Dying Scene

Authority Zero, the Mesa, Arizona skateboard punk group returned to Chicago on September 28, 2002, headlining at Reggie’s Music Joint. Playing in support were the Blue Island hardcore band Nightcap and the Second City ska/punk band Beat the Smart Kids.

Authority Zero, whose sound is a fusion of skate punk and reggae, has been around since 1994 and has cycled through lot of personnel changes. With its current lineup of Jason DeVore on lead vocals, Mike Spero on bass, Chris Dalley on drums, and Brandon Landelius on guitar, it continues to be fun to watch. The midweek show at the smaller of Reggie’s two music rooms provided so much entertainment it had the small but enthusiastic crowd dancing and singing along.

Chicago’s Beat the Smart Kids is patched together with former and current members of Waste Basket, The Indecisives, Still Alive, and The Damn Tracks. The ska/reggae group features not one by two sax players who seem to be the engine of the band. However, the whole group works well in conjunction and is a good complement to this night’s headliners.

Nightcap, skate punk from southside Chicago’s Blue Island, kickstarted the show with a hard-charging set. Bass player Chris Cope (Copoulos) is a leader in the Windy City hardcore scene, and is often seen making the rounds at the local punk and rock clubs with Nightcap, Fighting For Scraps and Fear City. He and his bandmates powered through their set list with sans a trace of slowing down. Nightcap was a great choice to set the tempo for a the show looking to give fans a midweek respite to get them through to the weekend.

See below for more photos!