Ansible with Luv, Slutbomb, Southtowne Lanes, and Stars Don't Mean Anything
2635 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland
June 22, 2025
It’s been said that metalheads are nice people who look mean, while hippies are mean people who look nice. I can attest to this statement’s veracity. The vibe at Stay Gold Deli in West Oakland last Sunday, a place known for its brisket, po’ boys, and as a venue for raucous music, was alive with camaraderie, goodwill, and LOUDNESS, despite what might be read as the “mean” appearances of those gathered to see the five bands featured that evening.
And, just a day after the summer solstice, the sun stayed up through the first few bands’ sets, with sunlight streaming through Stay Gold’s windows.
Hardcore at sundown?! Hell yes!
I’d brought earplugs, and was also offered them by the bartender and owner, Miles Murphy (who wore sonically protective earmuffs), but decided that my aural sense should remain unhindered. A mistake? Maybe so, but my ears recovered to full functionality by Monday afternoon. Worth it.
Cincinnati-based Slutbomb, on a west coast tour, was the band I most wanted to see, but I was also curious about the others. I arrived only a bit late, aware of how show starts aren’t always punctual, but after a short trip to the restroom the next thing I knew I’d missed Southtowne Lanes, who’d gone on first. Bummer.
A hardcore summer solstice: Luv performing "These Wounds."
But next up was Luv, and they were right up my alley. They dominated the space, raw and coordinated. Frontman Phil Geck owned the room with his presence: a tight ball of explosivity. His voice was furiously present, nothing of the sloppy Cookie Monster growl that too often passes for metal vocalism these days. My favorite song, “These Wounds,”possessed a well paced, ominous quality. Excellent.
An open, friendly personality from Sacramento, after the set Geck told me that Oakland-based band has been together for 5 years and that they’ll be pressing a full length record soon.
"Syndrome" by Stars Don't Mean Anything.
Stars Don’t Mean Anything, self-described as “hardcore/screamo,” were up next. More subdued than Luv, but full of energy in their own right. With cool, reverb-y, sort of spaceship-like layers of sound and a nice thrumming rhythm and melodic elements, at moments I was reminded just a bit of the 1980s San Francisco band Chrome. But Stars Don’t Mean Anything’s sound was uniquely theirs, the song “Syndrome” a particularly gripping tune.
"Commodified Identity" by Slutbomb.
The sun was finally down and Slutbomb took their places. And then… BLAM! Their compositions were killer! Singer Debra Long bounded all over the room with classic punk vocals. They were super tight. I loved the confluence of metal and hardcore punk they brought—an irresistibly alluring sound to me. Percussionist Taylor Kincade was absolutely superb; his drumming completely blew me away. As the band I’d really wanted to see— “the fastest queercore in Ohio”—Slutbomb didn’t disappoint. Without question my favorite act, with “Commodified Identity” as a highlight of the set.
An Oakland band established in 2022, Ansible concluded the night, introduced by singer Adri Uchishiba’s little girl, Lilian. “That’s my Mom!”
I wasn’t super sanguine about them, but they had a more distinctively metal sound than the others, Uchishiba shrieked with angry vigor.
I spoke with Debra Long outside after the show and learned that Slutbomb was formed in 2015 by her and guitarist Darrel Glass. The band members lived in different places in Ohio and would meet at a halfway point, but are now all located in Cincinnati. The night’s gig at Stay Gold was the last of their West Coast shows ; the following day they had an early flight back to Cincy.
As I was getting ready to head out I spotted a young dude wearing a Slutbomb tee shirt: Abe Yassine, a recent high school grad and Slutbomb fan since age 14. “I never thought I’d get to see them live!” he exclaimed. Abe was happy to have made it to the show, and so was I.
Metalheads truly are the nicest people! Although I probably should have worn earplugs…