Muddy Roots 2023 is officially in the books, and with this being my first trip out to Cookeville, TN for MRMF, man was it a hell of an introduction. If you aren’t familiar with what the Muddy Roots crew has brewing in the middle of rural Tennessee, think of a DIY version of Bonaroo, but […]
Muddy Roots 2023 is officially in the books, and with this being my first trip out to Cookeville, TN for MRMF, man was it a hell of an introduction.
If you aren’t familiar with what the Muddy Roots crew has brewing in the middle of rural Tennessee, think of a DIY version of Bonaroo, but way sicker and way more affordable. Free camping virtually anywhere on the premises and a wide-open BYOB policy have helped build a reputation valuing the music and community over large profits, something I appreciated just as much as the huge headliners they’ve attracted in recent years.
The huge headliners in question for this year’s installment were GWAR, Suicidal Tendencies, and Cro Mags, all of which were live firsts for myself. There wasn’t a drop-off in big names either after the top 3, with Amigo the Devil and DRI also playing. And, with the exception of Daikaiju and Night Talkers, almost all artists were, at least personally, live firsts.
The atmosphere was perfect, the music was perfect, everything was perfect. Whatever they’re doing out in Cookeville surely seems to be working. The shuttles to a nearby private waterfall help folks truly appreciate the gorgeous and unique scenery of Eastern Tennessee, while the music starts early and continues late into the night. From bluegrass to sludge-metal, punk rock to rockabilly, local act to international touring musician, Muddy Roots did as good a job as any in bringing people together from all over to celebrate the music we all love.
With the festival lineup growing larger and more diverse each year, I felt coverage of Muddy Roots would be most productive in highlighting some of the weekend favorites, rather than each individual performer. Below you’ll find the eight artists I most enjoyed seeing.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Night Talkers a handful of times, most recently opening for The Last Gang at Music City’s best punk bar, the Cobra. And when local ska-punk legends Stuck Lucky were a last minute Covid scratch, onlookers were graced with the Night Talkers signature style of shredding guitar solos and fast, in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll. Although it was a disappointment missing the always entertaining Stuck Lucky, Night Talkers very much filled their shoes, much to the pleasure of the packed-out Wood Stage crowd.
Unless I’m mistaken (which is always a possibility), this was Night Talkers’ Muddy Roots debut. They’ve recently, as of the last year and a half or so, emerged as a local favorite of mine and I’ve been glad to see some local dudes garner interest both around town and out of state.
Hans Gruber and the Die Hards was one of those pesky touring bands that has somehow alluded my radar for several years now. I’ve known who they were for a while, but it wasn’t until the Muddy Roots lineup was announced that I hopped on board with these guys. It sucks to think that I’ve missed out for this long on probably the most entertaining band of the weekend.
Between every song, it seemed someone was switching instruments, whether it was lead-singer Rosey Armstrong switching from saxophone to some sort of handheld percussion instrument, or her husband Kurt dropping the bass and grabbing the traffic cone trombone, these dudes were all over the place, both musically and literally. I couldn’t take my eyes off their set, not only for the fast, hard-hitting punk rock, but for the stage antics that I only managed to capture a fraction of in my shots.
I’ve found the band whose duty it is to fill the Masked Intruder void that was left with the hiatus of everyone’s favorite masked punkers. The Jasons have emerged, assless chaps and all, with their own unique blend of villanous attire and Ramones-core punk rock. Humorous, sexy, terrifying, they’ve got the look figured out, and the music is in no way lacking.
Their closing came in the form of a sort of response to the Menzingers‘ ‘I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore’ titled ‘I Wanna Be an Asshole’. And it sent the crowd into nothing short of a frenzy.
Waxed was a band I decided to break my punk-rock-only policy for, and it was probably the best decision I could have made. The experience that’s been gained in their 10+ year history really presented itself with their mastery of stage performance. The crowd was as rowdy as any I’d seen all weekend, even keeping up with the obvious contenders in Suicidal Tendencies and GWAR (although I’ve gotta rank it behind Cro Mags saying as an actual ambulance had to rush to the pit during their set).
Trending more towards modern hardcore than the skatepunk I normally fancy, I did see shades of Turnstile in both sound and performance from these guys. It was obvious from the packed mob of onlookers that a group of fan-favorites was about to take the stage.
Not much else really needs to be said here other than Tim Barry did what Tim Barry does. He put on a hell of a fuckin’ show, split pretty evenly between being up on stage and down on ground level with the rest of the crowd. The sentiment and storytelling were there, giving meaning and insight to the ever-attentive crowd. All the favorites were heard, at least all my favorites, including ‘Fine Foods Market’ much of Rivanna Junction, all culminating with the obvious closer, ‘Avoiding Catatonic Surrender’.
If were going off of technicality here, I guess I had already previously seen Tim Barry’s Fest 20 set last October, but the view sucked and I was rushing off to another set before Barry was halfway through his. This was my first real Tim Barry show and it satisfied every live-show craving I had to see my favorite Americana writer.
I’ve covered multiple Daikaiju attacks, being that they aren’t merely live performances, but attacks. Prior to each show, I seem to forget why they are my favorite band to photograph, and maybe favorite live band overall. Fire always holds a prominent place in performances, almost as prominent as crowd interaction.
