Recap: Cracktoberfest 2015 at Reggies

Leftöver Crack at Reggies Rock Club on October 26

Leftöver Crack only come through town once every few years. The last time I saw them was at Riot Fest, when it was still held at the Congress Theater. I first saw them at the Metro a few years before that Congress show. Monday was my third time seeing them in about seven or eight years of listening to the band, and I do not think I have missed any Chicago Leftöver Crack shows in that time. The band seems to favor more one-off shows and short road jaunts. The upcoming release of their third full-length album, Constructs of the State, called for a full-out Cracktoberfest tour. Mid-set, Stza told the crowd that they did not normally play eight shows in a row and it was wearing on his voice, as he turned vocals over to guitarist Brad Logan for "Stop The Insanity," a deep cut from their first album Mediocre Generica.

Leftöver Crack is now comprised of original members Brad Logan, Stza (Scott Sturgeon), and bassist Alec Baillie, as well as newer members on drums and guitar. The New York City crust punk band is known for their commentary on politics, government, police and religion. They carry on the crack rock steady sound started by Choking Victim, a previous band that Stza and Baillie were members of, along with former Leftöver Crack guitarist Ezra Kire. They played a few Choking Victim songs on Monday: "Crack Rock Steady," "Infested" and "500 Channels." They played a few songs from the forthcoming Contstructs of the State, which sounded promising.

They opened with "Homeo-Apathy," the hardcore version of the Leftöver Crack theme song that appears on Mediocre Generica. The band's second guitarist did the vocals on this song, with Stza waiting to come out onstage until his vocal parts were due halfway through. Stza also manned the keyboard during this show. Some of the other highlights included "Crack City Rockers," "Gay Rude Boys Unite," "Rock the 40 Oz.," "One Dead Cop," "Life Is Pain," "Burn Them Prisons" and "Gang Control."

Days N Daze at Reggies Rock Club on October 26

Houston folk punk band Days N Daze holds an opening spot on this year's Cracktoberfest tour. Days N Daze has come through Chicago a few times this year, but they typically play DIY spaces. Playing on a big tour at an official venue is an unusual situation for the band. They are a good fit to play with Leftöver Crack, however. They appear on Constructs of the State. They give off the crust punk vibe as much as Leftöver Crack does. The crowd was into their set, singing along and moshing to their songs. I was most excited to see them play "Rockabilly Impending Deathfuture," the opening track off 2013's Rogue Taxidermy.