Veteran ska/punk band Less Than Jake played a sold-out show at D.C.'s 9:30 club Friday, the third night of their latest U.S. tour.
The 9:30 club was jam-packed with people of all ages ready to start their weekend with thrashing around a mosh pit to the upbeat sounds of Less Than Jake, a band that's remained popular since it came out of Florida more than 10 years ago.
The band's five members showed boundless energy in every moment of their performance, only taking momentary breaks from playing to rile up the equally energetic audience. Confetti and fake snow flew from the stage and the band's horn section covered the audience with toilet paper shot from leaf blowers. More than anything, the ever-impressive musical abilities of the band members made for a memorable and extremely enjoyable show.
The crowd cheered on lead singer Chris Demakes when he announced that he had sex with a 58-year-old woman the night before. He then dedicated "Al's War," a song about growing older, in her honor.
They introduced the audience to their latest song, "Overrated," which was met with great enthusiasm despite its lack of the band's staple horn section.
After more then a decade of playing together, Less Than Jake still has the same drive and energy as when they started out.
"A lot of bands burn out, but we've been able to pace ourselves," Demakes said in a recent interview with The Eagle. "We're still doing it for the right reasons. We get along and we have fun."
Demakes said the band and the audience are able to feed off of each other's energy, and that has helped the band keep going. He also said he feels that Less Than Jake's longevity is due to more meaningful songwriting than other bands display.
However, Demakes did admit that some things have changed after all their time as a band. "We've gotten fatter," he said. "We've got wrinkles under our eyes. I don't get laid nearly as often as I used to on tour."
He also mentioned some of the less than thrilling aspects of life on the road: "You're away from home and every day you need to find a clean toilet to shit in."
Despite the living conditions, Demakes knows how to cheer himself up. "I'm listening to 'David Hasselhoff's Greatest Hits,'" he said. "If you're having a bad day and you put that on, you realize your day is not so bad."
Demakes does not know what the future has in store for Less Than Jake, but he is happy to still be playing. "As long as we can get on stage and not suck, and still have people respect us for what we do, I think we'll still do it."
Less Than Jake plans to release a new album later this year. They have dates scheduled in North America and Europe through the end of April with bands such as Big D and the Kid's Table, Rock and Roll Soldiers, A Wilhelm Scream and Damone.
