Social etiquette dictates that one not ogle or objectify. No lingering eyes on food, people, etc. The whole is more than the sum of its parts (Aristotle). When one of your parts involves the drumming of Joe Wong, you know that you have a complete monster in your sights. For as intricate and complex as the music of Parts & Labor sounds when listening, Wong is out of this world when watching the band live; technical, fast, fluid and deathly efficient.


After watching Parts & Labor perform at Sluggo’s Vegetarian Restaurant, one realizes the talent of musician needed to execute their experimental rock creations. Born of Dan Friel and B.J. Warshaw, Parts & Labor brought their Brooklyn-born sound to Pensacola, Florida before setting off for a tour of Europe.

Working the stage as opening artist for the show was Dustin Toney. With various audio samples serving as a backdrop to his vocal performance, Toney gave a reverent nod to the show headliners offering a prize to anyone who could name the Parts & Labor sample he included during his set.

Following Toney were local group Imaginary Air Show who regularly throw in a few subtle surprises during their shows as well. With a new EP soon around the corner and a few new songs on display, the band played musical chairs toward the end of their set. While Sean Peterson, Aaron Finlay and Brandon Warren mix n’ matched instruments between songs, Todd Vilardi set aside his guitar and grabbed his microphone stand. When asked by an audience member why he didn’t switch, Vilardi smiled and replied “I have nothing to switch to.”

Next on the bill were Acorns. Providing the heaviest set of the night, the Pensacola trio of Dave Myers, Shane Langseth, and Scott Dickson quickly set up on the Sluggo’s floor and proceeded to pound the paint off the walls and, quite possibly, dislodge blocks of cement outside. Also showing their musical versatility, the trio swapped places during a set that pleasantly banged loose a few eardrums.

With the exit of Acorns, came the entrance of Parts & Labor. With a newly released album entitled “Constant Future,” the band’s set created a swell of sound geared to make aural senses jump into orbit. Friel, Warshaw, Wong and Tom Martin (guitar) produced a technical, wire-tight display that concluded with a rising finish that roared and used every bone of their living monster.

-Michael Lashan Smith
–-New Video for the Parts & Labor song “Echo Chamber”