Every crowd interaction possibility that I can devise occurred at the Wood Stage, during the late hours of Muddy Roots night one. Lead guitarist Secret Man led the crowd onslaught, riding the shoulders of one crowd member, recruiting others to play instruments, and surfing the remaining spectators, all while playing seemingly neverending surf-punk riffs. The tattered remains of each member’s Hawaiian stage uniform makes a whole lot more sense post-attack. The only antic I had yet to witness (until this performance that is) was their ritualistic tour van arson, which was done almost ceremonially to close their performance.
Having lived in Tennessee for much of my adult life, Suicidal Tendencies and Cro Mags have been bands of legend, with my only hope of seeing live performances being out-of-state travel. So I was beyond stoked seeing the lineup announcement featuring two of the founders of Hardcore. What I was unaware of, however, was the amount of talent and musical experience that would grace the main stage late during the first night.
Beginning with Mike Muir and Dean Pleasants, Muir being the only original member and Pleasants’ now outlasting that of former guitarist Rocky George. The two veterans recruited their asses off, bringing in the next generation of great musicians in Ben Weinman, Tye Trujillo, and Greyson Nekrutman. Weinman, formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan, Trujillo, whose last name may be recognizable as son of RnR Hall of Fame Metallica member Robert Trujillo, and Nekrutman, a worthy replacement for current Offspring drummer Brandon Pertzborn.
During the show, Muir’s years did not show a bit, while Trujillo portrayed a musicianship that didn’t seem to align with the mere 18 years he’s lived. Trujillo boasted some of the fastest, yet cleanest bass playing I’ve witnessed, while Weinman and Nekrutman’s speed was equally impressive. The current Suicidal lineup was, in many ways, the epitome of punk: a group from different backgrounds, genres, and even generations, producing genre-mending music.
While Suicidal Tendencies had gone through an evolution, Cro Mags appeared to be the fast, wreckless, fuckin’ insane punk band that I had pictured from 40 years prior. As was the case with Mike Muir, Harley Flanagan’s age was not a factor in his ability to utilize the entirety of the stage within a matter of seconds.
What was immediately obvious was these guys were veterans, they knew exactly what they were doing up there. The crowd excitement gave this the feel of a small-club East coast show rather than an outdoor festival in rural Tennessee.
There you have it, a pretty good wrap-up of my Muddy Roots experience in a nutshell. However, only so much can be portrayed through word and photograph. The community atmosphere was just as enjoyable as the big headliners, but don’t get me wrong, the music was as rad as ever, making me proud to live so close to something so special.
I feel it to be a punishable offense that the Nashville Dying Scene branch has failed to cover Muddy Roots in the past. I hope to have the privilege to cover MRMF far more frequently in the future because it really is as special as I hope I’ve portrayed. Scroll on down for a bunch of shots from the weekend. As always, thanks for checking out the site. Cheers!
UK post punk band, Dry Cleaning have been touring North America for most of the new year and finished this leg of their 2023 World tour last week when they passed through Red Hook, Brooklyn at event space Pioneer Works. Along for the ride were openers Spirit Of The Beehive and Nourished By Time. 2022 […]
UK post punk band, Dry Cleaning have been touring North America for most of the new year and finished this leg of their 2023 World tour last week when they passed through Red Hook, Brooklyn at event space Pioneer Works. Along for the ride were openers Spirit Of The Beehive and Nourished By Time.
2022 was quite a busy year for Dry Cleaning, with the release of their critically-acclaimed sophomore LP, Stumpworknot to mention almost non-stop touring, all of which has proven to be a huge boon to the band’s popularity. Last year at this time they played the relatively tiny Market Hotel here in Brooklyn, while this show at Pioneer Works was sold out with well over 1000+ in attendance. It certainly is my guess that next go-around will see them knocking on the doors of even larger venues once again.
Dry Cleaning offers up a sound which is different and quite unique. Lead singer Florence Shaw doesn’t sing as much as she speaks in cadence. It’s not a rap kind of speaking but more of a flowing stream of sentences washing over a background of exquisite music provided by Tom Dowse on guitar, Lewis Maynard on bass and Nick Buxton on drums. Opening up their set with “Kwenchy Kups” and “Alan Ashby” off of their Stumpwork album it was immediately clear that the band has grown into a well-oiled machine with the virtual nonstop touring with which they’ve been doing. Shaw opening up the show with the opening lines “Things are shit, but they’re gonna be okay” seemed perfect. Her whispered voice over the cascading guitar fills echoing out of Tom Dowse’s amplifier mixed with the bouncing rhythm provided by Maynard and Buxton on bass and drums respectively set the tone for the entire evening. Whereas “Kups” was slow and almost dirge-like, the follow-up of “Alan Ashby” with its rolling, almost danceable rhythm was a near-perfect segue. And so the evening went. Shaw was absolutely mesmerizing front-of-stage clutching her microphone stand for much of the evening or pantomiming with her hands when she was not while she murmured the lines to each of her songs.
Tom Dowse
As captivating as Florence Shaw’s stage presence and vocal presentations were, the work which Tom Dowse was pulling off to her right on stage was almost otherworldly. With a unique style which I don’t think I’ve ever seen from anyone else, his playing lead guitar riffs on an electric 12-string was jaw-dropping to say the least. Never overstated or showy, the sounds and progressions which he was created throughout the evening has me scratching my head for most of the night wondering how he did it. Despite his understated style of neck play, he still managed to create enough of a whirlwind of sound to float just behind the words that Shaw was hushly reciting.
