Unsane, CNTS
13 minutes ago
2 min read
Bottom of the Hill
San Francisco, CA
September 17, 2026
You’d think after 8 weeks in Europe with two different bands I’d avoid live music for a while but here we are…
Unsane were back in town this time at the Bottom Of The Hill. I hadn’t heard a peep about this show (nor did any of my friends) and if it weren’t for bumping into a friend outside my favorite dispensary (Urbana) after flying in I wouldn’t have known about it either.
Needless to say I was quite surprised and stoked to see how packed the show was. Unsane’s draw has been spotty the last couple of times rolling through but Noise Rockers came out in force this night.
There was no shortage of baseball caps and Am Rep (Amphetamine Reptile) t-shirts in the house. All scenes have their uniform and that combo seems the most popular for this particular one.
I got their right when the second band, CNTS, started their set. These dudes RIP!! They reminded me of a more agro version of Karp. This band had a lot of weapons in their arsenal. Lots of Punk Rock/Noise Rock moments along with syncopated rhythm section passages all over the place.
The bassist also played keys at times which really boosted the songs and added a negative texture to the whole thing. What caught my ear the most though was the two guitarists who had a great symmetry going. At times Metal, at times experimental and noisy. Their styles complemented each other very well. I was impressed!
Unsane were up next. On this particular tour they’re celebrating the 28th(?) anniversary of probably their most popular album Occupational Hazard. Some of the songs from this record are burned into my brain from playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater so much back in the day.
I think two tracks from Occupational Hazard were on the game soundtrack along with a bunch of Ska Punk. The late 90’s were an odd time for popular music. When I heard those songs at the gig I couldn’t help but think about bombing hills and trying to pull off “Assume The Position” on the Area 54 halfpipe.
They sounded great! Speaking of sound I was pleasantly surprised to see my buddy Alejandro manning the console. He’s the bassist in Pounder (RIP) and also recorded the Raise The Death’s Head EP by Scarecrow. We have a good history, he and I.
Chris Spencer sounded as good as ever. His voice hasn’t lost any vitriol or range whatsoever. The dude doesn’t seem to age. And believe me, at times, he lives a pretty hard lifestyle. Maybe he’s a vampire. With the shenanigans he and I have gotten into over the years I wouldn’t be surprised…
–Bleeding Priest
