BAND SPOTLIGHT | Livin’ Thing

Another creative, hard-hitting, pull-no-punches band from Springfield’s continuously burgeoning punk-and-DIY scene knocks off a cool show and record release event. Livin’ Thing is putting out a five-song cassette tape along with an available digital download called It’s a Livin’ Thing through Rat King Records out of Urbana. Bandmates Brian Galecki, BJ Pearce, Mike Tirehaus, Mario Cannamela and Nick DeMarco combine to make some radical-sounding music in a glorious clashing of silly, serious songs, punkified to end all concepts of what can be done to make music righteously cacophonic in wide-eyed wonder. In the words of an anonymous online reviewer, the recorded songs of Livin’ Thing can be best described as “heavy walls of sound accompanied by vocals reverbed to hell and back, and some are grungier and overstay their welcome in the best way possible.” He also says, “It’s inconsistent, it’s menacing, and it’s a total pain on my ears – it’s Livin’ Thing. Get it.” The band extends the release for a five-day tour somewhere right after the Black Sheep show.