Lewis Maynard
Which brings me to the rhythm section, specifically Lewis Maynard on bass. Watching him play, you would have thought you were seeing a bass player in a funk band grooving on the beats. His crazy long hair flowing each and every way as he rocked forward and back to what seemed like every note plucked from his bass. Yet what you were actually hearing was a backbeat which perfectly accentuated the fluid tide which Shaw and Dowse were sharing. Bouncing to the subtle beat it took me some time to put 2 and 2 together but what I was hearing from Maynard was a bass style right out of the Robbie Shakespeare book of rub a dub-style riddem…and it was a perfect compliment to the entire ensemble.
Dry Cleaning is by no means a dance band but certainly, they are quite adept at creating dance music. Not jump up and down kind of music, but perfect ambient, sway back and forth in a cosmic buoyant haze kind of dance music. A band whereby the whole is way greater than the sum of the parts. I for one can’t wait to see them again even if it means having to experience it in a significantly larger space due to their ever-growing popularity.
A quick word regarding the two opening bands. Nourished By Time, the nom de plume of Baltimore native Marcus Brown started the evening off with a spirited and interestingly enjoyable mix of R&B, Hip Hop, and electronic music which managed to grab ahold of much of the early-arriving crowd. Next up was Philadelphia’s SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE who despite being plagued by technical issues throughout their truncated set still managed to present a forward-thinking hypnotic brand of rock. With all three primary bandmates (Zack Schwartz on guitar and vocals, bassist/vocalist Rivka Ravede and multi-instrumentalist Corey Wichlin) all sharing various duties on synths, the band created quite a captivating sound. I hope to see them again in the near future.
Despite living in the Greater Boston Area for the four-plus decades I’ve been alive, and despite having seen numerous Dropkick Murphys lineups play numerous Dropkick Murphys shows – from a show where they appeared sandwiched between The Mr. Rogers Project and The Pietasters at The Living Room in Providence to headlining the hometown Agganis Arena […]
Despite living in the Greater Boston Area for the four-plus decades I’ve been alive, and despite having seen numerous Dropkick Murphys lineups play numerous Dropkick Murphys shows – from a show where they appeared sandwiched between The Mr. Rogers Project and The Pietasters at The Living Room in Providence to headlining the hometown Agganis Arena over St. Patrick’s Day weekend – I’d never actually seen the band live and in person on the most Boston Irish of holidays itself. Until now. The 2023 installment of the Dropkicks’ annual St. Patrick’s Day weekend festivities took three days at the massive new MGM Music Hall that serves as the literal back door to Fenway Park, with Sunday’s wrap-up show happening across the street at the comparatively quaint 2200-capacity House Of Blues.
As has been customary for many of the St. Patrick’s Day weekend festivities that Dropkick have thrown over the years, this run capped off what had been a pretty busy tour schedule in support of their latest album, in this case This Machine Still Kills Fascists, the Woody Guthrie-inspired record that they put out on their own label last year (a follow-up, Okemah Rising, is due out this Spting). Openers rotated slots across the four main shows (Saturday also had an early “soundcheck”-style abridged set and meet-and-greet); St. Patrick’s Day itself featured The Rumjacks and Turnpike Troubadours; Nikki Lane and Jesse Ahern also took their respective turns in the rotation at the weekend’s other shows.
The Rumjacks kicked off the St. Patrick’s Day festivities promptly at 6:30pm to a fairly robust crowd in spite of the early set time. Probably helps that the holiday fell on a Friday and that it’s spot at the end of Lansdowne Street puts MGM right at the start (or end, I suppose) of a run of bars eager to cash in on the most pub-crawlingest of holidays. The Australian lads’ set had a bit of a hometown feel to it, not just because most Celtic/Irish punk bands do pretty well in this market, but because not only is local boy Mike Rivkees manning frontman and tin whistle duties, but his fellow Mickey Rickshaw bandmate Kyle Goyette has been handling accordion duties and may/may not officially be a Rumjack now? The band ripped through a baker’s dozen Irish bangers including “Through These Iron Sights,” “One For The Road” and, of course, “An Irish Pub Song.”
Turnpike Troubadours occupied the middle slot on the bill, and they’re a band I’d been looking forward to catching again for a long time. The last time I saw Turnpike was back in 2018 at Lucero’s Family Block Party in Memphis. It was good, but it wasn’t, from my understanding as someone who was considerably late to the Turnpike game, a really representative set for a variety of reasons, and the band went on hiatus early the following year in order to allow frontman Evan Felker to sort out some personal demons. The band reunited about a year ago and good grief are they making up for lost time.
Earlier in the week, Turnpike had played in front of something like 75,000 people at the Houston Rodeo and Livestock show which, I’d imagine, is something like Texas’ version of St. Patrick’s Day in Boston. And while that’s a level of nerve-wracking that I can only begin to wrap my head around, it probably has to be a different sort of nerve-wracking to be main support for a long-running Boston Irish punk rock band on their home turf on THEIR day, particularly when you’re A) not from around here and B) playing a style of music that doesn’t always translate to the rowdy, occasionally finicky Boston punk crowd. But make no mistake – Turnpike killed.
The band took the stage and immediately dove into “Long Hot Summer Days,” a boot-stomping cover of a John Hartford track that Turnpike have made their own over the last decade-or so. The song leans heavily into the fiddle and even heavier into multi-part vocal harmonies, and I heard someone up along the barricade comment once the song was done that it was probably the most “punk rock” moment they’d see tonight, and in many respects, that sentiment wasn’t wrong. But at it’s core, “Long Hot Summer Days” is a blue-collar working song and Dropkick Murphys are one of the last local vestiges of a blue collar core that is all but falling by the wayside, and so maybe Turnpike as a band are not unlike Dropkick’s cousins from Oklahoma. From there, the band ripped through a total of ten songs of love and heartache and rebellion. “7&7” and “Gin, Smoke & Lies” and “A Tornado Warning” were particularly well-received by the crowd that, sure, was chock-full of scally caps but was also not without it’s own share of cowboy hats. In Boston!
