ABJECT/HILLTAP TAVERN/9.22.13

ABJECT! @ Hilltap Tavern // Homecoming Show
September 22nd, 2013

THE ENEMY WITHIN (MA)
WEIRD AND PISSED OFF
THE LAST STAND
NO DICE
STEP 2 FAR

I wrote this article a while ago, and was waiting to post it until it was closer to the NYC Abject release show of their new album, Ugly on the Inside, which I fucking can't wait to hear. But sadly, Abject announced yesterday that they were breaking up. I have to say I am feel very lucky to have had the chance to see these guys perform many times, and honored to have had the chance to share shows with them. They are good friends and great dudes. I wish them all the best of luck in future bands.

Now the actual review of the show....

I guess it is pretty strange to admit, but I had never actually been to a Hilltap show until recently. There was a piece of me that felt I may not be welcome at the venue, but I didn't think I would be getting stabbed, maybe slapped around a little. Nothing more than I should expect at this point. But I was finally free and felt I deserved a beating worse than normal, so I headed over.

On a bike it was not nearly as difficult to get to as I thought it was going to be. For people who don't know, the Hilltap is one of the only venues in Queens that has punk and hardcore show consistently, but it is deep in Queens, not some bullshit Astoria nonsense, not to shit on Astoria too hard, but fuck 'em.

Abject's brash frontman and lead vocalist was celebrating his birthday at this show, and rang in a new age with a great line up. Boston's Enemy Within brought some serious hardcore for Hilltap to get down with. I seen these fellas shred The Place before, and they didn't live that show down. Having super heavy riffs and catchy tunes is not an easy duo to mix. A lot of bands can pull off heavy or catchy, but together not many. If you are fan of straight up hardcore and blistering energetic performances, don't fucking miss these dudes the next chance you have to see 'em.

I missed Weird and Pissed Off at this show, which I was very disappointed to find out. But I can't recommend their tunes enough. I deeply enjoy listening to their songs.

But I went to see Abject. I have seen Abject and had the pleasure of sharing bills with them a number of times. However, nothing compares to seeing a great band in their time at their venue and this was their show, completely. To quote the fucking birthday boy's new song, “This is where we belong.” There is a comfort that can be hard to capture in foreign settings, even though away shows present interesting other opportunities. This show was packed with friends and fans of the band. (It is refreshing when this line is willingly blurred by hardcore bands.) And the show pulsed with electricity and dare I say sincere adoration for these dudes, and when they played it was easy to see why.

Abject's sincerity comes across clearly in every note. These dudes are straight up about everything, good, bad, and ugly and don't mince their words. In  a fucking time and place where words and actions are cold and calculated for best case approbation, this is fucking priceless. At times it can be frustrating, and times euphoric, but that honesty is irreplaceable. This is to say not only in their lyrics or stage commentary, which mixes hilarious anecdotes, crowd insults, and often very on point and conscious/applaud worthy social commentary, but it is in their actual playing too. Matt G. puts everything into every strum. That dude doesn't hesitate in his playing. It is fucking ruthless. Attack. Attack. Attack. There just is no defense in his game. Which is why having Spew there as a guitar freak is nice. While he does not bring the attack as Matt does, he can play a bit of defense when needed. I was unsure at times which guitar player was playing which leads, but I have to say, on some of the new tunes, I really enjoyed some leads which on paper I might have thought were too metal for my taste. They weren't they fucking interesting as hell, and added a new angle and depth to a sound which I have heard time and time again and still enjoy.

Too much sports? Fine. Let me say one thing about Chucky Brown on bass, and Shuffles on drums. Chucky's bass riffs reverberate into uncomfortable places. He is a fucking maniac when he tears into his jams.  And Shuffles may not the prettiest drummer when he chose to defrock, but aside from this ugly but benign mole on an otherwise unblemished set, Shuffles and Chucky synch in and drive this shit forward. Shuffles just loses consciousness and flows. I don't know who is driving who, I just know these fuckers are moving this shit.

The show had a real family feeling, probably because it was largely made up of people Abject would considered family. Well I should not speak for the dudes, if that crowd was not family, it was certainly felt like a day of family. NYC punk rock staple Pookie, who has since understandably abandoned us for brighter pastors, and Jamie had a belching competition between sets.  As they pounded seltzer water (they drink that here in NYC, I don't know why) Jamie's lovely special lady friend, Laura just smiled her priceless smile and handed her man another can of bubble water. Raul, who was working the door, jumped around the pit like a psychotic spider monkey. Sean from the great NYC HC band On The Offense amused us all  in between sets with his positive, but biting wit, another combination not easily to walk along. Tall drink of water, tough ass Meagan regaled us with fucked up stories from the front lines of her ER, and then got the fuck down in the pit and maybe even put a few of the dudes in line for a check up. Fucking good times. This is what a hardcore show should be like, everyone included, everyone being good to each other (there actually was one creep who always seemed a half step away from pulling whatever conceal weapon he kept touching under his coat. I like to think it was a concealed weapon and not his fucking dick. That dude was a fucking creep.)  Everyone (else) was just fucking having a good time and being great to each other.

