Foo Fighters were joined onstage by country band The Brothers Osborne in Edmonton on Monday night to pay tribute to Tom Petty with a performance of “Breakdown”.
The Brothers Osborne wrote on Instagram, “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…. we got to jam with @foofighters tonight. Holy shit.”
The Edmonton Journal wrote about the show, “According to recent reports, Foo Fighters are ready to take a long rest after their current tour is over.
That may be so, but the alt-rock six-piece didn’t appear to be showing any signs of fatigue on Monday night at Rogers Place. Playing their second-last show on the nearly year-and-a-half-long jaunt, the Fighters actually seemed energized, slamming through an extended set that included most of the expected musical landmarks from their 25-year career.
That’s right, Foo Fighters have been around for a quarter of a century now and they’re still pumping out the number one hits that slip in so nicely on mainstream airwaves. The well of chart-topping radio-rockers is so deep for the band that they were able to kick off with two (Run and The Sky is a Neighborhood) from their latest, Concrete and Gold, grabbing immediate joyful reactions from the audience. The crowd/band love-in kept up for the entire evening as the Fighters cranked through fan-favourites from their discography like Walk, Learn to Fly, plus a few deeper cuts like a blisteringly fuzzed out take on La Dee Da.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8wC10oswKg
2018 has been one of a hell busy year for The Blankz. The year kicked off with the release of the insanely catchy and fantastic “White Baby” and now The Blankz have released their fourth 7 inch single, “(It’s a) Breakdown”. One characteristic about the modern-day punk masters is that they have an undeniable knack for crafting wicked punk songs that not only please classic punk rock fans but really put an original, fresh spin on the style of rock.
“(It’s a) Breakdown” benefits from the same wicked sharp lyric writing of front man Tommy Blank. A theme that runs throughout their recent stretch of fantastic lyrics is an undeniable serving of sardonic humor as well as inventive metaphors and brilliant runs of word play. The Blankz don’t mess around in this regard. They go for the throat and waste no time getting there.
There’s a lot to love about The Blankz but for me, I think they succeed at the highest level possible when they waste no time getting to the chorus. This band knows how to write an instantly catchy chorus. Between the sweet melodies and the awesome lyrics, it’s a win-win combination. On (It’s a) Breakdown”, the chorus attacks in at a brisk twenty seconds into the song. In the chorus, Blank asks, “Channel up or channel down? It’s a break down. Hang myself or hang around? It’s a breakdown.”
A consistent highlight to The Blankz musical onslaught is the fantastic usage of the synthesizer by Nikki Blank. The spooky synths sit high in the mix and continually add a real unexpected piece of bliss to the overall tracks. Nikki Blank never puts the throttle to the floor yet swoops in and out at the exact right moment; unselfishly pushing to serve the song rather than show off. This crucial element is The Blankz’ secret weapon.
The Golden Age of punk may be long gone but if The Blankz continue this impressive, consistent streak of great songs, you would have a hard time not believing that they’re are the leaders of the modern-day movement. Courtesy of Slope Records, “(It’s a) Breakdown” is a must listen for fans of punk and fans of The Blankz!