From there, obviously, it was time for the main attraction, the one-and-only Dropkick Murphys. As per usual, the band took the stage to the Sinead O’Connor/Chieftains rendition of “Foggy Dew” before immediately ripping into “State Of Massachusetts” from their 2007 classic The Meanest Of Times. Frontman and founder Ken Casey handed off live bass playing duties to longtime touring member Kevin Rheault years ago, leaving him free to endlessly, tirelessly pace the stage and interact with the crowd from both behind and atop the barricades at stage front.
Dropkick Murphys have had a bit of a nebulous lineup over the years, and the 2022/3 edition is no different. With Al Barr still sidelined to tend to his ailing mother, the current lineup finds Casey joined longtime drummer Matt Kelly, guitarist James Lynch, multi-instrumental virtuosos Tim Brennan (that’s him on accordion on the right) and Tim Brennan joined by Rheault on the bass and Campbell Webster on bagpipes and tin whistle and maybe percussion during some of the Woody Guthrie songs? It was a little tough to tell because the high-energy show was filled a constantly changing pre-programmed digital backdrop and the stage was replete with myriad moving parts, barely two songs goind by without some change in instrumental duties for at least one if not more Dropkicks.
The band was also joined on stage by a host of special guests on the evening. Erin McKenzie (seen at left), most notably of The Doped Up Dollies but also collaborator with the likes of Big D and The Kids Table and Lenny Lashley and, of course, the Dropkicks, joined for a charged-up rendition of “The Dirty Glass.” Turnpike Troubadours’ Evan Felker came out for “The Last One,” the track he lent his vocal talents to on record on This Machine Still Kills Fascists. They were also joined on stage by Woody Guthrie’s grandson Cole Quest on dobro.
Dropkick Murphys have done a lot of good for both the music community and the community-at-large, particularly here in Massachusetts, over the course of the last quarter-century. Even if you strip away some of the over-the-top garish green shamrock imagery in the crowd (and out on the street), St. Patrick’s Day weekend serves as a way for the community to come together and both celebrate with the band and, ultimately, celebrate the band and what they stand for and to repay the favor to the band who now carry the torch for the punk music scene in Boston. It’s like old home day but for a full, unofficial long weekend, and I’m glad to say I finally shot the weekend’s crown jewel event. See below for more slideshows from each of the bands performances!
Chop Shop, in Chicago’s Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood, was the site of The Bollweevils‘ release show for its long-awaited new record, “Essential.” Heavy duty support was provided by Reaganomics, The Dopamines, Rad Payoff, and Butchered. The Bollweevils just released their first new record in almost a decade and a half to high praise from multiple outlets. […]
Chop Shop, in Chicago’s Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood, was the site of The Bollweevils‘ release show for its long-awaited new record, “Essential.” Heavy duty support was provided by Reaganomics, The Dopamines, Rad Payoff, and Butchered.
The Bollweevils just released their first new record in almost a decade and a half to high praise from multiple outlets. Essential hit the public in May. (Disclaimer: I contributed to the record’s inside photography.) I assure you I am not cutting and pasting past The Bollweevils reviews when I describe the band’s performance as wonderfully raucous. It’s just that I have yet to experience a disappointing show put on by these men. It starts with the charismatic lead singer in Dr. Daryl Wilson, M.D. A.K.A. the Punk Rock Doc, jumping well above his nearly 6’5″ frame, and providing the numerous shooters in the makeshift photo-pit ample opportunities to catch air in the form of cool images. But The Bollweevils are far from a one-tall-man show. Bass duties are performed by the red-headed Pete (“Publish only in black and white!”) Mittler or the 5th Bollweevil, Joe Mizzi, from the Mizzerables. The split bass player situation is due to Mittler, also of The Methadones, moving to Florida a few years back for personal reasons. On this night Mittler flew back from the Sunshine State to perform, and Mizzi, who provides vocals on Essential flew back from attending Punk Rock Bowling to provide support to his friends and bandmates. Mittler showed support for Mizzi as well, forgoing his most well-known “Smoke Crack and Steal” top (which he once wore on a popular local morning new programs) and instead sporting a The Mizzerables t-shirt.
Mittler has a well-known affinity for sleeveless shirts. But with his “guns,” many in the crowd appreciated them too. I write that respectfully for the hard work he puts in. Most importantly his playing was just as muscular as his upper arms.
Throttling through the set in conjunction with Mittler to make a dynamic backline was the other Pete, Pete Mumford. The double Petes provided a powerful backline to fuel a firecracker of a show.
Mumford, a charming, self-effacing personality with a sharp sense of humor, is also a fantastic drummer. Witnessing his jubilance behind his kit is always a delight.
Ken Fitzner, a Chicago Public School teacher, and former principal in the CPS, when not displaying his deft and blazing guitar skills rounds out the group. Fitzner, a founding member of the group, along with Wilson, has provided a crucial solidity to The Bollweevils. His near life-long deep friendship with the band’s singer is apparent both on and off-stage. They define “brothers from other mothers,” and it is a joy to observe. PBS agreed apparently. Actually, The Bollweevils can be described in whole, with apologies to Stephen E. Ambrose, as a band of brothers.
