A Photo Geeks ups and downs through words and images.
Before it becomes the thing of legend I wanted to post some pictures from the Supertouch show @ Santos Party House. All four bands played stellar sets but Supertouch and Sweet Diesel were just off the scale. I’ll post the Supertouch shots later. Here’s an appetizer.
I was on the way to Beacon New York when my phone lit up with a text reading “Citizens Arrest tickets are almost Sold Out. Get ’em fast or miss out!” I thought “Oh, I’ll order them as soon as I get home tonight.” As soon as I walked in the door I walked over to the computer to place my order. This was something I would not procrastinate on. To my dismay and dispare they were “Sold the fuck Out.” Damn, I was pissed. I’d been hearing about this reunion long before it was even book and it was not to be missed. I posted a “If anyone out there……” and thanks to Freddy Alva and the band I was covered.
About ten of us (including Freddy New Breed, Charles from Rorschach and Amy Edge) me up for a pre-show dinner before heading over to Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory. I think I missed a couple of bands, including Mind Eraser but was lucky enough to catch Asshole Parade. I’d never heard them prior to the show but really liked their sound and overall vibe. Citizens Arrest followed and the place went ape shit. Between the moshing and the stage divers I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive. I was front center and between being thrown into the stage and about five different stage divers delivers blows to my head with boots and body fat I was dazed and at one point almost went down. All of it was totally worth because CXA kicked some serious ass. The original lineup was all there including Janis Cackers and Ted Leo. Playing so many favorites from their good old days and even throwing in covers from SSD and Youth of Today. After the set Daryl Kahan pulled my lifeless body up on stage to take a picture of the band and Fab Five Freddy Alva. It was so good seeing so many familiar faces including Rich Trash, Justine Demetrik, Javier and so many others. Thanks to Janis for the ticket and to everyone that made it such an amazing night.
Todays image came at the very end of my last shoot. Roksolana came to the shoot wearing a pair of Doc Marten boots. As a teenager I owned a pair of ox blood Docs that I cherished. They really stood out from the standard blacks everyone wore. Towards the very end I had her put them on with her dress. As she began to lace them up I stopped her. “Leave them just as they are. They look great.” I’ll be posting more later of her and my other shoots. For now “Rox in Docs.”
Sometimes a band reminds you of why you go out to shows and still get a rush of blood to the head when it all clicks. Last night I was reminded twice when I got to see Bombay and Four Fingers at the Meatlocker in Montclair, NJ.
Bombay features two members from Four Fingers (Chris and Jeff) with Chris switching from drums to the bass. I didn’t get the name of the drummer but he does most of the singing while bashing away on the skins. Bombays sound brings me back to some of the more experimental indie and post core bands of the nineties blended with a good dose of late eighties Dischord. I couldn’t help but think how well they’d fit onto a nice round 7 inch.
After heading over to Jakes for a beer I returned in time for Four FIngers set. This show kicks off their mini tour and despite a case of Montezumas Revenge I would not have missed it for all the Pepto Bismol in Montclair. I had met Tohm at a Reagan Youth show a few years back and immediately formed an easy friendship. Fast Forward to 2010 and I got a chance to interview the band a few blocks away a few months ago. He is currently being offered the vocalist role with Reagan Youth. FF play fast paced Punk with a ton of energy and plenty of crowd interaction. Tohm is an animal on stage while the rest of the band kick some serious ass. Since the interview they’ve added a fourth member to play Bass. Freeing Tohm to be even more of an animal. The band kicked off their tour with a new 7 inch in tow.
Congratulations to the band on the new record, the tour and the stellar set last night. All the best.
On January 2nd my buddy Chris and I decided to brave the below freezing temperature and ring in 2010 with some live music. Cold, hungry and thirsty we gassed up the Civic and headed to Dingbatz in Clifton for (in particular)Joe Coffee and a host others. As usual we arrived early so we grabbed a couple of seats at the bar and just watched as the people began to come in from the cold.
