All right, admit it. You watched VH1’s Bands on the Run. Who among us was not sucked in by the bisexual goth gals, the frenetic selling of “merch” and the twisted acts of debauchery night after beer-soaked night? True, most were Flickerstick fans at first. And why not? The DFW band’s music was much more kick-ass; plus, the guys wrecked their instruments after shows. But as time went on, their rampant infidelity became a stomach turner, and now that they’ve won the show’s big prize, they’ve lost the underdog status that made them so endearing. Now’s the time to take a new look at Soulcracker: Sutton can sing, and Bob’s a fine drummer. And they can actually rock out when they’re not so busy hawking T-shirts. Sure, we still don’t know what Beastie’s primary role is, besides jumping around like a child with worms. But at least he stays true to his woman.
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2001.