Last time I saw No Age, back in February when they opened for Liars at Warsaw, their show seemed to suffer from the venue's size; they were good, but I couldn't help thinking they'd be better in a basement or grocery store. Last night though, headlining the Bowery Ballroom, they successfully communicated their energy just as if they were playing for a cramped room of 50, which is the key to their success both recorded and live.

Simply put: No Age are a lot of fun. They take a definite live handicap (a singing drummer) and turn it to their advantage. Guitarist Randy Randall commands the stage with a manner that has the emotional resonance of teenage hours spent playing air guitar, a perpetual smile stretched across his face as he head-bangs and comes to the edge of the stage to playfully taunt the crowd--this is a man having a good time. Drummer Dean Spunt has the best southern California hardcore howl since Adolescents' Tony Cadena, drumming skills to make Brian Chippendale blush. By their last song, Weirdo Rippers standout "Dead Plane", Spunt forgoes his kit for the crowd while their energy is at its peak, turning it into a terrine of bodies and sweat.

No Age make punk rock for people tired of punk rock; they build upon its foundations and take it to decidedly experimental places, yet remain true to its aesthetic--energetic and fun. They are the Husker Du of my generation. Catch them now before they get even bigger, because they will.

More photos from last night's show after the jump.