United By… (The Crowd)

Over time, I began to include a few pictures of the crowds expressions, participation and overall reaction to particular acts, sets and song. For as long as I’ve attCrowd (1 of 1)Crowd Gap (1 of 1)ended shows and gone to concerts, every act with little to no exception, had a particular song that the audience knew every word, hook and breakdown. While it was always a great opportunity to capture the moment when a singer reaches his emotional halcyon or time the moment when the guitarist launches in the air. It might also be the perfect opportunity to catch the reaction to the crowd. The images to your right were captured about eight years apart. The above captures the crowd at a Revelation Records showcase at CBGB’s. While the one below shows the emotion of the crowd during a set by the band Thursday at Atlantic City’s House of Blues.

United By… (Mouthpiece)

Though I was still very much into straightedge and hardcore music during the nineties, Mouthpiece @ The WetlandsI only manged to see New Jersey’s Mouthpiece several times. The most memorable are pictured below at New York City’s Wetlands and the legendary CBGB’s when I tagged along with Wendy Eager of Guillotine to conduct an interview with the band’s singer Tim McMahon. I also did an interview with Tim in Princeton ten plus years later over by the Record Exchange. You can order the band’s discography Here Musically and lyrically, Mouthpiece were heavily influenced by bands like Minor Threat and Youth of Today. Ultimately, carrying the torch into the 90’s and beyond. I also did an interview with Tim in Princeton ten plus years later over by the Record Exchange.

Mouthpiece @ CBGB's

United By… (No Escape)

No Escape (1 of 1)I originally got to learn about Tim Singer through his outstanding hardcore fanzine ‘Boiling Point’. However, it wasn’t until I heard his newly formed band No Escape on the 1990 hardcore compilation ‘ Rebuilding’. Though it was an awkward time for NYHC. There were a crop of new acts that were bending the rules while reshaping the sound and the approach of a sound and scene that had run out of ideas and originality. I was lucky enough to see No Escape once before Tim went on to the bands Deadguy and Kiss it Goodbye. Something I feel very lucky to have taken part of.  While I’m not sure what camera I used here. I am sure that my long time friend, Casey accompanied me to the show.

United By… (Into Another)

Though it took time to fully embrace the fact that Underdog (One of my favorite bands of all time.) Bystander-118was done and their charismatic singer was on to new and much stranger things. While Richie and Into Another weren’t the first one’s to explore new sounds outside of hardcore punk, they were definitely the most eccentric. After two landmark releases with Revelation Records, they were swept up by Hollywood records at a time when major labels were circling the indie market in hopes of signing the next Nirvana. As a vocalist, Richie Birkenhead’s range was like no other before or since. As a band, Into Another raised the bar as far as creativity went. 1994’s “Ignaurus” still stands as one of my favorite albums of all time. With the song “Drown” making its way onto many of the playlists I share.