The Tripod

It looked like a scene from Shady Pines Nursing Home: a group of graying geriatrics poised to break a hip while they swayed along to the music. Waterobics class? No, it was the audience at Toad's Place in New Haven last Thursday night dancing to post-punk band Mission of Burma. The fans definitely gave a new meaning to the phrase: post-post-post-punk.

Back in the day (that is, 1979 to 1983), Mission of Burma was one of the top post-punk bands. Despite releasing only one full-length album (Vs.) and a smattering of single hits, Burma played with noted bands Gang of Four, Black Flag, and Sonic Youth. After a 19-year hiatus, guitarist Roger Miller, bassist Clint Conley, and drummer Peter Prescott reunited in 2002, adding Bob Weston as their sound engineer. Since then, the band has released two albums --OnoffON (2004) and The Obliterati (2006).

The show at Toad's Place began anti-climactically. After navigating the age barricade that is part of Connecticut's new drinking law and prying my shoes off the sticky floor, I settled comfortably in the under 21 area of the audience, which, given the average age of the concertgoer, was about two feet wide. The opening act, a Massachusetts musician named Chris Brokaw, was bland and unenthusiastic, and the crowd clearly was not feeling his whiny, mediocre tunes.

When Mission of Burma finally took the stage, the over-the-hill audience went mad with excitement. Age aside, Burma can still rock hard, and they kicked off the show with a song from their latest album, Obliterati, "Donna Sumeria." This was followed by "2wice," "Spider's Web," "So F*** It," and "Careening with Conviction," all of which featured screaming vocals, high-intensity drumming, and hardcore guitar and bass solos. The interaction between Miller, Conley, and Prescott is part of what makes Burma such a great band: there's an impromptu aspect to each of their performances. Both Prescott and Miller made mistakes with new songs; each blamed the other laughingly and then took another swig from their beer.

After a short break (they aren't young anymore, after all), the set continued with "This is Not a Photograph," one of only a few old songs they played. At this point, the old Burma fans in the crowd went nuts, and one much older woman in particular shook what her momma gave her ferociously.

"This is Not a Photograph" was by far the best song of the night. Though they did not play many songs, the set lasted for a long time thanks to the guitar, bass, and drum solos thrown in. Burma kept the intensity high throughout the whole performance, and they never once lagged. For the encore, they played the popular "Academy Fight Song," which was a big hit with the audience.

The show had few flaws. Toad's Place went heavy on the fog machine and the kitschy décor (like the starlight background). Burma's latest albums have been fantastic, but their old material was just as good, and they only played two songs from their pre-1983 days. Despite one desperate fan screaming "Revolver!" for a good five minutes, they did not play "That's When I Reach for My Revolver," which is one of their most famous songs.

Burma is without a doubt one of the most influential bands in the past 20 years, affecting other bands like Nirvana, R.E.M., Fugazi, and the Pixies. Conley, Miller, and Prescott share vocals and, most of the time, writing responsibility, and it's this lack of a "lead singer" that truly makes them stand out. In today's world of pseudo-pop singers and manufactured corporate bands, it is always refreshing to see a group that enjoys music solely for music's sake.

At one point in the show, Miller asked "Can you tell we like making rock music?" It's obvious they do, and they'll be remembered for a long time because of it.

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