What What Now Singing Along to The Ironclads ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

“Community” can often seems like a cheap cheesy buzzword until you see it in action. One of our favorite things about covering local bands and following them closely is that we get to see it in action all the time. Almost every band has a “buddy band” — another local band that they play with frequently, share practice space with, live with, go on tour with, and support as fervently as they do their own band. At shows they are always in the front row singing along to every song, even the unreleased ones, as if they were their own. It’s love and devotion and friendship in a way that seems almost counter-intuitive to the stereotypes of rock’n'roll and a competitive scene of bands trying to succeed. And personally, seeing such relationships and support is one of my favorite things about being involved in local music.

One such relationship is had between the Ironclads and What What Now. If you’ve been to an Ironclads or What What Now show, you’ve doubtlessly seen members from the other band in the front row dancing and screaming along. These are photos of two such moments and they are definitely two of my favorite photos of the year. They convey the joy we all feel when we see our favorite band and we can lose ourselves in the connection we feel to their music or the people making it.

What What Now is playing a Sound on the Sound sponsored show tonight at the Blue Moon along with The Spinning Whips and Blessed Deep Band. I’d bet you anything you’ll see an Ironclad in the front row screaming or dancing along to What What Now. That’s community.

The Ironclads (and SOTS’s very own Phil) Dancing to What What Now ::: photo by Abbey Simmons