My initial introduction to New York’s Turbo A.C’s came at a random New Jersey bar. On that particular night I was visiting a friend whose New Jersey thrash core band happened to be playing. With my hopes to get a bus back to the city dashed, I turned to the only band heading back to New York City that night. The alternative of sleeping on my friends bedroom floor was my only other option and to be honest, I’d hitch a ride with a serial killer before choosing to do so. Luckily, Mike and Kevin were more than happy to oblige with the caveate that we stop at local dinner before hitting the Lincoln Tunnel and escaping to Manhattan to secure our freedom.
After that night I stayed in touch with Kevin and Mike as I began to explore the punk revival happening in and around New York City’s the Continental. Of all the bands I went to see there, I found their music to be most relatable. Often reminding me of bands such as The Hellacopters, Supersuckers and Hard-Ons.
At the time, the Continental was hosting a lot of great bands that seemed to fit into the cities punk rock revival. During a relatively short time, I got to see bands with names like The Deviators, The Turbo AC’s, The Suicide King (Featuring Nick Marden of the legendary Stimulators, The Snake Charmers and (pictured here) the Candy Snatchers. The Continental was tiny with the bar on the left and the stage in the back. Like most of Manhattan, the Continental and the adjacent St. Marks Street bare little or no resemblance to the once edgy character it was once known. The last time I visited the area, The Continental was a yuppie bar, and St. Marks was lined with trendy restaurants and frozen yogurt chains. What I liked most about this particular band was that element of danger tthey always seemed to carry. That kind of Stooges vibe. Being in my twenties at the time. I liked the element of anything can happen at any time. A stark contrast to today, where so many people at shows are more engaged with their phones and social media, than the actual event.
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