At the stroke of midnight two Saturdays ago, I turned 20 years old at hole-in-the-wall all-ages club the Smell in smoggy downtown Los Angeles. I was there to take a break from the stresses of English 102 and everyday life, but mainly to see Japanther, one of the most energetic and exciting live bands I've ever seen. What better way to celebrate the big 2-0 than to partake in one of the band's legendary sweat-drenched dance workouts?
But something just wasn't right that night at the Smell. Drummer Ian Vanek took the stage and pumped the crowd up with his usual inspirational ranting. He and bassist Matt Reilly sloppily plowed through their first couple of songs in their usual noisy style. But the crazy dynamic of their Seattle shows was missing. This show just felt tired. I ended up leaving before they finished, dejected and disappointed with the whole experience. Was the band simply having an off night? Was my enthusiasm for life already fading just an hour after bidding farewell to my teenage years?
I decided to find out by giving Japanther another go this past weekend in Seattle at the Booty Cave. I'm still not sure about the place's name, but the grimy warehouse/art studio space—reminiscent of the defunct S.S. Marie Antoinette—is a great place to see a band. With revelers milling in and out of bedsheet tepees, bands all going on way too late, and a drunk guy barfing on the floor, the show had a party vibe that was sorely missing from the L.A. show a few days prior. But when Japanther finally played at one in the morning, I realized that something else had been missing at the Smell: a crowd of friends and familiar faces bobbing up and down and chanting the words to the band's carelessly fun pop-punk anthems. No band makes me want to throw an arm around my best pals and go nuts for half an hour straight more than Japanther. After the show, sweaty and exhausted, summer never seemed so close and the city's air never felt so fresh. Sometimes it takes a vacation to remind you how good you've got it at home. 
