It has been more than a year since Kennebunk-based punkers The Pinkerton Thugs reunited, and yet there still seems to be a resonant buzz around their return. And seeing them live, you get the sense that the band are more relevant now than ever.
For some in the Geno's crowd it was their first time seeing the band; for others, myself included, their performance was accompanied by nostalgic for the band's late-'90s gigs at grange halls with shoddy PA systems (if there was a PA system). One notable absence is former frontman Micah Smaldone, who has been replaced by Paul Russo (who has had stints as a bassist with Anti-Flag since the Pinkertons' demise in 2000). Energetic, angry, and youthful, the band established a connection with the crowd. For a moment, a circle pit broke out.
A lot has changed on the surface in the nine years since they originally split up, but the band seems to strike a chord of social unease in the shaky economic times we now find ourselves in. Perhaps the reason public interest in the Pinkerton Thugs remains strong is their embodiment of a socio-philosophical awareness that holds growing importance, as the days get darker for the American dream.
Topics:
Live Reviews
, Anti-Flag, Kennebunk, Geno's, More 
, Anti-Flag, Kennebunk, Geno's, Portland music scene, Less 