On this night, The Bollweevils’ hard-driving set included the highly liked, “Bottomless Pit,” “Galt’s Gulch,” (from the new album), and “The Failure of Bill Dozer.” But the top crowd pleasers had the crowd magnificently joining in “The Bollweevils Anthem.”
“Liniment and Tonic,” also (featured on Essential) and “999-Stoney.” That latter song, one of my favorites of this band, played as a part of the set’s finale, has perhaps my very favorite The Bollweevils lyric as its chorus. A simply stated, yet stinging, retort to those with a privileged view of the world,
“Things seem so different when you’ve got your rose-colored glasses on.“
In fact, the song itself seems to be an indictment of people who are apathetic to or willfully ignorant of so many sad states of the world. I loved it, as did the crowd, who sang along in glorious unity.
I’ll also say this every time I write about The Bollweevils: if you have yet to see them live, get on it as soon as the next chance arises. In the interim, pick up the new record, and as much of its discography you can get your hands on.
Next up for The Bollweevils takes place in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The guys will sharing a stage with another legendary band, The Adolescents on August 12, 2023 at Haven City Market.
When you have such a beloved, forceful, and legendary headliner, on its record release show, it is essential (yes, I meant to do that) that the supporting bands can honor that with superb sets. Boy, did the show’s organizers deliver big time.
I like The Reaganomics name quite a bit but not the fiscal policies, upon first hearing the band name, are easy to misconstrue as the inspiration for said name. In reality, per Cantu,
“I think the band name is a joke, one of the guys old landlords looking like Reagan and some rules they had at their apt. Or something to that effect.”
Red Scare label mates with The Bollweevils, the band self-describes as “4 sweaty dads playing punk rock with constant pummeling banter mostly pertaining to collective soul.” It did indeed pummel the audience in the very best way. Roaring through “STFU,” “Meth Gator,” “The Four Cliches,” “Grown Ass Man,” “Worth A Damn” all from its 2019 release, The Aging Punk, The Reaganomics, comprised of Terry Morrow, Greg Alltop, Nick Mclenighan, and Eddie Cantu, granted the crowd a more positive experience in one night than the similarly named former screen actor did in 8 years as President of the United States. Well, the exception being Ronald Reagan’s effect on punk rock.
The Dopamines, out of Cincinnati OH, put on a fun and rollicking performance, tearing through its set list, which included “Business Papers,” “Night Vision,” “Ire,” and “Cincinnati Harmony.” However, bass player and vocalist Jon Weiner never did get the answer to his burning query. The same question he asked during the band’s set at the War on Christmas show this past December. The question being, “what it is that Congress does?” Having studied politics, law, and journalism, I suppose I could have provided a somewhat complex though admittedly somewhat convoluted explanation. However, I prefer to let my friend Bill take charge of answering it, at least partially. Still, I have a feeling the band will still search for the answer, at least until an audience member elects, pun intended, to step up and speak out. It will be an entertaining moment on top of an already very entertaining band.
This was not the first time I’ve documented Butchered, from Chicago, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The band, composed of Nick Cvijovic, Louis Steimel, Derek Barberini, and Vinnie Dinwiddie, gave a boisterous performance, grinding through its set which opened with “Half-Assed” and closed with “Born to Run With Scissors.”
Cvijovic, who informed me his surname is pronounced “svi-oh-vich,” gave me his reaction, via direct message, to the night a few days after the show,
“Room was packed when we played, it felt real good. The whole show was insane and awesome and made us feel really great and [he inserted the 100% emoji here.]”
Your next chance to check out Butchered, or check them out again will be on July 2, 2023, at GMan Tavern in Chicago, They will be sharing a bill with Nowhere Fast, out of Kentucky, and another Windy City punk group Dying Scene has covered at least a couple of times, Torch The Hive. That should be a terrific show and a good time.
The one band new to me was Rad Payoff. The group has been a part of the Chicago punk scene for a while, but as far as I can recall, I had yet to see them live. I could say something like getting images of this band had a rad payoff, but that would be silly. In any case, the band, comprised of Jason Smith, Jon Olson, Zack Hjelmstad, and Mike Oberlin, whipped up the crowd as it ripped through a set list including, “It’s Pronounced Mogue,” “Sunglasses,” and “The Gender of My Animals.” The band also performed its single, “A Series of Excuses,” a song whose proceeds were donated to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Please check out more photos from this really cool night! Thanks & Cheers!
Chicago punk legends Rise Against took over Metro Chicago recently, playing three completely unique set lists on three nights. The iconic Chicago venue hosted Rise Against – Alive & Well: The Metro Residency as the concert hall celebrates its 40th anniversary. I had the chance to witness this unique weekend, presented by Q101 FM, all […]
Chicago punk legends Rise Against took over Metro Chicago recently, playing three completely unique set lists on three nights. The iconic Chicago venue hosted Rise Against – Alive & Well: The Metro Residency as the concert hall celebrates its 40th anniversary. I had the chance to witness this unique weekend, presented by Q101 FM, all three nights. The first night, with The Bollweevils opening ahead of the band’s new record release, I was there to hang with and support good friends. Admittedly, it felt a little strange, not having my camera gear and not spending time in the photo pit, yet it was a fun time. The crowd, though heavily represented by hometown fans, also saw many traveling from all over the country and even from the United Kingdom. Oh, and a very special event took place under the Metro marquee for two RA fans. More on that in a bit.
