Arms Aloft Turned a Farewell into a Punk Show
The House of Rock is officially dead.

Last weekend residents and musicians of Eau Claire, WI came out to see off the last rock venue in town. Located on Water St., the House of Rock held a farewell bash aptly titled ‘Last Call’ to commemorate the club that has fostered so much local talent.
Split over two days, the House of Rock put on one last hurrah with 27 bands smoothly rotating on and off the stage for 20 minute sets. It was an eclectic mix to say the least, but it’s always good to hear live music fill the venue.
There were plenty of cheers and back-slaps to help keep the mood up as the evening went on. While I went to pay my respects to the venue as a whole, I was excited to see my local favorites Arms Aloft.
This performance marked the 10 year anniversary of the band’s first show— to the day — held on the very stage which they now stood.
By this point the crowd had plenty of time to marinate in their drinks and were ready to move. After a short, heartfelt speech, Arms Aloft opened up their set with “Dreams Are Dogs That Die in Their Kennels.” I hadn’t heard the this track played live in a long time and it instantly got me up and out of my chair.
The band’s energy flushed into the crowd. Throughout the night there seemed to be a wave of depression hanging over the room. Everyone knew this was the end but it felt like no one wanted to believe it. That feeling turned to anger during the band’s set, resulting in an explosion on the dance floor.
Fans were pushing each other around in the front of the room, while others started jumping off the stage. It wasn’t until Arms Aloft began playing that I saw the first crowd surfers floating by as others were fighting for a chance to pull down a microphone and sing along.
They continued to mix old and new tracks, such as “Comfort at Any Cost,” “Skinny Love” and “What a Time to be Barely Alive.” For 20 minutes this farewell celebration became a punk show.
It’s sad to see the place go. The entire night was filled with people reminiscing and telling tales of when their band played the House of Rock. I know personally, this last show will be added to the pile of memories from the Water St. club.

