Blood, sweat, and tears: Ultra Q at the Bottom of the Hill

Ultra Q bassist Kevin Judd by Dorothy Eck

Ultra Q’s Jakob Armstrong by Dorothy Eck

Drummer Chris Malaspina by Dorothy Eck

Guitarist Enzo Malaspina by Dorothy Eck

If there is one band I could credit for being there throughout my teenage adolescence, it would be Ultra Q. Under their former title Mt. Eddy, Chroma became the soundtrack to the angst of my high school years — my go-to for sitting in class acting like I was better than everyone else for listening to “Wilshambe,” itching for something more than the mundanity of high school. As I have grown from being a fourteen-year-old listening to Mt. Eddy every day, so has Ultra Q. Their shift from Mt. Eddy to Ultra Q in 2019 aligned perfectly with the thrust of my high school innocence into the realities of adulthood — rediscovering yourself, your tastes and who you want to be. Their debut EP We’re Starting to Get Along came at a time when I was a high school senior dreaming of attending school at UC Berkeley. The lyric “crawling out of oceans like a creature from your black lagoon/the creature says he made it to the city by the bay,” off the song “Wild” moved me to tears as it provoked my desire to be in the city by the Bay. Needless to say, Ultra Q has become the soundtrack to my coming-of-age experience, growing up and into myself.

On November 12, I had the pleasure of attending Ultra Q’s first show in the Bay since 2019 at The Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco with fellow B-Side member Dorothy Eck. I was fortunate enough to have seen them at their last show at 924 Gilman St., when their time as Ultra Q was only several months old with five songs to their name. Now, after nearly two years without live music, the band has an upcoming EP Get Yourself a Friend set to release on November 19, alongside a quarantine EP In A Cave In A Video Game ( and three new singles under their belt. As I walked toward the venue at 8 p.m. on that Friday night, it began to hit me that I would be able to hear the songs that got me through the depressing months of early quarantine. Ultra Q had become the soundtrack to preserving my sanity, imagining the time when I would be able to attend a show again.

Buzzed Lightbeer by Dorothy Eck

60 Juno by Dorothy Eck

In an intimate, sold-out night filled with leftover Halloween decorations of zombies and ghouls alongside fans of all ages, the show began with performances by Buzzed Lightbeer and 60 Juno. Illuminated in pink and adorning twinning shag-cuts, and what can only be described in the fashion of “SF fem slop rock,” Buzzed Light Beer powerfully commanded the attention of all in the room, channeling the state of new-age riot grrrl into a performance responsible for revving up the night.

Up next was 60 Juno hailing all the way from the valleys of Merced, California in a perfect culmination of surf rock. I thoroughly enjoyed their covers of “Vexation” by The Garden and “I’ve Wasted So Much Time” by Enjoy, as did many others in the crowd as we all found ourselves instantly bobbing our heads along to the familiar songs. Instantly warming up to this young band, 60 Juno continued the mood Buzzed Light Beer helped set for the night — enthusiasm to let loose to the live music we all missed so dearly.

When the time came for Ultra Q to step onstage and open with “Gool,” the crowd moved into immediate action. It felt surreal to see the crowd in perfect unison with Jakob Armstrong singing “holding onto your sweet hands/for the first time/they’re off punk rock shows.” Everyone in the room felt connected with one another, as we had all been yearning to be at a punk rock show for the first time in nearly two years. When bassist Kevin Judd asked the crowd whose first Ultra Q show this was, over a fourth of the hands raised. In that moment I realized I was not the only one who had missed this — for all new and returning fans, the night was exactly what we dreamed of and more. None of us could turn away from the quartet on stage — from guitarist Enzo Malaspina’s liberty spikes establishing Ultra Q’s identity as a new goth-punk band to the nostalgia of hearing Armstrong’s deep, sultry vocals backed up by Judd and Malaspina, Ultra Q effortlessly dominated the night, making being a punk band look so easy.

Jakob Armstrong, photographed by Dorothy Eck

Chris Malaspina by Dorothy Eck

Next up was one of their most recent singles, “Handheld” off their upcoming EP Get Yourself a Friend, followed by their latest singles “Bowman” and “It’s Permanent” later in the night. With every album and EP release under each moniker, Ultra Q has demonstrated the ability to adapt with time and the current inspirations in their lives. With their present Bloc Party-inspired tracks “Handheld,” and Interpol-esque “Bowman,” their ability to draw inspiration from their current phases of life provides an opportunity for fans to never become bored.