But, briefly, back to the set, besides a broken string and a shirtless Shuffles the set was flawless. Then they filmed a video for one of their tunes, and a crowd, a family that was already giving their all in a wicked thrashing pit, went wildly off the cliff. Dudes and chicks flipping around and blasting their own vocals so loud, Jamie was hard to hear. Ever song was sung by the crowd the whole set, but shit got outta control when the cameras went on. Its nice to know these fuckers can turn it to 11 when they are called to do so.

I have seen Abject in enough different spaces and towns to know that they kill it where ever/whenever. But I will say, this was their time/their place and they fucking captured it.

THE FAR EAST/THE SWAMP/11.11.13

THE FAR EAST @ The Swamp
Nov. 11th ,2013 

CHRIS MURRAY (LA's SKA champion)
THE FRIGHTNRS (scary good nyc reggae)
THE FAR EAST

 

While punk and hc are my bread and butter, I love all music that boils my blood. When I was at the matinee at the Swamp on Nov.17th to hear what I consider to be one of the best musical talents I have ever had the pleasure of hearing, The Frightnrs, I also heard another band that was a pleasant reminder of how moving and energizing other styles can be as well.

Some times the soul gets lost in blistering riffs and ripping punk vox, it is hard to go hard and fast and convey deep emotion. Enter Maddie Ruthless. Ms. Ruthless, along with her collective of killer boys,  lit up the stage as The Far East.

When they hit their rhythm they were a juggernaut of joy. The Far East imbued that crowd with smiles. But that that alone is not impressive to me. I challenge anyone to listen to a reggae influenced band without smiling. Good fucking luck. While I love reggae, some of them tunes can sap folks of resolve. Some slow tunes in general can lull a crowd, but The Far East filled folks with energy. Not an easy task for The Swamp on a chilly Sunday AFTERNOON (it is more of a night show crowd over there). That room was pulsing when they finished, not only in anticipation for the great FRIGHTNRS, but because The Far East took 'em on a ride and left them wanting to go further.

The musicians in The Far East are magnificent. Great songs, played perfectly, and with emotion. But I singled out mentioning Maddie earlier, because I had to ask someone I was watching with who that was playing guitar. She really struck me as something special. Not because she was a woman (all you gutter-brains who went to a fucked up place with that need to get some fucking hobbies). What impressed me most about the set was Maddie's guitar playing. I am no guitar aficionado, far from it. I don't get Hendrix, Led Zeppelin bores the hell out of me, anyone named Jimmy rubs me the wrong way. I am all vocals all day, and Maddie's vocals were spectacular, I don't mean to say that they weren't. But when I was standing there, listing, I was mesmerized by her guitar playing. I even turned to my buddy to comment on it, and he told me to shut the fuck up, which was the right thing to do, as usual.  I honestly had never heard, or never noticed guitar sound so delicate before. Every strum/note/touch reverberated with depth.

I hope to have these folks on a DftU show soon! But either way, yall should GET DOWN with The Far East.

--Joey Steel

Hillltap Tavern/June 4, 2011

Hilltap Tavern in Queens
June 4, 2011

DIS-CON
RETRO-VIRAL
NO VICE
SECOND BEST (PA)
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
Yo!SCUNT
(A)TRUTH
SEIZURE CRYPT
ENDANGERED FECES

Alright so growing up i didn't have too many of those things called friends and i spent a lot of my time living under a rock (and in and out of psych wards and on people's floors/basements) so i hadn't really been to too many local shows until a friend of mine took me to a basement show in st. James long island where i was introduced to zombie culture and retro viral. Now this was impactful because it was one of my first shows and it was when i was re introduced to this guy who i met outside of the pizza shop in my town (justyn kiddo). He asked me to join his band and the rest is history. 

Well although this was a very important show to me it's not the one i hold most memorable. The one i hold most memorable if i had to pick one it would be the Yo!$cunt cd release show. Now me being new to the scene it was a night of firsts and as it turned out a night of a few lasts. 

