Sharia Law in the USA

Ever have one of those nights where everything just seems to come together perfectly? Last night worked out that way for me thematically. I got to OJ's place a little after 7 and we had a good discussion for the podcast about live music and our love of club shows.

Then a little after 9:30, I schlepped over to the Middle East downstairs to catch The Kominas, a Boston-based group of Pakistani dudes who have garnered plenty of press over the last three years for their unique brand of Islamic-themed political punk. I first became aware of the band after reading about them a few years back on Sepia Mutiny, a blog that focuses on the concerns of folks of South Asian descent (i.e., brown dudes like me whose roots trace back to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.). The band formed in 2005, inspired by the Michael Muhammad Knight book The Taqwacores, which described a fictional Muslim punk scene; sure enough, a scene sprung up soon afterward. A documentary and upcoming feature film have followed.

For an unsigned band, the Kominas have drawn a lot of attention both positive and negative for their in-your-face attitude and songs like "Sharia Law in the USA," "Blow Shit Up," "Walqaeda Superstore" and "Suicide Bomb the Gap." Knee-jerk reactionaries take one look at the track listing and just start voicing outrage. But if you actually listen to the songs, you realize they take aim both at post-9/11 racial profiling of Muslims and the traditional hardline stances of Islamic fundamentalists. I bought the band's first full-length album, Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay, a few days ago and it's evident that there's equal amounts of anger and humor on display. Musically, the band has described itself as "Bollywood Muslim punk," but you can hear elements of punk, Bhangra, ska, hip hop and metal in their sound. They sing in both English and Urdu, but it's not hard to get the point.

Last night, there were probably only a little more than 100 in attendance to see the Kominas and openers Sunny Ali and the Kid (who were excellent, BTW), Uncle Lefty and Mojo Kick. I was hanging out watching Uncle Lefty when Kominas guitarist-singer Shahjehan Khan, decked out in a shalwar kameez and an "I [Heart] Jesus" ballcap, walked by. Actually, he almost tripped on a security rope right in front of me. We laughed about it and he asked my name; when I told him, he asked if I had posted something on my blog about seeing the band (indeed I had; guess he checks out Google blog search).

When the Kominas took the stage at 11:40, Khan tossed the hat almost immediately. Bassist Basim Usmani took the majority of the lead vocals, with guitarist Arjun Ray and drummer Imran Malik chipping in. The band kicked off with "Sharia Law" and "Suicide Bomb the Gap," a hell of a one-two punch. They had a horn player named Alistair (I think) helping out. Total party vibe. The band played a few new songs, including "High Noon," from the new album that's out June 15. This was one of their last local shows before they head over to Europe to play some gigs.

There was a healthy mix of brown, white and black folks in attendance. Folks were dancing, slamming and shouting throughout the 65-minute set. Like Jay and I had discussed earlier, it doesn't matter how many people are at the show, but rather how the band can take their music to a higher place. It didn't matter if you were a Muslim, Christian or atheist watching the Kominas rock shit up last night. Apparently, we CAN all get along.

Sharia Law in the USA: