Mummies/Back CC’s
June 9, 2009 – (two sets) Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
June 10, 2009 – Southpaw, Brooklyn, NY

“So why do you think they played here in 2002?”

I turned around and saw my friend Jan laughing, as he brought over Maxwell’s and Telstar Records owner Todd Abramson to ask me this. I climbed drunkenly over another friend and sat on the top of the booth seat.  “Well,” I said, “it was listed on their website and I’m pretty sure I saw it in the Village Voice.”

You see, ever since November 2002, I’ve been kicking myself because I missed the Mummies play at Maxwell’s (presumably to promote the then just-released Never Been Caught CD.) Or I thought I missed it.  According to Abramson, the Mummies did not play Maxwell’s in November of 2002; he wasn’t aware it was listed on their website and said it was probably just a joke. Read the rest of this entry »

The Damned, The BelRays, Electric Frankenstein
Fillmore at Irving Plaza
May 14, 2009

It’s sad to say, but the number of living legends from the early part of  punk history is dwindling rather quickly. With the death of three quarters of The Ramones, Joe Strummer, Arthur “Killer” Kane, and (most recently) Lux Interior, the need to see bands that are still alive (and killing it on stage) is a must.

Luckily, the dark princes of punk, The Damned, are still vivacious as ever, churning out new records and putting enough emotion in their concerts to show up even the rowdiest new band.

The Damned made good on their cancelled December dates, returning with two pure rock acts in tow—Jersey street rockers Electric Frankenstein and R&B rave up act The BellRays. Read the rest of this entry »

“You can hate a hammer but it’s a good tool,” said Pat Todd, owner of independent label Rankoutsider Records (and front man for Pat Todd and the Rankoutsiders) when asked about the good and bad of South by Southwest. I had no idea what to expect from SXSW – how would it compare to lame-o festivals like Lollapalooza, Warped Tour and CMJ? Why the hell am I, a person who suffers regular, frequently crippling, anxiety attacks willingly surrounding myself by tens of thousands of people?

“Bands of our level spend $1000 to make $100,” continued Todd, matter-of-factly, when asked why independent bands go out of their way to play SXSW. The four-day music festival is undeniably good exposure, not just for bands that are looking for a label or management, but to get their music heard and their name out there. Todd said his label doesn’t pay to bring in its acts, they come in on their own dime and they don’t expect to make any money.

Rankoutsider Records solo artist Patrick “Salt” Ryan drove himself down from New York and seems to be enjoying the party atmosphere (I watched him do three shots of whiskey before his 12:30 p.m. set.) What a way to begin a four-day bender… I thought I should wait a few more hours before I began drinking but that plan lasted about a half hour. Read the rest of this entry »

Street Dogs and Swingin’ Utters
Asbury Lanes, New Jersey
March 14, 2008

Click here to see more photos from the show

When the Dropkick Murphy’s first record “Do or Die” dropped in the mid-‘90s, it was met with a collective “ooh and ah” from punk fans bored of the overproduced Hot Topic crap being bandied about on MTV.

The band eschewed the typical tough guy Oi mentality for working class punk rock that related as much to the Union man as it did to the disgruntled mall punk. The best part was that they played  mind numbingly catchy music.

Alas, singer  Mike McColgan left the band to become a firefighter and history wrote itself. The Dropkick Murphys went on to become a household name, fronted by gruff vocalist Al Barr. Meanwhile, McColgan began dabbling in punk again with The Street Dogs.

Unlike their Boston brethren, The Street Dogs eschew the traditional Irish style for a rawer sound teeming with proletariat-driven lyrics. A year or so ago, the band opened for psychobilly stalwarts Tiger Army and proceeded to show up their label mates by producing one of the most intense concerts I’ve seen in years. The Irving Plaza was practically breaking at the seams as the band blasted through their first few records.

Saturday night, The Street Dogs performed in an even more intimate environment, turning up at the tiny Asbury Lanes for a sold out show in front of some diehard fans. To make things even more exciting, the band brought with them the resurrected Swingin’ Utters who sound as if they haven’t aged a day, even though they have long since ditched the liberty spikes. Read the rest of this entry »

Dropkick Murphys, H2O, Civet
Roseland Ballroom, New York
March 7, 2009

St. Patrick’s Day is here, which means the Dropkick Murphys have to be close by. At least they were—a week ago.

This is their second pass through the Big Apple, supporting their phenomenal record, “The Meanest of Times,” and this time, the Dropkicks brought a few friends. Members of Agnostic Front and Sick of it All mulled around back stage and long time punk/hardcore mavens H2O were on hand to warm the audience up. Not like the Murphys needed it. Read the rest of this entry »

Detroit Cobras, Those Young Lions, Little Boots and Drusilla
Music Mill, Indianapolis, IN
December 5, 2008

“Rock and roll is the best job of all time. You don’t get to call in sick.” – Mike Edison, author of I Have Fun Everywhere I Go

Well, you do if you’re the Detroit Cobras, most recently evidenced by their first area show in several years. Strike that, the band was having fun but the singer wasn’t. How about calling in “I just don’t give a shit?” I mean really, could it have been more obvious singer Rachael Nagy didn’t want to be there? She stood still, rolled her eyes and tapped her feet (and not in time to the music.) Many audience members noticed it and commented on it. I heckled at one point “At least it’s better than a day job” but got no response. Read the rest of this entry »

International Noise Conspiracy, Walter Schreifels, Young Lords
November 11, 2008
Webster Hall Studio, NYC

Watching the International Noise Conspiracy take the stage at the newly minted Webster Hall Studio was a bit surreal. On one hand, the band rocked with the same anarchist-leaning, punk-as-fuck steadfastness that has made the former-Refused band members icons in both the hardcore and indie rock movements. There’s only one problem - The crowd (err, leaches) at last Tuesday’s show were the same douche bags the band have been ranting against for half a decade. Read the rest of this entry »

The Misfits, Zombie Mafia, A Midnight Tragedy
Starland Ballroom, NJ
November 1, 2008

The Misfits hit their home state of New Jersey on Dia De Los Muertos, Saturday night, and treated the fans with a set heavy with hits from every era of The Misfits mythos.

I got there in time to catch the last few songs of A Midnight Tragedy. A tragedy indeed - this band of post apocalyptic refugees sound like a desperate attempt to grab the attention of the My Chemical Romance crowd while appealing to Avenged Sevenfold fans. They failed in both regards, coming off more like a band pleading to get signed to a major than anything that could be confused with the terms edgy, innovative, or good. Read the rest of this entry »