Yes, there is an element of humor tothe band. How could a listener not laugh at such couplets as “You might ask mewhy I’m so chubby/The answer is stupid people make me hungry,” from thewonderfully titled “Stupid People Make Me Hungry”? Yet there is also a speedand intensity to these songsin the spirit of pre-Crossover D.R.I.that elevates Party by the Slice’s material out ofthe dreaded realm of “joke” bands. Adroitly produced by Shane Hochstetler athis Howl Street RecordingsI’m surprised Hochstetler isn’t developing more of anational reputation for getting even the most basic of hardcore outfits tosound impressivethe group’s recorded output should remind hardcore punk fansthat Milwaukeeis continuing to turn out some of the best bands in the scene.
To Party by the Slice bassist JeniRudnik, the reason for the band’s success is that they understand, like manyluminaries that came before them, that hardcore should never take itself tooseriously. Black Flag had their “T.V. Party,” Born Against were known to coverthe theme to “The Jeffersons,” and Party by the Slice has “Pizza Rules.”
“We play simple, fast songs aboutthings we like or things we want to comment on,” Rudnik explains.
Such things include humorous topicslike zombie food fights along with more serious concerns regarding therelationship between countercultures and growing older.
And the members of Party by the Sliceare a bit older than your average hardcore aficionado. What is perhaps mostrefreshing about the band is that this doesn’t seem to matter. The bandcollectively scoffs at the idea that one should “grow out of” hardcore punk bya certain age.
“To me, punk and hardcore has alwaysbeen a way of channeling anger into something more positive and creative,”drummer Zachary Holochwost says. “I don’t think growing up has anything to dowith growing out of things. I’ve always loved punk and hardcore and I justdon’t see how I could ever give it up. It is who I am, even at the age of 33.”
It is inspiring to hear such an answer,and the band, through its support of the Milwaukeescene, seems intent on making sure that such a scene remains alive for thoseyet to experience the transformative power of punk rock.
But why all the love for pizza? Whenconfronted with this question, Party by the Slice guitarist Dave Rudnikresponds with the same words I once used to explain to my less enlightenedpeers the reasons I loved such “noisy” bands like Minor Threat: “If you have toask, you’ll never know.” Suddenly, it all made sense to me.
Partyby the Slice plays the Eagle’s Nest on Friday, May 14, with School Jerks,Sticks N Stones and Culo.
