Home Run to Leftfield
Under Culture played a hellacious set Saturday night, July 23 at the gritty/wonderful Leftfield on Ludlow Street. Downstairs at Leftfield is a rocker's paradise- sweaty hot in the summer, no frills and no elevated stage. There are no barriers between you and your fans, and you can feed off their excitement or wilt from their lack of expression. Luckily for Under Culture and its fans, the former was the case Saturday night. Rocking, dancing, bouncing and cheering, Under Culture's fans were sucking up the setting and the show being put on by the boys. Mike Turk was 60 Minute Mike, never even once coming off the accelerator during the set. Many vocalists would just as soon avoid the thin building column that is a part of the stage at Leftfileld, but Mike wound around it, lamented to it and leaned against it, neatly working the post into his performance.
With the set winding down, and with the large plexiglass drum shield hindering Mike's raw energy all night, with fury during Under Culture's crushing finale, Into the Water, Mike tore the drum shield down to the ground and into pieces, collapsing under it's weight. Hell Yeah Mike! The rest of the band showed exuberance and tons of fight all night.
Jon Popin largely kept up 60 Minute Mike's pace, dancing, swooning and gyrating with his white Jackson guitar, while Andres Marin smashed the drums so hard that the drum shield almost tore apart from his vibration. Ryan Metosky grooved with excitement all night, his large smile maintained whether on keys or guitar, while new bass player Junio Rodriguez rocked and rolled while holding down a steady rhythm for the band. In the end, the ball sailed over Leftfield as Under Culture hit a home run on a hot summer night in July.