Arkansas-based hard-hitting punk quartet The Phlegms will perform at Kirby’s Beer Store on Monday, sharing the bill will be Sentences and yae.
It’s a return trip for the band, vocalist/guitarist Avery Lee, guitarist Peter McKitrick, bassist Aaron Brymer and drummer Grant Williams, who last took to the stage there in 2017.
Supporting the 2025 album “GULP!,” the outfit’s current run of shows ends later in the week when they return to Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The band members recently discussed their longevity (they have almost a decade under their belt), their current approach to touring, and what they appreciate about Kirby’s.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You’ve been a band for a while, lasting longer than some do. What’s kept you together?
Avery Lee: We have been a band for a while. It’s coming up on 10 years now. I think what keeps us together is that we’re kind of like family at this point, and we’ve gotten to a place where we’ve kind of figured out the kinks with writing. We can collaborate a little bit more. I think we get along pretty well and have similar influences musically. I’ve figured out a groove and I’m loyal through and through. I think we’re all pretty dedicated to working on things if issues pop up. I think it’s worked well for us.
Grant Williams: I think we had a hard look at the band and where burn-out was coming from. We got a little more purposeful with booking and tried not to overwork ourselves like we did early on in the band’s career. That’s been a big saving grace for us as a band.
There’s so much energy in the recordings, and it seems to me that these are designed to be played live. It’s like you’re taking the energy from the stage, bringing it to the studio, then bringing it back to the stage. I would guess that some of it has already been tested on stage by the time you record it.
AL: Definitely. I think that’s one thing we all have in common — the live performances are what we’re most passionate about. Any song that we’ve recorded [although we’re trying not to do this as much] has probably been played live for a year or two by the time we record it. It’s important to take in audience feedback, too, while we’re writing and using that to direct energy in the song and dynamics.
How has touring changed for you in 2026? I’ve talked to a number of musicians who’ve said it’s different than before 2020.
AL: We got together in 2016 and by 2018/2019 I was figuring out all our stuff. We were gearing up to go on the road and get a little bit more serious, and then the pandemic happened. We really weren’t even on the road before that. The last two years is the first time we have been.
Peter McKitrick: We would do a bunch of regional stuff. Where we live is really close to a bunch of Midwestern [spots]. You can hit a lot of markets within a few hours. We could do weekend runs but never anything [as long as what we’re doing now].
You’ve played Kirby’s Beer Store before. What are some of your favorite things about that venue?
GW: I like that it’s small and intimate. It forces the connection between the band and the audience. And it’s really loud. [Laughs.] And we like to be loud, so that works for us.
Aaron Brymer: I think the name is really great. That’s just a good start right there.
PM: I feel like that room has an energy to it. It’s so small and there’s been so many shows there. It’s been around forever. There’s like a spirit in that room. You kind of have to win it over.
AL: It’s almost historical, it feels like. It was 2017 when we were there last, but it felt like people in the scene really respected it and cared about it continuing on and we’re grateful it was there.