Thursday Night
Rise Against opened the weekend on the same day as the first-ever criminal indictment of a former President occurred. There were more than a few “Happy Indictment Day!” exclamations heard both outside and inside the venue. For some, it felt appropriate, on such a precedent-setting day, that the band they were seeing is known for its socially conscious lyrics and offstage activism. Indeed, rather than opening music, the band chose to play an audio clip from one of my longtime top 5 films. It was “Howard Beale”‘s (portrayed by Peter Finch who won a posthumous Oscar for this leading performance) iconic “I am as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore” speech from the classic, multi-Oscar winning film, Network. It was the whole speech, and it was brilliant.
The Rise Against residency was a sort of retrospective. Each night had a totally unique set list sans any repeats over the course of the weekend. Unlike the common practice of a band playing a different one of its albums start to finish each night of a multi-night stand, Rise Against mixed up songs from different records. Surely this was highly appreciated by those who were present for all, or at least more than one, of the nights.
Night one’s set list included, “Tragedy + Time,” “Broken Dreams, Inc.,” “Bridges,” “Paper Wings,” and “Entertainment.” Two notes on this song lineup: this was the live debut performance of “Bridges,” and the first time they have played “Entertainment” live in about a dozen years. As with the other two nights, this was an expectedly strong evening of music. Just as the film “Network” and “Howard Beale”‘s rallying cry are still relevant decades on, so too is Rise Against’s music. I don’t see any of these changing in the near future.
Supporting act on night one, The Bollweevils, jump-started the weekend in a big way. As in a big jump from the Punk Roc Doc, Dr. Daryl Wilson. Wilson has been catching major air since the formation of the band decades ago. His bandmates, guitarist Ken Weevil, a middle school teacher/former middle school principal, and “the double Petes”, bassist Peter Mittler, back from Florida for this performance, and drummer Pete Mumford, on the backbeat, delivered a boisterous performance. The set included “Predisposition,” “Fencesitter,” “Peggy Sue,” “Bottomless Pit,” and “Cutting Solution.” The band’s new album, Essential off of Red Scare Industries, is set to be released on May 5, 2023. It features backing vocals by “the 5th Bollweevil,” Joe Mizzi of The Mizzerables, who also provides live bass duties when Mittler is not available. The release takes place just weeks before the band heads to Pouzza Fest. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for The Bollweevils. I’m all here for it.
Friday Night
Night two also started with an audio clip, from the HBO, Aaron Sorkin created series, “The Newsroom.” In this case the oft shared scene whereas series lead Jeff Daniels, as news anchor “Will McAvoy” responds to a college student’s question of what makes the US the greatest country in the world.
Tim McIlrath, Joe Principe, Brandon Barnes, and Zach Blair throw emotional punches with their songs, and this was on full display throughout the Metro residency. While too often political punk bands can seem didactic, Rise Against never does. Instead, fans are fully engaged to the message of the lyrics, and how said message is being delivered intoxicatingly via the music.
As with the first night, RA performed some songs which have not been played live in years or never played live prior to this. Included in the former category were “My Life Inside Your Heart,” and “Torches.” It had been roughly 18 and 8 years respectively since the songs were last performed live. “About Damn Time,” and “Whereabouts Unknown,” were live debuts. The set also included “Black Masks & Gasoline,” “Survivor Guilt,” “The Great Die-Off,” and “State of the Union.”
The Smoking Popes opened night 2 with a bouncy and satisfying set. The first tune of the night was the one often, but not always played first, “Simmer Down.” It was followed by tunes including “Let’s Hear It For Love,” “Rubella,” “Megan,” and “Amanda My Love.” The Smoking Popes, consisting o the brothers Caterer (Josh Caterer, Eli Dixon Caterer, and Matt Caterer), and Mike Felumlee, per usual, were the charismatic and unusually fun punk band its fans love so much. This is at least my second time in the last 6 months or so documenting the band for Dying Scene. Hopefully it won’t the last before 2024.
Saturday Night
Admittedly, if Rise Against played an audio clip before its Saturday night set, I did not catch it. However, the band continued another pattern established during the first two nights with a set list including the live debuts of “The Black Market,” “Sudden Urge,” “Endgame,” “Lanterns,” and “Escape Artists.” Rise Against also performed “Anywhere But Here” for the first time since 2006, “Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated” for the first time since 2007, and “From Heads Unworthy,” for the first time since 2011. If the crowd’s electric reaction to these songs is any indication, perhaps the bands will consider making some, if not all, at least semi-regulars on its future set lists. RA rounded out the setlist with “Chamber The Cartridge,” “Heaven Knows,” and “Drones.” This might have been an exhausting weekend for the crowd, the band, and all others involved, yet it was also an immensely fun one.
Kali Masi was the youngest of the bands playing on this bill, with its debut album released in 2017. Yet the members of this dynamic band performed with confident abandon. Sam Porter on guitar and lead vocals, drummer John Garrison, bass player/vocals Adam Romero, and Tim Roark is on guitar/vocals tore through their set, which included “Paint me Jade,” ”Sputter,” “Some Friends,” “Trophy Deer,” “Recurring (I),” and “The Stray.”
The band will soonish be returning to the Wrigleyville area of Clark St. when they play at the Metro’s neighbor, GMan Tavern in June. I’d advise you to be there if you can. As good as Kali Masi are presently, there is ample evidence that they will only get better and better.
