Jason Wiese | Staff Reporter
Posted May 7, 2014; 2:00 p.m.

Joe Bayne, senior at Lindenwood and drummer of punk band Kenshiro’s, is sitting outside of Butler Loft on the campus of Lindenwood University on the evening of Tuesday, May 6. In his right hand are flyers for the very concert that his band and their “sibling band,” The Bad Maps, are scheduled to perform in ten minutes from this moment. The Bad Maps’ singer and guitarist, Cole Figus, walks up to Bayne to say that his drummer, Jessie Vendegna (sitting in for Luis Rodriguez), will be late due to the choir concert tonight. Bayne tells him that Kenshiro’s guitarist and vocalist Julio Prato will also be late for the same reason.

Host Milly Naeger began her opening comedy act at 8 p.m., right on schedule, and ended on schedule as well. She introduced Kenshiro’s, before Bayne announced the delay seconds after.

Prato finally joined Bayne and bassist Antonio Leone after a 30-minute delay to commence a thrashing show with raw, in-your-face insanity. The punk rockers, who have been nominated by the Riverfront Times for 2014’s Garage Band of the Year, displayed a ferocious energy to their live sets. Last night’s show at Butler was not their first rodeo and it certainly showed.

With Bayne pounding his cymbals, Leone hopping dramatically as if to break the ground beneath him and Prato physically shaking and looking as if on the verge of an aneurysm, the theatrical and emotional appeal of Kenshiro’s performance was vintage punk rock brought to life.

The music of The Bad Maps, which was formed by Figus and guitarist Alex Woodard, proved to be a genre difficult to categorize. Their upbeat set resonated the sound of modern alternative with hints of ‘80s progressive rock at times. They even channeled their openers with some punk at one point.

Having only had four days to rehearse with Vendegna prior to the show, the group faced a few shaky moments losing tempo and Vendegna even lost a drum stick a number of times. However, the band would immediately pick up the pace to continue with their beautiful, extraterrestrial experience. So, how crazy was this show? Joe Bayne’s cymbal was left with a chip on the end. That crazy. But for those in attendance, craziness was more than enough to satisfy their musical appetites.

For more information on The Bad Maps and Kenshiro’s and upcoming concert dates, visit these titans of intensity on Facebook and Twitter.