initial wave of punk rock, they’re legends in their own time. So yes, if the Great White North is lucky enough to have its own version of The Ramones, look westward.

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Photo by Heather Ostrander/AUX