Look, we don’t totally understand it either. You have to be pretty deep in the lore of the Eve 6 ARG and its ever-expanding cast of characters to follow every move this ridiculous, inscrutable band makes. But a twitter beef with (whomsoever runs social media for) Chicago’s outdoor music festival, Riot Fest, resulted in this pretty great cover of Operation Ivy’s “Sound System” from Eve 6 and Michigan’s ska punk band, We are the Union.
From Bailey Davis for Riot Fest: “The video was directed by Chris Graue (who shot this in someone’s garage, clearly), and features the two bands breaking all the rules they possibly can. Which is very fitting, considering we had to temporarily lift Eve 6’s ban from the festival to make this happen. You’re welcome, Eve 6. Starting tomorrow though, you’re still banned from Riot Fest (you know what you did).”
If you heard our Left of the Dial interview with Max Collins (theguyfromEve6) earlier this year, you won’t be surprised to learn the same guy who put Bad Brains and The Muffs on the playlist he curated for his episode is an Op Ivy fan.
“Sound System” is a rad, energetic cover that doesn’t do too much to stray from the original, but in the more than capable hands of We Are the Union and Eve 6, what more do you want in an Op Ivy cover than for it to be rad and energetic? It’s a bop, for sure.
(I mean, Green Day has been doing a straight ahead cover of “Knowledge” at every live show they play for the last few decades, and that’s suited them just fine!)
Watch Eve 6 and We Are the Union break all the rules in their video for “Sound System” below.
Catch both bands at Fest (officially sponsored by Left of the Dial) in Gainesville at the end of this month!