Has it really been 25 years of Stardumb Records? What a run this label has had since its start in 2000! While several legendary Rotterdam venues that staged Stardumb shows (Waterfront! De Vlerk!) have long since disappeared, the label stuck around and became a constant presence—or should I say lifeline—in the pop punk scene. Cherished not just in Rotterdam but beloved globally, Stardumb’s reputation rivals Lookout! Records. They never had their Green Day moment, but they proved durable, run with heart and integrity by head honcho Stefan Tijs. In recent years he’s expanded the sonic landscape of the roster without straying too far from the blueprint. Dare I say the label has released some of its finest material in the past five years?
To mark the occasion, the label set up a celebratory festival featuring many of the fine bands and artists who’ve released music on Stardumb over the years. I immediately bought a ticket upon announcement—partly for nostalgic reasons (remember how much fun those Stardumb Rumbles of the ’00s were?), but also because the lineup was stellar, including old favorites, reunion shows, and contemporary acts I’m a huge fan of but haven’t seen live yet (The Speedways! Local Drags!).
This past Friday and Saturday I attended the sold-out festival, and honestly, I had a blast—and I wasn’t the only one. With ticket buyers from 15 countries, Kepi called it a “Rock’n’roll Summit,” which is exactly what it turned out to be. This festival reminded me how much fun it is to experience catchy rock’n’roll in a sold-out venue with likeminded souls, how the energy between band and audience can build off each other. Loads of smiles and singalongs at this fest! Here are my thoughts and experiences from the weekend.
Day 1:
Always feels good to be back in Rotterdam! Met up with my non-blogging brother Jan, got our wristbands, and picked up a cool guidebook with info, timetable, and artwork from Ox and Merel of Lone Wolf. We are right on time to see Sonic Dolls (one of the first German punk rock bands Stefan Stardumb fell for) open the festival on the main stage in Rotown—like Stardumb itself, a constant presence in Rotterdam’s underground music scene.
Introduced swiftly by Jerry Hormone after a slightly confusing audio sample from the band (I later learned it was an A.I. generated podcast-ish discussion concerning the band’s lyrics), Sonic Dolls delivered a fast old-school pop punk fest. For a band playing only occasionally, this was a fun start. Not the youngest act (probably the oldest), but their energy level was impressive. They tried to cram 30 years of being a band into one set, aided by their tight and impatient drummer whose “1,2,3,4’s” showed zero patience for pausing. They set the fest off on the right foot.
Time for the short walk to the second stage in neighboring Bar3—a smaller, more intimate space with a first-come-first-serve vibe if you want a good spot. James Sullivan kicked off my most anticipated sequence of the festival. In recent years, Sullivan performed twice in Rotterdam with More Kicks, but this was his solo debut. With two amazing records on Stardumb in the books, I was really curious about this performance. Introduced by Kepi blackmailing the audience into buying James’ music, we were off.
Sullivan played intensely while sitting on a chair. In the audience, several members of other bands (like Lanny Durbin of Local Drags) looked approvingly at a confident and gutsy set that may not have been for everyone, but solidified Sullivan’s position as my favorite outlier on the Stardumb roster. Speedways/Los Pepes drummer Kris Hood watched his former More Kicks frontman give multiple of their songs the solo treatment—his rendition of Terminal Love was truly unique and a Day 1 highlight. Sullivan is a sympathetic character whose between-song banter is often self-deprecating in a funny, endearing way, like him owing money to Stefan Stardumb for unsold records, or admitting to hurting his back picking up an amp earlier and how fitting that is at a 25 year anniversary of an indie label.
Back to Rotown for Lone Wolf, whose members have been involved in countless Stardumb releases (Bat Bites, Accelerators, The Apers, etc.). I was standing halfway back in the venue, but the catchy tunes had no problem reaching me there. Is it me, or does this band keep finding ways to sound better and tighter? Perhaps the tightest show I’ve seen from them yet. Merel and Ox’s dual vocals were on point, and Rotterdam’s own Mikey Erg—drummer Ivo Backbreaker—didn’t save any energy despite the remaining performances he had lined up for the weekend. Lone Wolf announced they have a new album coming in November. Stoked!