Now to that special moment. Rise Against super fans Nick Novak and his long-time girlfriend, Lisa Bulwan, had plans to attend the Saturday night show. What Lisa did not know was that Nick had a ring on him and was planning to propose before doors opened. Full disclosure part 1: Nick hired me to take photos of the event without giving away the surprise. Careful planning allowed that to happen and Lisa, of course, said yes. Fans lined up the block exploded into cheers. Full Disclosure part 2: I clued those fans on to what was about to happen. Hey, for this one moment I was there, not as a photojournalist, but as a hired photographer. Letting others know what was about to go down was part of doing the job well! Congratulations Nick and Lisa, from all of us at Dying Scene!
Archers Of Loaf should be a band that any fan of college radio during the ’90’s should be familiar with. Having formed in 1992, the band released its debut full-length LP, Icky Mettle, in 1993 to mostly favorable critical acclaim. The band would ultimately release 4 studio albums and tour relentlessly throughout the decade. But […]
Archers Of Loaf should be a band that any fan of college radio during the ’90’s should be familiar with. Having formed in 1992, the band released its debut full-length LP, Icky Mettle, in 1993 to mostly favorable critical acclaim. The band would ultimately release 4 studio albums and tour relentlessly throughout the decade. But like many of the college circuit indie bands of that decade, the grind would eventually take its toll and they decided to concentrate on separate solo projects in 1998. Fast forward to 2011 when Archers of Loaf began playing live shows once again. At first, it was a one-off festival here or there but with Merge Records re-releasing their 4 studio albums in 2012, the band hit the road touring fairly extensively in 2012. They toured sporadically after this, but truth be told it’s been a quiet decade or so for fans of the Archers. That is until the release a couple of months ago of their first studio LP in over 20 years, Reason In Decline. And those of us in the northeast were even treated to a brief tour in late November/early December which was concluded last week in Ashville, NC.
Weird Nightmare
In Brooklyn, we were treated to Archers Of Loaf visiting us last Friday night at Greenpoint’s home of pierogis and punk, Warsaw. Opening up was Sub Pop Recording artist, Weird Nightmare from Canada. Those of you familiar with the band METZ, will be familiar with lead singer Alex Edkins who is also METZ’s singer/guitarist. Billed as a more melodic power poppy kind of band compared to Alex’s other band, Weird Nightmare on Friday came off way louder and more aggressive than I expected. I had seen them earlier in the summer opening for Kiwi Jr. and at that show their power pop underpinnings came across in a most jingly way. Friday however, while there was still the crunchy guitar work that defines pure power pop, Alex and the rest of the band seemed to in a few short months to have gravitated to a louder more in-your-face kind of power pop. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed what I heard and appreciated the growth the band appears to be going through. I’m merely stating my surprise at how much had changed since I’d seen them last. One thing I do have to comment on however, is I don’t think that the bottom-heavy sound system at Warsaw did Weird Nightmare any favors as the sound at points did come across as bassy and muddled.
Eric Johnson
Archers of Loaf took the stage promptly at 9:30 PM, starting off with “Step Into The Light” the meandering instrumental off of 1995’s Vee Vee followed by “Breaking Even.” a much poppier upbeat tune from the new album. And then lead singer Eric Bachmann ripped into “Wrong” from 1996’s The Speed Of Cattle and immediately the night was off to the races. With its bouncing rhythm and shuffling guitar work, “Wrong” is pretty much a quintessential Archers song. This clearly was not missed by the crowd who at this point were jumping right along to the incessant guitar work coming out of Eric Johnson’s amp.
Eric Bachmann
Not one for stage banter, frontman Eric Bachmann relied more on his masterful rhythm guitar work and more importantly his singing to convey his emotions. When he belts out the opening line, “There they go, fucking up the ratio. Biting on the skin that hangs off a hangnail” to “Lowest Part Is Free” one can’t help but feel the angst and frustration of what it must have felt like to be an indie recording artist during the crazy post-Nirvana 90’s with all kinds of industry types looking to suck the life blood out of each and everyone of these artists. This bitterness plays a huge role in Archer’s oeuvre. The noise, the seemingly endless rhythmic soloing, the screaming, all play a major role in what Archers Of Loaf were then and to an extent, still are.
Matt Gentling
Speaking of stage banter, with both the Eric’s (Bachmann and Johnson) not being huge talkers on stage, the banter is left to the band personality, bassist Matt Gentling. Gentling has let his hair grow out significantly since the band’s heyday, looking more like a bassist in a thrash metal band than a 90’s indie band. One of his on-stage anecdotes had to do with his hair, stating quite matter-of-factly how difficult it is at times to disengage his flowing locks from the back of his throat. Evidently, with his animated playing style, his hair flying all over the place, if he’s not careful when taking a deep breath prior to singing backup, he’s been known to suck great lengths of hair clear down his throat which obviously makes singing those backups quite impossible in the moment.
One of the highlights of the evening for me came roughly midway through the set when drummer Mark Price led the band with his pounding syncopated drum beat into “Screaming Undercover”, a new banger off of Reason In Decline. It’s a perfect tune that lends itself to Bachman being able to scream/sing each and every word all the while the band rages on with breakneck precision. Of particular note was Matt’s frenetic bass work as his fingers raced up and down his fretboard. This brings me to my one and only complaint (if it really is one) in that with such a great new album just having been released by the band – not to mention their first studio effort in over two decades – I just wish that they had played more of it during their set. I fully understand that for many, this might have been the first time ever seeing the band. They’ve only been to NY twice in the last almost 30 years – in 2012 they played the 4 Knotts Festival at the Seaport and then in 2015 at Music Hall of Williamsburg – so it is somewhat understandable that a cross-section of their entire career was warranted. And to that point they did a fantastic job spreading the material out between all of their albums. But Reason In Decline is truly a very good album and it just felt that it should have been showcased just a little more. No doubt, I might be in the minority on this opinion and that’s fine.
