The Brat: Live In Los Angeles

  • Marcus Solomon posted
  • Reviews
The Brat

The Brat / Dead Senses

The Offbeat, Los Angeles, CA - 22nd November 2024

It was a dream come true, and the event lived up to my expectations and more. The Brat, the East Los Angeles Mexican punk rock band from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s that almost made it big. From playing backyard shows and hard-to-find small gigs in LA, to getting regular radio play, touring with Adam Ant and REM, to…..nothing. The band suddenly disappeared and I was sorry I never got to see them play live. Then it happened! This show was announced on Facebook and I was determined not to miss it. It is a good thing I left early because the show started early, and a lot of people missed out. I secured the sweet spot, and spent most of the set directly in front of original lead guitarist Rudy Medina and vocalist Teresa Covarrubias (except for when I went to the rear of the stage to get the two awesome shots you will see in this show review.) The venue was small and it was packed. I thought the crowd would be older, but it was most people seemed to be in their 20s. We, the ones who knew, were there for the first show by The Brat in 25 years! 

The Brat

I got there with my ever-present best friend Cathy at about 8:00, but two bands had already played so I missed Red Rot and The Littlest Viking. Sorry. The show was on a Sunday night, and started super early. My friend Daisy said it was scheduled on “Old people time.” I walked in just as Dead Senses took the small stage in the narrow bar venue. These three guys rang the bell in my noggin in a weird way. It took me a couple of songs to figure out what was going on there. Music is always impossible to accurately describe, but I will make yet another attempt and say Dead Senses is “Echo Thrash with Melodic Interludes” and some rather annoying static/computer sounds between the songs. When bass player and vocalist Michael turns that down, he engages in amusing stream-of-consciousness banter about random subjects that may or may not be related to the subject matter of the songs. I have no idea, because I could not tell what he was yelling about. One song that stood out was called “It Only Gets Worse” which is apparently about existence. I liked that. I usually hate people who scream instead of sing, but this guy is pretty good at yelling and it fits right in with the structured cacophony that is Dead Senses. You might like it, so check it out. This sound is not really my thing, but I was able to lose myself for a while in the sonic whirlwind of mantric clamor. 

Dead Senses

After Dead Senses left the tiny stage, I got my spot right in front of where Rudy would be playing, just to the left of where Teresa would be singing, with Cathy firmly anchored next to me on my left. Looking around, I thought it seemed kind of weird that the show was in such a small place. I thought The Brat would play a larger venue, but then again, I was revisiting 40-year-old memories. The narrow room filled up quickly with people crowding up to the front, and soon the band members came into the room. They were greeted with enthusiastic cheers and applause. Rudy and Teresa are the only original members, and just as I do, they looked the same, but older. The other band members are George Garcia on bass, Steve Sarimento on rhythm guitar, and Reyes Perez on drums. They are excellent musicians who play like they have been in the band all along. Rudy had several set lists in his hand and as he searched for places to put them, I jokingly held out my hand. He looked at me and said: “You can have one if I have enough.” He silently decided there were enough and he put one into my hand. Score! I felt like a kid who got a present he did not expect. I thought about how lucky I was to finally be seeing one of my all-time favorite bands for the first time even though I never thought that would happen. The few moments of anticipation just before the band played was sweet.

The Brat

The first song was the KROQ radio favorite “Starry Night” was first, and I got chills up my spine when Rudy played the first chord. Teresa’s voice sounded great. It has seasoned a bit, and that is to be expected after 40 years. Honestly, she now sounds like she is 25-years-old instead of 16 like she did back in the ‘80s. When the song was over, Teresa said to Rudy: “I cannot hear myself, just like the old days.” Another early ‘80s radio hit, “Attitude” was next, and the screams from the audience were deafening. Really…they were so loud, I could feel my inner ears vibrating without sound for a few seconds. As the audience loudly sang along, I could feel the weight of everyone pushing against my back as I steadied myself by placing one foot forward onto the low stage. Then, Teresa’s microphone went out and she laughingly said: “This is also just like the old days.” After that unplanned intermission came the 55 second thrash classic “High School“. The crowd behind me started slamming and I laughed as I bobbed back and forth pushing against them with my back as they occasionally lurched me forward. I sang along loudly with the lyric: “Didn’t learn a god damned thing/ Didn’t buy that fucking ring!” I think everyone else did too. Then came “Dirty Work,” a slower than usual number with ominous tone about the scourge of fascism. I thought about the orange American fascist that recently got elected and wondered what the future will bring.

The Brat

In keeping with the painful subject matter but ripping tunes was the epic “The Wolf (and the Lamb)“, this socially critical tune is about the hypocrisy of American Democracy with allusions to institutional racism, written long before right-wing boneheads had ever heard of Critical Race Theory. It is a sad subject, but it sounds so good. The wolf is the government and we are the lamb you know. Just like Bad Religion, The Brat addresses uncomfortable issues in a way that sounds good and makes you want to dance. Like all good things, the night was moving along too quickly. It would be wrong to say the show winded down, because the energy level remained high throughout. The last three ripping tunes were the reggae-ish “Swift Moves,” the anthemic “Pledge of Allegiance,” and it all came to a satisfying end with “The Cry.” No encore. Bummer. Even so, the whole show felt like an encore to me. 

The Brat

Afterward, I watched people line up to talk to Teresa. It reminded me of kids waiting in line to talk to Santa Claus. She took the time to speak to each person with attention and sincerity. I smiled as I watched people take fan photos of themselves with her. After about half an hour, they were all done and Cathy and I took the opportunity to do the same. I am so grateful The Brat got back together again. I hope they keep playing for a while. The band played again on December 1st with The Zeros ’77 and The Avengers at the Lodge Room in Highland Park, so watch for that show review soon. I am also trying to organize an interview with Rudy and Teresa so watch for that sometime in the future.

The Brat

(Interesting side note: After the show, I asked Reyes how he came to play drums in The Brat. He told me he was playing drums in Rudy’s solo music project, and one day, Rudy handed him a paper and said; “Here. Learn these songs.” That is how Reyes found out he was the drummer for the reformed The Brat.)