Next up were another NY band Step to Far. I remember meeting their singer Frank in the 90’s down at CBGB’s. He was always a familiar face and a friend on the scene. On this particular night he was doubling on sound while also fronting his band. Step 2 Far brought some gold old NYHC to Jersey on this particular night. Just in case those Jersey kids forgot who was runnin’ shit. Nice seeing Frank. It’s been a while now. Maybe since the closing of CBGB’s.
By the time Joe Coffee took the stage I was a bit snoggered but steady on my feet. As Paul and the band took the stage I felt a slight crack in the concrete as the world seemed to shift on it’s axis. I had not witnessed Paul Bearer’s greatness since his days fronting Sheer Terror but have had Joe Coffee’s “As bright as the stars we’re under” on heavy rotation for some time now. Needless to say the man is an ominous, dark anti-hero. Yet he still has this “favorite yet oft hidden uncle meets W.C. Fields” quality. With all that said Joe Coffee is a band to be reckoned with. Mixing so many different styles. Call them Punk. Call them Hardcore. But I’d best describe them as brutally honest Rock n’ Roll. In between songs Paul went on lengthy rants while drinking a bottle of gin. Brutally honest, spiked with humor, fueled by booze. I’m glad the years haven’t softened him.
Last and not least were the Hub City Stompers. I’ve been hearing about this band for quite some time now but finally got to see for myself what everyone was talking about.After the dark cloud (and I say this with great respect) that Joe Coffee brought. This band was definitely what the crowd needed to send the crowd home on a very high and positive high. The Hub City Stompers hailing from that great band factory New Brunswick keep that great Reggae/Ska/Oi beat going strong. Great musicianship and a contagious energy. They had the whole place showing love. I love a show when you have bands who bring different styles and moods. This was a really good example of it. I think all of the taste buds were refreshed with this one. It was good seeing a familiar face in Brian Macko and meeting the guys from the band Feet First. The ride back to Hoboken was an adventure and story in itself. Flirting with the Dunkin Donuts girl at 3:00 am and Chris’s Jack Daniel’s fused jibba jabba. One of those nights that reminds why live music will always be a special part of our lives.
After attending Mondays amazing show at the Court Tavern I realized that I hadn’t posted any images from the Naked Raygun/ Paint it Black show at Maxwells. I’d been listening to Naked Raygun since the original release of their second album “All Rise” so many lifetimes ago. seeing them again along with a great band like Paint it Black was pretty damn sweet. So here are those pictures. Enjoy and for Christ sake… leave a comment.
Both bands played mind blowing sets. The crowd was both enthusiastic and physical. It’s not often you get to see bands like P.I.B. at Maxwells. Dan was going off to every song and it seemed the stage could hardly contain his energy. Seeing Naked Raygun made me feel like a kid again. They are such a iconic band and I was in awe. Jeff did not look good. He performed well but moved slowly and was shaky. After the show someone told me had contracted Parkinson’s. I don’t know if that was the case but I wish him all the best nonetheless. It was great running into so many old friends and seeing all those familiar faces. A big nod to Jim Mc Dougal who drove all the way from Boston for the show and then turned around and drove home. Good seeing you brother.
