Live in Lexington: The Loaded Nuns Perform at The Burl

Lexington-based punk rock band The Loaded Nuns performed at The Burl last night, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.

Doors opened at 7 p.m. and the show began at 8 p.m. Tickets to the show were $10 in advance and $15 if purchased the day of.

A guitarist for the band Low Grade Mortals performs at The Burl in Lexington, Ky. on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Photo by Claire Osterfeld.

The Loaded Nuns went on last and were preceded by Vibrolas, Low Grade Mortals and finally Haiku Seppuku. Although the beginning of the show saw a sparse crowd, the concert venue became more filled as the night went on.

One concertgoer said that she has been going to shows in the Lexington punk scene for nearly 20 years. Another noted that she has known Vibrolas since around 2000, as she used to date one of the musicians.

Other audience members were less connected to the Lexington punk scene, attending the show as a way of branching out.

“If I’m being honest, I just recently started going to bands more,” Clarissa Arvin said. Arvin is new to this music community and decided to attend the show after finding the bands on Spotify.

Although Arvin has only recently begun going to see bands perform, she understands the appeal of a live show.

“I feel like seeing music live is different than listening to a recording,” said Arvin.

Some members of the audience, such as Tay Hearod, were in attendance after learning about the event from friends.

A member of the band The Loaded Nuns on stage during their performance at The Burl in Lexington, Ky. on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Photo by Claire Osterfeld.

“I heard about this show through my friends who I used to work with,” Hearod said.

Emmett King was also in attendance. He is a fan of the punk scene and is friends with some of The Loaded Nuns members.

“Austin, the lead singer, he is as punk as it gets for the Lexington music scene,” King said.

The Loaded Nuns, as well as their openers, drew a crowd that seemed lively and supportive. Many audience members appeared to be dancing to the music as each set went on.

The Burl is located at 375 Thompson Road in the historic Lexington Distillery District. According to their website, they were originally built in 1926 and opened their doors for their first live show in 2016.

As for The Loaded Nuns, their Instagram bio says they were formed in 2001. One concertgoer noted that their lineup appears to be ever-evolving.

Despite being formed nine years prior, the band did not release their self-titled debut album until 2010. According to Spotify, the album consists of 11 songs and was done with Zodiac Killer Records.

The Loaded Nuns announced via Instagram on January 15th of this year that they have recently hit the studio to remix and remaster their debut album. New vocals and guitar tracks have been added and the band says that it will soon be re-released on CD and vinyl.