Midiron Blast Shaft performs its final show

Midiron Blast Shaft has the stage presence of an angry rhino, abrasive guitar riffs and the shortest cut-off jeans ever. They are one of the most intense and entertaining bands to grace the Ottobar stage. Every time I see them on the upcoming schedule, I have to make time to catch the show. Sadly, on Oct. 19, the foursome threw in the towel and gave their last performance ever.

Jeff Brahony (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Gray (vocals, guitar), Jesse McIntyre (bass) and Phil Schorn (drums) make up the Philly-based band. While thanking all the hardcore fans who have come out to support them through their five-year span and who were there at the show, Andrew assured everyone that the four members would not stop making music. All in side projects of their own, we haven't heard the last from these boys.

I first heard of Midiron Blast Shaft when I saw them at Anti-Fest at the old Ottobar in the summer of 2001. There were many bands there that day, and most of them just seemed to run together for me; I couldn't keep track of who was who after a while. A friend of mine was excited to see a certain band from Philadelphia, but I didn't remember the name. Of course it was Midiron Blast Shaft.

I randomly walked back into the Ottobar during their set and was blown away by their intensity. I would like to try and tell you in words what it is like listening to their music, but it is virtually impossible. As the description says at Reptilian Records, "They're about as easy to pin down as a flying hornet -- and about as spastic as an enraged hive."

One could say their influences range from Minor Threat to AC/DC, but when hearing them live you find new and interesting nuances that remind you of bands like Born Against or Mule. Okay, so I guess you could put them under the huge category of punk rock, but they are many steps above your average punk band.

There are your usual screaming and inaudible lyrics, but they are combined with intricate guitar work, dynamic shifts and crazy changes in time signatures. You'll be getting into a song when suddenly there is a one second pause of complete silence and then they slam down on a new time, building back up to the first part of the song. And with two guitars, Andrew and Jeff build off each other like layers in a sweet punk rock cake.

So I guess you could link them back to the AmRep scene, label them with the emo-core groups and make comparisons to math rock, but Midiron Blast Shaft is really all on their own. The short shorts (which Jeff decided to do away with this time and perform in his underwear), the crazy hair (I only later found out all of them wore wigs), the homoerotic use of a guitar between Andrew's legs - all of these details make their shows fantastic. And their last show was even better than that.

There are some fans of the band who wouldn't miss a show for anything, but for some reason the group never really took off the way some local bands have. This was their last show ever, but they were the first band of the night and the crowd was pretty weak. Everyone there was very into the music and the band, but how much better could it have been with a packed house? But they did get an encore. How many openers ever get an encore?

After the show, while they were cleaning up, I went up to each and told them how much they kicked ass and how I was only there for them, etc. While in the bathroom, I saw Jeff getting his pants back on. I told him I was kinda bummed that it was ending, but it was a good run while it lasted. He agreed, "Yeah, that's kinda the way I feel."

So, I guess that's it. No more Blast Shaft for me or anyone. If you missed it, the boat's gone, man. Listening to their CDs is nothing like seeing them live, but if you want to check it out, go to Reptilian Records on Broadway. Their latest album is Midiron Blast Shaft Starts Fires in Your Pants. And, believe me, they do.