Last night me and Brian headed to New Brunswick’s Court Tavern for what would be an awesome show. Brian had called me about a week earlier with the lineup and it seemed like a can’t miss show. So last night we headed South armed with my keen sense of direction and Brian’s 20/240 eyesight. Along the way I must have missed an exit ended up a bit lost. Earlier I had scribbled the directions to the club on a piece of paper. It was pretty dark out so I handed it to Brian and said “Hey Buddy, can you read this to me?” putting the paper directly to his eye “No, don’t you know I’m fucking blind?” Until last night I didn’t know how fucking bad. Finally with the help of some Corzine campaigners we were on our way. The bar itself isn’t as much of a hole as some of my friends had described. Pretty good bar with the performance space downstairs. The doorman who was collecting the cash on the other hand was a complete asshole. The Gerrunds featuring Peter Courtner formerly of Dag Nasty opened. Really good stuff musically. This was my first time hearing them and was pretty impressed. They played a good energetic set and even closed with a Dag Nasty tune. I’ve been around a while and had the opportunity to see a lot of great bands. I’m not much for idolizing of hero worship but seeing Pete perform considering the lasting effect Dag Nasty has had on me was pretty amazing. In between sets I met a few cool people and ran into some familiar faces. Vinny from Generation Records was there and though I only know him casually from shopping there, we recognized one another. I was already in a deep photography conversation with someone I had met when Vin came over and blew my mind with some of the pictures he showed me from his recent trips to Vietnam and Cambodia. I had no idea we shared such a love for photography. He invited me to stop by the store and talk shop anytime I wanted. Next up were the great Fire Still Burns. I had just seen Alf and Nate a few nights before here in Hoboken. This was a sort of combination reunion and last show for them. Kinda sad I missed the boat on these guys. Aside from getting their “Keeping Hope Alive” disc I had never seen them live. They were without a doubt my favorite band of the night. Great songs, great energy and a responsive crowd. I kind of regret not loading up on the merchandise they had at the table. It’s always a no brainer to help support the bands you go see. I was just low on funds on this particular night. Jeff Pezzati’s (Naked Raygun) new band The Bomb followed and played a short set that seemed to end abruptly. They were okay but a little disappointing. As I said in my prior blog about Naked Raygun, Jeff looks sick and seems to have contracted Parkinson’s. Headlining the show was a band I had not scene in twenty years. I remember hearing about Vision for the first time while hanging out at a CBGB’s matinee. Dave Franklin doesn’t look or sound a whole lot different than he did those twenty years ago. Great personality, charisma and interaction with the crowd. They tore through a set of old classics that everyone seemed to sing along and dance to. To quote the man “Not too bad for a Monday night.
Other Observations:
The old man who was pumping gas at that Hess station was without a doubt the funniest/angriest person I’ve encountered in years.
Ran into that girl I kept elbowing at the Naked Raygun show. I owe her a beer.
I run into Ted Flatus wherever I go. I’ve known the guy forever and have not once had a memorable conversation with him or cared about his band.
I think the NJ/NY Punk/Hardcore scene needs to anti up and do a James Unite needs a GPS system for his car” Benefit. I think they owe me at least that much.
There is something very special about the friendships and people I met in the 80’s and 90’s through the NYHC scene. Friendships made in front of clubs like CBGB’s. (gone) In the basement of Some Records. (gone) and those early shows at ABC No Rio. There was something about the music that brought all these misfits and creative individuals together, make them bond and (not to be clique) but for lack of a better word…. become family. Plain and simple most of the good friends I have today (more than twenty years later) are the friends I made going to those Sunday Matinee’s at CBGB’s and the early basement shows at ABC. When my friend Freddy sent me a message about the GO reunion is wasn’t as much about seeing the band again. It was about seeing friends. (some of which just happened to be in a band.)ABC is a shit building that has been on it’s last legs long before Punks ever set foot in it. The people who fill it are what makes the place such a landmark. The people who come to shows and donate, the people who work tirelessly to keep it open and keep it filled with art and creativity. Speaking of creativity there were some really good bands in support of GO including ABC originals Hausi Pungo, Awkward Thought, DBCR and others. It was great seeing so many old familiar faces…. Mike and Aaron from GO, the guys from Hausi Pungo and Citizens Arrest, Bill Florio, Tracy, Freddy Alva and so many others. The bands all put on great sets and were both well received and equally supported. During GO’s set Mike noted that it was ABC’s 20th birthday as far as Punk Matinee’s were concerned which was followed by him lighting a birthday cake, having the crowd blow it out and eat it. Priceless. A good time was definitely had by all.
Other Observations:
The singer for DBCR has the biggest eyebrows known to man. He reminded me of a cross between Dr. Evil and comedian Dave Attell. Awkward Thought singer John Franko wore a hood and ski mask throughout their entire set.
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