You never would have guessed it was only their second time playing these songs in front of a live audience, as any possible nerves felt by the band were nowhere to be found. With relentless drumming by Chris Malaspina, and Judd thrashing about in almost comical but endearing shredding on bass, energy by artist and audience were in equilibrium. With only weeks to learn the lyrics to all three singles, the room was in perfect synchronization with Ultra Q’s performance. We could all feel the bass in our chest and ringing through our ears, but the energy only drew us toward the band like moths toward the light — unable to turn away from the center of attention onstage, tempted to run into the mosh pit that lasted every second of the night.

Songs from their time as both Mt. Eddy and Ultra Q were sprinkled throughout the setlist — contrasting indie rock songs and alternative punk melodies at opposites of one another. With Enzo adorning liberty spikes essential to any punk rock show and Jakob’s grungy, emo vocals, Ultra Q’s growth as musicians was unmistakable. As soon as I heard the beginning strumming of “I Luv Robert Smith,” I was instantly thrown back to 2018, remembering the release of singles “I Luv Robert Smith” and “Menial.” Inspiration by The Cure has been conspicuous throughout Ultra Q’s time together. By writing “I Luv Robert Smith,” a song about being unable to date someone due to their dislike of The Cure and Armstrong adorning Robert Smith’s iconic hair in recent photoshoots, Ultra Q has never failed to pay homage to their inspirations.

In just two years, Ultra Q has managed to seamlessly move between their previous indie, alternative rock sound as Mt. Eddy to the alt-punk, gothic artistry they encompass now. Nearing the end of the night, Armstrong looked toward the crowd, smiling and remarking that they were “scared they were never going to play again” before beginning the last song off of In A Cave In a Video Game and (what was supposed to be) the last song of the night: “Teether.” I was emotional hearing the song that was on repeat to get me through the long months of quarantine depression, tearing up a little as the room filled with fans joining Armstrong in singing “all the time I never used/Cause I might wanna try growing up up up instead.” Ending their set with “Teether” was the perfect opportunity by both band and audience to not let the energy fizzle as the wavering guitar and shredding came to an eventual end.

As soon as the band stepped off the stage, the crowd refused to let the night end so soon, and Ultra Q agreed. Returning to the stage to perform an Enzo Malaspina-special that has only graced us with its presence in live performances and had not practiced — “Gummy Burn.” Practice or not, not one soul in the room cared nor noticed, as all anyone wanted was for the night to never end. Once again, Ultra Q agreed as they transitioned into Mt. Eddy’s nostalgic requiem of teenage romance, “Wilshambe.” In their official finale, the familiar jazz melody of the eight-minute title track “Chroma” began — a song that had not been heard live in three years. The devotion and eagerness to see Ultra Q again were tangible among the crowd during “Chroma.” Despite it having been five years since its release, three years since the last time it was performed live, and nearly two years since their last show as a band, everyone in the room erupted into singing and aggressive finger-pointing — the perfect indication of fans’ exploding excitement.

Kevin Judd on bass by Dorothy Eck

Enzo Malaspina, photographed by Dorothy Eck

It’s hard to imagine this was Ultra Q’s second show post-pandemic. The only indication of an inability to play for live audiences since 2019 would be the barely-contained ecstasy vibrating off both audience and artist (and perhaps a cable getting unplugged in the midst of it all, but that’s beside the point).

Looking back to seeing Ultra Q for the first time at their last show in 2019 compared to now, it is evident Ultra Q’s journey is only going up from here. As I stood at the edge of the pit hearing the nostalgic melodies that have been the soundtrack to my teenage years, I nearly joined fellow fans to express my overwhelming excitement through the never-failing method of moshing.

With each single and EP thus far, Ultra Q has grown into their sound of new goth, alternative punk rock. Any fans of punk must keep a lookout for Ultra Q’s future endeavors, as their upcoming EP Get Yourself a Friend is not one you will want to miss. Be sure to tune in on November 19 and keep an eye out for their shows near you — and be sure to bring a friend.