On the Road Again
Live Reviews:

The Queers
August 14, 1998
The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON

An overly pissed off singer who only broke into a smile when the roadie closed the set with Louie Louie, half a dozen or so punks with their squeegees (de rigeur for Toronto Punks these days) and 250 kids having a good time. A Queers show all the way. In just under an hour the Queers steam-rolled through 25 songs even taking time to acknowledge their obvious influences. Besides the aforementioned self-indulgent roadie-spotlighting Kingsmen cover the Queers banged out a version of The Who's The Kids Are Alright and opened the show with the Ramones' Rockaway Beach. The only thing missing was 1-2-3-4. While having a fairly decent following in pockets of North America they seem to have missed the Punk Rock gravy train (being ridden by Offspring, Rancid, Blink 182 amongst others). Maybe singer Joe (King) Queer should quit with the sneering whenever the mosh pit gets within twelve feet of the microphone and start putting on shows like former label-mates Screaching Weasel, Green Day and the Mr T Experience and they will get the respect this fine band deserves. They have the songs, the base of fans and seem to have the credibility, maybe a high-profile tour will do it for them. The Queers brand of punk rock is but a shoestring on Green Day's guccis.