Fun Fest Artist Profile: All Leather

Robin Laananen

All Leather at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Sat., Nov 7 on the Black Stage
Waterloo Park (403 E. 15th)
[info] | [tickets]

Since the early '90s, Justin Pearson has been a crucial crux in the heart of southern California's hardcore/punk scene. Beginning with his record label Three One G and hardcore band Struggle, Pearson has dedicated himself to the noisiest and most abrasive elements of punk. Though best known for his involvement with Locust, he's had his toes in dozens of dirgy pools over the years -- Swing Kids (who recently reunited and performed), Crimson Curse, Some Girls and Holy Molar are all Pearson projects -- and he continues to astound with his prolific tendencies toward angsty screamo and powerviolence.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the man behind song titles like "Someone Better Suck This Thing" and "Solar Panel Asses" is also behind (no pun intended) the San Diego trio All Leather and their EP, Hung Like a Horse. Using digital tools as well as traditional instrumentation, the band pushes the limits of both punk and dance, throwing together two ostensibly divergent groups. Though the screamo and powerviolence / thrash scene is known for short songs and witty (sometimes gross) song titles, there's a lot more to the message and scene than that. In many ways, the fact that All Leather exists and Justin Pearson still writes and performs demonstrates that fact. There's a strange marriage between the absurd humorist and the politically active punk rock soldier taking place in this scene, a marriage that mirrors the bizarre bedfellows All Leather have joined together with their dancey-thrash. We're hoping to hear songs from the upcoming full length (out 2010 on Dim Mak) at Fun Fest.

All Leather [Official] [MySpace]