I saw Wimps' first show last Halloween (I'm not the first or second fan to post about Wimps, so do check those links for past Wimps words), in a crazy basement at a crazy house party. It was gloriously loud and basementy, and even though I was in the front, I couldn't actually see them because wearing a sack over your head as a mask is a great idea. More recently, I saw them when they played an impromptu set (after much crowd pestering) in the pint-sized Rendezvous Grotto where, even without their own equipment, a sound guy, or dependable microphones, their solid deadpan jams got everyone dancing again.

Last night, Wimps played the Crocodile pro-stage. You could hear everything! You could see everything! All the equipment was working! A band can wilt under pro-stage pressure—suddenly everything is extremely audible and the mumbling/flubbing that works for a basement show will awkwardly dissolve when on display. But Wimps rose to the pro challenge and killed it—playing songs I recognized from their awesome demo, plus new ones that continue to expand on their naked, straightforward punk style. Wimps guitar wrangler and vocal maker, Rachel Ratner, tells me they have just finished recording a full length album that they're aiming to "drop" (god I'm sorry I couldn't help it, never again I promise) in early fall and that they will be heading out on their first tour next month. She also confirmed that you don't need to put "the" in front of their band name, Wimps is just fine.