The guys of the Fort Lauderdale foursome Howitzer may sound tough as nails on record, churning out a classic style of street punk in the vein of old Doc Marten-footed acts like Sham 69 and Cock Sparrer. But for all the swagger of their shout-along anthems, which boast titles like "The Bottle Let Me Down," the musicians have some big hearts.
Enter their Sunday-evening event at Churchill's in honor of Memorial Day. Proceeds from the multiband-soundtracked barbecue all go to an appropriate, worthy cause: the Homeless Veterans fund at the Miami VA hospital. Whatever your stance on the current war, we can all agree that those who serve shouldn't be neglected afterward.
In any event, admission scores you free food, and if punk rock isn't your thing, there's a hip-hop stage planned for outside. The main stage is where the main event is though, with some of Churchill's best staples performing. Besides Howitzer, there's No Class Action, another Fort Lauderdale quartet that takes punk back to its fierce, early-hardcore-crossover days. Also particularly worth checking out are the bilingual, political punk act Nobody's Hero, and Hardware Youth, possibly the only female-fronted hardcore act in town.
Veterans Benefit with Howitzer, No Class Action, Nobody's Hero, Hardware Youth, and others. 7 p.m. Sunday, May 30. Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. Admission is $10 and includes free barbecue. Ages 18 and up; 305-757-1807; churchillspub.com
