Flatfoot 56

Knuckles Up

Flicker Records

            Like many other Midwesterners, I have had the pleasure of watching Flatfoot 56 rise from local gigs and festivals to their premiere release on Flicker Records.  First impressions of the band still resonate in my mind from the 2004 festival season.  Not only was I impressed with their celtic-punk rock bagpipes, but their character as well.  They put on a truly impressive show and I would have loved to see them playing a club in their hometown of Chicago, where the crowd would probably have been a little less reserved. 

            Their independent release was also titled “Knuckles Up,” and according to the bands official website, the Flicker version is a re-release.  Even so, if you have not heard of Flatfoot 56, all you have to do is jump over to MySpace and listen to a few samples to know this is not your grandparent’s “Amazing Grace.” 

            The official site also says that the band is in the studio working on some new materials.  It will be interesting to see how time will have improved upon an already overtly inventive group.

- Ken W.