Hot Rod Circuit revs up Avalon

Casey Prestwood may be the hardest working man in indie rock. Clad in a red work-release jumpsuit, the guitarist for New Haven’s emo-punk outfit Hot Rod Circuit resembled a real-life version of Animal from ‘The Muppets’ as his lanky and nimble frame bounced around the stage. He did jumping jacks and mid-air splits, jumped off the drum riser and performed a backward somersault all while never missing a riff at the band’s show at Axis last Friday.

The rest of the band, consisting of Andy Jackson on guitar and vocals, Jason Russell on bass and Michael Poorman on drums, used the frenzy of Prestwood to their advantage, punking up their usual mid-tempo style much to the crowd’s delight.

Jackson easily adapted his vocals to the fast-paced songs, enunciating and singing even clearer than he does on the album.

Songs from the band’s 2002 Vagrant release, Sorry About Tomorrow, were prominent in the set. Throughout the course of the night, the band played all 11 songs from the album and offered a new song, very much in the same emo vein. The collective voice of the audience, as they recited the entire opening verse of the rocking single ‘The Pharmacist’ overpowered the band.

The band also appeased the crowd by playing older fare, such as ‘Irish Car Bomb’ and B-side ‘Very Best Friend.’

As the crowd clamored for the favorite ‘High Tech Lip Gloss,’ Jackson claimed lack of practice and promised to play it at the band’s upcoming Worcester Centrum gig, where Hot Rod Circuit will open for pop-punks Good Charlotte and New Found Glory.

However, the band maintained its credibility with a sense of humor. Sensing the crowd’s disapproval over the future show’s lineup, Jackson apologized, explaining with a smile, ‘Unfortunately, we have families to feed and bills to pay.’

If the Axis show was any indication, don’t be surprised if Hot Rod Circuit’s musical excellence and Prestwood’s onstage antics outshine the boy bands of pop punk.