Now this was the second time i ever saw yo!$cunt and it was also the first time i went to the hilltap. Two things that would become staples in my time spent going to shows. What was most memorable at this show was that i spent a good portion of it making friends who i consider to be righteous individuals but i also spent most of that night talking to a young lady by the name of sarah B who i had a crush on since my first show with retroviral. The night was fun, she gave me her number and two and a half years later we're living together happily in queens.

What was also great about this night was how amazing everyone played. It was probably the best set i had ever played with retroviral, every note on every song was exactly the way i wanted it to sound and everyone at the show got in on the pit and it was over all the most fun i ever had in that band. Unfortunately it wound up being the penultimate show for retroviral and the last show for no vice. Just before we both were scheduled to play punk island. Although both great bands (in my own opinion) ended, that night will always be a great memory for me.

-Rob Miller - the imaginary friend

RAMSHACKLE GLORY/JERRY KOCH BENEFIT at M(A)/7.6.2013

RAMSHACKLE GLORY @ M(A) House in Brooklyn
JULY 6th, 2013

THE TAXPAYERS (goof punk from everywhere except NYC)

RAMSHACKLE GLORY (7 piece anarcho-punk from TUCSON, AZ)

WOOD SPIDER (high energy NYC Folk Punk) 

BROOK PRIDEMORE (punk folk)

This summer, hundreds of punks packed into the local anarchist space in Bushwick to see Ramshackle Glory. If you don't already know Ramshackle Glory, go educate yourself. They are one of the best folk punk bands in the US and they put on an awesome show. Not only do they have a great stage presence and great songs, they also keep their music political.

Now the actual performance in itself was fantastic as well as very impressive. The fact that none of the band members passed out while playing was remarkable (it was well over 100 degrees in that room). It was tough to hear through the PA but it didn't matter because EVERYONE in the crowd knew the words and was singing along.

About half way through the show, Pat (frontman of Ramshackle Glory) stopped the show because of some fucked up behavior coming from crowd members. The issue was quickly dealt with, and the show went on. It is a relieving thing to know that there are still bands out there that ACTUALLY give a fuck and are willing to take the spot light off of themselves to address issues that they stand against.

By the end of the show I was so covered in sweat that I could have filled a bath tub. The shirt I took off retained enough sweat to fill a bottle of water, I had no voice left, and my knees were hurting. Long story short, it was a killer show.

Be sure to catch them when they are in your area and also check out Savage Wasteland, an anarchist music collective that they are a part of and help run.

-Jason Tancer

(An added side note from JOEY: This was a benefit for Gerald “Jerry” Koch, a New York City anarchist and legal activist. He was found in contempt of court on May 21, 2013. For more info on Koch go to:www.jerryresists.net 

Jerry Resists

NOTHING BUT CONTEMPT FOR THE COURTS!)

MASAKARI/THE ACHERON/7.9.2010

MASAKARI @ Acheron
July 9th, 2010

MASAKARI TERROR LEVEL RED (reunited for this show)
DEATH FIRST
ZHENIA GOLOV

From time to time, I like to think of those shows which blew my mind. They are hard to think of at the time. Sometimes it only happens in hindsight, when you think about it more. But sometimes, in the middle of the show, you realize, 'holy shit, this show is not normal. I can't believe how out of control.”

I remember seeing MASAKARI at ABC NO RIO in NYC years ago. I left that show with a new favorite band, and since they were from Cleveland and conscious punx I was proud to love their tunes.

When my friend Dean and I went an saw them a few years later at in Bushwick, THE ACHERON Brooklyn, we knew it was gonna be a great show, but mid show/set I actually walked out of the show. Throwing up outside simply from how awesome the show was (not because of drinking, sXe) I knew this was one of those shows.

I cleaned the vomit off my face. Shook off the bad vibes, and ran back inside. The walls in Acheron are pure black and back then the pit area was very tight, it has since expanded that space. It was, at the time a disorienting space. I am not sure there was any dancing at the show, but I remember being out of control. In hindsight we may have had a fight in the pit, but whatever it was, it was fun. Masakari drives a crowd bonkers.

They are pure bred D-BEAT machines crusted with awesomeness and pure crowd pleasing/blistering death riffs. When I could not move any more I just stood there and smiled. On bad days, at bad shows, I think of that show, the vomit, the violence, and the shit eating grin that sat on my stupid mug and how those dudes and that crowd poured every ounce of honest energy they had out. It made me happy, and makes me a better person.

Long Live Masakari

WTFWD

Here is What The Fuck We Do.

This blog was made because we and our co-conspirators have simply too much to say about the shows they go to/the bands they see. We felt obligated to make a place for these thoughts. It in no way is a replacement for the podcast. It is more like a supplement.

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