Material: Self-described as “the punk rock party the world has been missing,” High Risk take that statement to heart. In fact, listeners can easily hear punk royalty like Sum 41, MxPx and Green Day flowing through their tracks. Featured single “Apology” leans toward a fun, anthemic Blink-182 musicality along with genuine, relatable lyrics about learning when to throw in the white flag in a never-ending argument.
Musicianship: The California surfer punk style can be heard in both the vocals and instrumentation as High Risk strive to give the full punk rock experience. While the band is composed of four different members of four different bands, their ability to play to each other’s strengths is showcased through their headbang-worthy tracklist and “party-all-night” live performances.
Performance: “Dirty” Dave DiSarro’s impressive sprechgesang vocal style and his ability to hold rugged notes similar to a hair metal frontman, help the band stand out from other rock acts. With bassist Johnny “Gunns” DiSarro jumping around the stage, guitarist Zach “Phoenix” Erfort playing his axe behind his back, and drummer Brian “Chi Town” Weathers pounding his kit like there’s no tomorrow, High Risk are charismatic performers who feed off each other’s energy. High powered, energetic ska/punk
instrumentation gave the show a Dropkick Murphys kind of vibe where you were almost waiting for a mosh pit or crowd surfing session to occur. From pure punk “With You" and “Looking Back” to their covers of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” and The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin Jack Flash” to the personally dedicated “Apology,” High Risk made sure that old fans and new fans alike were able to lose themselves in the anthemic, musically animated set. What easily could’ve been a run of the mill local rock show turned out to be a night that could be compared to a small music festival stage.
Summary: High Risk seems to have madegreat relationships with local rock bands over the years, which is a smart way to engage new audiences. They clearly have a strong following, as this show was packed solid. All in all, the band’s polished, natural live performance (only hinted at in their recordings) shows no signs of slowing down.
Contact: [email protected]
Web: reverbnation.com/highriskband
Players: “Dirty” Dave DiSarro, lead vocals and guitar; Brian “Chi Town” Weathers, drums; Zach “Phoenix” Erfort, guitar and backing vocals; Johnny Gunns DiSarro, bass.
