I wish I could remember precisely when I saw CUSSES for the first time, but it had to have been in 2010, when Angel, Bryan, and Brian exploded onto the local scene with kinetic live shows. I guess the first time I photographed them was in spring 2012 at their DIY venue No Control.
CUSSES will be performing Saturday night at The Jinx, which will be the trio’s “last show for a minute,” as they say on their Facebook page. For the backstory, check out the candid interview in Do Savannah by Adriana Iris Boatwright and Anna Chandler’s interview and appreciation in Connect Savannah.
There are plenty of reasons to love CUSSES beyond their thrilling live shows and take-no-prisoners rock and roll. I think I’m most appreciative of all the things that the band has done to promote the scene and nurture young bands. No Control came along at a time when we didn’t have the extensive house show network that we have today, and Angel was also a key player in the first Savannah Stopover, Graveface Fest in 2012, and many other gigs. CUSSES consistently brought talented young bands onto bills with them — acts like Triathalon (on tour right now) and Heyrocco (the Charleston-based band that seems to be touring all the time now).
So, given the circumstances, Saturday night should have an even sharper edge than most CUSSES’ shows. A few shots here, including a handful from that No Control show in 2012, plus others since then by Tom, Petee, and me.