I skipped the final Lone Wolf song for a quick sprint to Bar3 for Local Drags backed up by Geoff Palmer and his band. Wait, what?! Four records in, I’d lost hope of ever seeing Lanny Durbin take this project on tour, so this was highly anticipated. Turns out this wasn’t just Durbin’s first European show with Local Drags—as explained by Geoff Palmer, it was his first time visiting Europe period.
Was this performance the tightest? Of course not, given the short practice time of this patched-up lineup. But it was a whole lot of fun. Local Drags’ Midwest power pop/indie rock is all about finding that perfect melody, and Durbin is a master of his craft. I got a kick out of the contrast between the extroverted Geoff Palmer selling the awesomeness of Local Drags and Durbin’s introverted, dry responses. After a cover of Whole Wide World, the band ended with the first track from the band’s 2019 debut Can Probably Wait, a song that finishes on the hopeful repetitive lyric “Shit’s Looking Up.” For a moment, the power of music as a coping mechanism for these weird dark times opened up.
Of course, a Stardumb fest without a Kepi performance would feel oh-so wrong, and his show on Rotown’s main stage was a case of knowing exactly what you’d get and still wanting more. Between songs, Kepi noted how he’s been releasing music on Stardumb for 24 years (eight times longer than their time on Lookout!, four times longer than on Asian Man).
Really, what’s more fun than watching a Kepi show with people who grew up with his tunes? This was definitely a Groovie Ghoulies greatest hits show (Carly Simon, Beast With 5 Hands, Tunnel Of Love, Chupacabra, She’s My Vampire Girl, Ghoulies are Go!, you name it). Kepi came to party and like a master of ceremonies had the room at his fingertips. Perhaps prematurely, Kepi hinted at future Stardumb celebrations (Stardumb 30? Stardumb 105?), but looking at him bouncing off the stage, I have to wonder: is this Kepi dude ageless or what?
Again, I skipped the last song to secure a good spot for The Speedways in Bar3. Arguably one of my favorite power pop bands going, yet having never seen them live, this was probably the show I looked forward to most. The contrast between the classic pop punk show of Kepi and The Speedways’ sound was palpable. They may be the most recent addition to the Stardumb roster, but they have the most classic rock’n’roll sound. Here’s a band that tries to write perfect ’70s/early ’80s power pop and pulls it off super smoothly. The songs are carved to perfection and they play like rock stars. The super sweet harmonies, the tight and always entertaining Kris Hood on drums were present of course, but what stood out most were those songs. Damn, they write good songs, don’t they? The killer Visiting Hours, the band’s debut single on Stardumb seemed to get the biggest response, and I’m rooting for more appearances from the band on the label.
Closing out the first day were the band most people think of first when thinking of Stardumb: The Apers! It had been a while since I’d seen them, and beforehand I may have decided I’d seen enough already. My bad! One second in, my lips turned upward. Another greatest hits show, with many short and fast songs leaving plenty of time for the chaotic onstage banter of Kevin Aper making fun of everyone, including himself. Boy, was the crowd there for it! Singalongs, crowd surfers—check, check. Kevin Aper must get a jolt out of how many people have parts of their headspace filled with his silly little lyrics (“Hey Jamie Oliver, I Did Exactly What You Wrote In Your Cook Book, But The Food Came Out Tasting Like Total Poo Poo, And Now My Girlfriend’s Left Me And Won’t Come Back Anymore”), kept together by the energetic drumstick beating of Ivo “in all the bands” Backbreaker, of course.
In the final part of the show, Kevin invited some past members, and the original lineup (Marien and Jerry) returning for a couple of songs was definitely a highlight, including a raucous closing cover of Bonzo Goes To Bitburg. Aper closed by stating, “We are the Apers. This was our last show. Or maybe we play again next month.” And that was that for day one!
Read our report of day 2 here.
Pingback: Festival report || Stardumb 25 (Day 2) - Add To Wantlist