The three-man band ANTIHERO stole the show with drummer Jason VanEss’ fiery display on stage. Maybe he ignited it with how hard and fast he pounded the drums, or maybe it was a little magic, as VanEss used the words “Fire Avatar,” to describe his capabilities just days after the concert.

VanEss had a bit to say about the venue. The band, with Timmy Silvers on guitar and Eric Thomas on bass, traveled from Tacoma to rock with A Lien Nation and solo artist Dustin Adair.

“I have nothing but good things to say,” VanEss said. “Great venue, food was excellent and as a touring musician, (it’s) the little things, like a stocked green room was a surprise. I was so happy about it I sent pictures to other bands I know to make them jealous. All I can say is Aberdeen has a gem of a club ready to shine.”

Chris Haley, guitarist and singer for Renton-based A Lien Nation and owner of Redact Records, said he was “extremely excited” to bring his band to Messy Jessy’s Bar and Grill — 212 S. I St., in Aberdeen — in order to perform alongside such talented friends and peers.

“We have made some appearances for some of the community shows, open mics and events, but this was our first true headlining show at Messy Jessy’s since the grand opening in 2023.”

And like Redact’s mission for the venue, all of the songs each artist played Saturday night were originals.

Adair, who opened the show at about 8 p.m., captivated the audience with his strong voice, stage presence and mix of original country and rock with his acoustic guitar. He shared his opinion of the venue and the show itself.

“That was my first time at the venue and first time seeing both the bands live and I had a fun time,” Adair said. “The venue is bigger than I was expecting it to be. Cool layout and great food too. Awesome spot in Aberdeen for bands to play. Both ANTIHERO and A Lien Nation rocked the house. They both have killer original tunes and put on a good show.”

Haley said Redact has “taken pride in bringing top-notch talent to Aberdeen.” According to Haley, bands have come from as far as King, Pierce and Thurston counties. And then there’s the local talent, like Adair.

“Dustin Adair is one of the artists in the area that we have wanted to feature since we started,” Haley said. “His original songwriting is reminiscent of all the great storytellers in music. He is a Grays Harbor gem.”

The last band of the night, A Lien Nation, featured Haley, Casey Kunning on bass and Johnathon Cave on drums, who like ANTIHERO, blasted the audience with original guitar riffs, strong percussive beats and well-constructed bass lines.

Jarod Peterson, who was in charge of the venue’s sound for the night, enjoyed seeing A Lien Nation have fun.

“I thought it was really high energy and they were very well designed songs,” Peterson said. “The dynamics of all three musicians are very prevalent throughout all their songs and the high energy of it was one of my favorite things about them.”

Dustin Knutson, co-owner of Messy Jessy’s with his wife Jessy, added more about how tight the group was.

“They were in perfect sync and having a blast playing, which makes it more enjoyable of an experience for everyone,” Knutson said.

Haley, who called himself “his own critic,” said he had a blast playing and the encore was “the cherry on top.”

Haley praised ANTIHERO’s performance.

“ANTIHERO is exactly what I mean when I say rock stars,” Haley said. “I have known them for years and have shared many stages with them. Simply put: they rock. From Tim’s thick Telecaster through a classic Marshall JMP (amp) to Eric’s thundering bass, to the flames rising from Jason’s drum, you won’t see anybody bored during their set. They epitomize what it means to ‘put on a show.’”

Peterson also shared a few thoughts about ANTIHERO and Adair’s sets.

“I really loved ANTIHERO as well,” Peterson said. “The bass was off the hook with the vocals and beast of a drummer they have. And Dustin Adair was really good tonally. Even though his style didn’t break any molds, teaming it with his vocals, (he) really is a force of nature behind the mic and guitar.”

The loud rock and roll from the two bands inspired Shana Denny, an audience member, to headbang near the front of the stage.

“It was nice to rock out,” Denny said. “I always headbang at shows. It’s impossible for me to stand still. I feel the music in my bones, therefore I must move.”

Even if her bones didn’t make her shake, rattle and roll on Saturday, the massive sound from the venue would have, just as it did for the other audience members. Denny shared a few thoughts about the show.

“Last Saturday’s show was a unique showcase of talent from different genres of music,” Denny said. “A smorgasbord of sonic ‘epicness’ was on display. Dustin Adair was someone I was not familiar with, but I’m glad I heard him on that stage. He opened with some straight up noodling on the guitar in country tunes with the classic, low, soothing voice and swagger. It drew me in and I had to dance.”

Denny said “that’s the magic of going to shows.”

“You may know one or two bands, but there’s always one or two bands that you don’t know and that’s when you find amazing music,” Denny said.

Denny described ANTIHERO as a rock band with punk undertones.

“(An) in your face kind of band from Tacoma,” Denny said. “I’ve known these guys for 20-plus years in various bands in the Tacoma scene. They tend to melt your face, then mop you up on the floor with their intense and aggressive style.”

But, A Lien Nation gave an extra thrill for Denny.

“A Lien Nation was the dessert of the night,” Denny said. “That quintessential ‘I’m full of music but I could take another bite, but I shouldn’t.’ Their tight-knit group comes at you with rock and blues, tied up in a musical bow that just gets you. They have the maturity and years of experience in their belt and they have fun letting loose.

“Each song takes you on an adventure and plays on words, (such as) ‘Cattle List’ (and) ‘Catalyst,’” Denny said. “The guitar and bass solos compliment each other with the off-syncopated beats of the drums. That’s the blues and the jazz kicking in. They are the experts at the tear down and they build the intensity back up in their songs to set up those iconic solos. If you haven’t heard these artists, I would check them out on social media and make it to one of their shows.”

Haley added a few thoughts to getting his band to play to the Aberdeen faithful.

“Aberdeen has become one of our favorite places to play because of just how welcoming the fans are,” Haley said. “They truly embody the ‘Come as you Are,’ anecdote. To the venue, staff, fans, media, we owe our deepest gratitude. We look forward to many more awesome shows at Messy Jessy’s.”

Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World On Saturday, Eric Thomas, bassist for ANTIHERO, provided a “thundering bass,” sound for the band, while Timmy Silvers, right, riffed and shredded his way through their set. Jason VanEss, left, literally lit his drums ablaze in a controlled burn. ANTIHERO, who later dubbed themselves “the Motörhead of Tacoma,” shared a double headline show with A Lien Nation. Dustin Adair opened the show with a very popular acoustic set.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Dustin Adair captivated the intimate crowd at Messy Jessy’s with his powerful voice, strong stage presence and keen guitar work. “Dustin Adair was someone I was not familiar with but I’m glad I heard him on that stage,” said Shana Denny, an audience member at the Saturday night show. “He opened with some straight up noodling on the guitar in country tunes with that classic low, soothing voice and swagger. It drew me in and I had to dance.”

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World A Lien Nation, from left, drummer Johnathon Cave, guitarist and singer Chris Haley, and Casey Kunning, received praise for how tight they sounded during their set, the final of Saturday night’s bill at Messy Jessy’s Bar and Grill. “They were in perfect sync and having a blast playing, which makes it more enjoyable of an experience for everyone,” said Dustin Knutson, who co-owns the venue with his wife, “Messy” Jessy.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World While it was a smaller crowd for a concert at Messy Jessy’s, the bands showed up ready to play. The continual growth of the music in Aberdeen is also taking note. “The Aberdeen music scene is churning again with the leadership of Christopher Haley and Johnathan Cave …” Denny said. “The artistic soup is marinating so you don’t want to miss it.”