Frank Turner - Last Minutes and Lost Evenings

I came a little late to the Frank Turner party, but after picking my jaw off the floor and wrapping my head around a new artist in the 21st Century popping up on Kimmel and shouting out the punks and skins with equal parts credibility and skill, I drank the Kool-Ade like it was getting funneled down my pencil neck. 2011's England Keep My Bones proved to be pretty aces, as were the increasingly frequent NYC shows behind it.

Judging by his Twitter feed, our dear Mr. Turner sure does get around. He does ok on this side of the pond, but over UK/Europe way, he's a bona fide phenomenon. 2012 was very good to our hero, seeing the young man from Wessex selling out Wembley (Arena) and appearing at the opening ceremony for this year's Olympics. He's signed to Epitaph stateside, and Mr. Brett and co. have levied this little catch-all slab of delight on the heels of England Keep My Bones to get everyone in the US up to speed before a new record drops this Summer.

I had initially thought that Last Minutes and Lost Evenings was a live record. Evidently the UK version has a DVD of the live show from Wembley packaged with it, but this version is pretty much a primer for the new Turner marks that don't have the import First and Second Three Years comps. I'd like to see the live show, but the fifteen tracks here are more than worth the price of admission, starting with I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous and romping through to the closing live take on Ballad Of Me And My Friends. Often spoken of in the same breath as far inferior units like The Asslight Anthem, but with far better songs and the ability to win over opening slots for the likes of Social Distortion and Dropkick Murphys, Frank Turner is to be checked out immediately if you haven't already.

Get Last Minutes and Lost Evenings here from the Epi-punks and keep track of our jet-setting Mr. Turner and his Sleeping Souls here.

R

Live: Frank Turner and Sleeping Souls @ Knitting Factory 3.13.12

I really liked the song Turner did with the estimable Jon Snodgrass, but hadn't investigated too much past that until I saw him on Kimmel a couple months back. I picked up England Keep My Bones soon after and fell for it like a short haired brunette, just in time to miss out on the sold out Bowery show with Andrew Jackson Jihad. I was quicker on the draw for the Knitting Factory show, which seems prudent as he's evidently playing Wembley in the next couple weeks. While I like me some Turner, I was pretty flabbergasted to hear that he was that big overseas. Further investigation revealed that there is a Wembley Arena across the street from ginormous stadium. 12,500 seems reasonable, given last year's ridiculously strong England Keep My Bones, but it doesn't make me look any more forward to having to see him in the big rooms over here.

Turner and Co put in work for a little over an hour, hitting most of the high points of England Keep My Bones and dipping back for favorites like I Knew Prufrock Before He Was Famous. He's charismatic as hell and the band is pretty damn tight as well. They are pretty much the perfect band for a room the size of The Knit (although I still wish it was on Leonard, or Houston even) and the wall to wall people seemed to feel the same. See Frank Turner in the small(er) rooms while you can. I see a lot of Terminal 5 in his future and me very cranky and in attendance.

R