THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Distractor and RV, The Nook on Robinson, June 23

The ladies of Ugly Orange do great concert work of all different scales all around town. And their recent stake at young and intimate neighborhood spot the Nook on Robinson is proving to be a great addition to their cache of venues, allowing them a nice and consistent small room to rock some free shows.

It was there that Ugly Orange recently dropped more manna in the Milk District, this time a sweet little punk show with California band Distractor. For a place that’s not primarily a live venue, it was auspicious to see the Nook cater the vibe enough for the occasion by moving out all the sitting furniture to make standing room only.



On feature was a special one-off, non-tour show for Distractor. The West Coast band are probably one of the more distinctive stars in the already colorful garage-rock constellation of Burger Records with an unmistakable sound that dresses up punk rock with the primitive, elastic synth sheen of Devo and the Cars. And if this vivid performance is any index, Distractor are going all out with their new lease on life.

With two guitarists, a keyboardist, a trumpeter and some dance moves as rubbery as their hooks, the band lit up and worked this little place out with a live-wire set. Distractor is the unchained joy that happens when punk rock swaps the attitude and pretense for some electronics and a big sense of fun.



Opening were RV, a young Orlando band that I first saw emerge brightly back in early 2017. Since then, their street presence flickered a bit, with the members trying out different projects. But it they’re back, now reloaded with local indie polymath Chandler Strang (Saskatchewan, Case Work) on drums.

Less gloom-obsessed than most post-punk, RV’s songs weave chiming jangle-pop melodies with woolly guitar effects into a nice signature sound. And having Strang on board should only sharpen them further.

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