The set came to a screeching and crashing conclusion with Icky Mettle‘s “Slow Worm”. With its repeated refrain, “And nobody’s counting, because everybody’s fine. And everybody’s buying it cause everybody’s blind,” Bachmann led the band through an ear-splitting jam that had the wall-to-wall crowd at Warsaw flowing back and forth like seaweed in the surf. The band would come back out for a four-song encore to the delight of the packed room. Finishing off the night with the slow dirge burner “All Hail The Black Market” from the 1994 EP Vs. The Greatest Of All Time. And just like that the night was over. Hopefully, it won’t take as long for Archers Of Loaf to return next time around.
Hello, and welcome to the March, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan (otherwise known as Screeching Bottlerocket), tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs, singles, etc. I enjoyed the most this month. March was jam-packed with new releases (especially in the last week), so […]
Hello, and welcome to the March, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan (otherwise known as Screeching Bottlerocket), tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs, singles, etc. I enjoyed the most this month. March was jam-packed with new releases (especially in the last week), so there’s no doubt some stuff I missed. Maybe we’ll circle back to some of the really good stuff that came out on the 31st in next month’s column.
This is a collaborative effort with our friends at Punk Rock Radar, with whom I’ll be doing a video version of this Best Of wrap-up each month. If you like discovering awesome new punk bands as much as I do, I highly recommend following Punk Rock Radar on Instagram and YouTube, and keeping tabs on their Upcoming Release Calendar.
Here’s our video for March (let us know what your favorite releases of the month were in the YouTube comments):
Italian skate punks Thousand Oaks released a new album completely out of the blue and I ain’t complaining. On A Wing And A Prayer is their best album yet. If you like technical melodic skate punk like A Wilhelm Scream, This Is A Standoff, or Jet Market (these guys used to be in that band), this is a must listen. Sidebar: someone really needs to step up and put this shit out on vinyl. Incredible record.
This new Bouncing Souls record is killer. I’ve probably listened to it 100 times since I got my review copy back in January (Wanna get super early access to bad ass new music? Hit us up and become a contributor!). I already wrote an album review for this and I don’t have much else to say beyond that. “True Believer Radio” is my favorite song on Ten Stories High.
If you’ve even been kinda-sorta paying attention for the last few months, you’ve probably seen me post something about this album. I’ve run out of new things to say, so here’s an excerpt from my album review: “Bridge The Gap’s lineup is comprised of members of long defunct Salt Lake City punk band Unfold, in which they released an album over 20 years ago. When paired with the warchest of knowledge Bill Stevenson brings to the table, that past experience pays dividends on Secret Kombinations. Bridge The Gap put their spin on the skate punk conventions of yesteryear, and the end result is an ultra-polished record with laser focused musical direction.”
German melodic punks Baxter have been around over 20 years, but I just recently discovered them with their new album Between Punk and Bourgeois. This is a fantastic record. Our friends at Punk Rock Radar are releasing it on cassette – get it here.
Look, it’s another Italian band! Weekend Cigarettes remind me a lil bit of like Sum 41 meets Rise Against. The Chosen One is a really polished, well produced album. Check it out:
This one could have been on April’s list, but Shield Recordings put it out early. With their new album CVLT, Dutch punks Harsh Realms deliver 13 powerful, anthemic tracks that will be enjoyed by fans of The Menzingers, The Flatliners, Red City Radio, etc.
One of my favorite discoveries of the month is Newcastle, Australia’s Melvic Centre. This is a one-man punk band started by a kid named Will Mitchell. His self-titled debut album was recorded with Frenzal Rhomb singer Jason Whalley at his recording studio The Pet Food Factory. It’s kinda orgcore-ish, but also kinda skate-punk; there’s even a hardcore song! This dude is a versatile musician. Highly recommended listening.
I’d been looking forward to German melodic punk band Melonball’s debut album Breathe since I heard the first single “Sicker” back in January. So I was super stoked when Thousand Islands Records asked if I wanted to host the album’s exclusive premiere. Are you kidding me? Of course I did! The whole record is as good as that first single. If unrelentingly fast, aggressive skate punk is what you seek, Breathe is the album for you.
Seven years after the stellar Increasing the Minimum Rage, UK ska-punks Faintest Idea march on with their new album The Road to Sedition. This record delivers more of the hard and heavy, politically conscious skacore these guys are known for. This thing’s all killer, no filler, but if I had to pick a favorite song it would probably be “False Prophets”.
Here’s another one for my fellow technical skate punk fans: Australian melodic punks Fake News‘ new EP Take Me Away is a god damn banger. My only complaint is it’s not a full-length album! For more, check out their 2021 debut Everyday Warrior.
Primetime Failure joins their countrymen Melonball and Harsh Realms as the third German band on this month’s list. Their new EP Oxygen has some their best songs yet. If you’re a fan of 90’s melodic punk and the “Epifat” sound, this shit’s right up your alley.
Toronto pop-punk band Fluffio’s debut EP TV Generation is a 4-song ripper with hints of Green Day and Blink 182 influence sprinkled throughout. What their sound reminds me of most is the Suicide Machines‘ poppier output. If that sounds like something you’d be into, check it out:
I’d never heard of Dutch punks Toska Fall before, but their new EP A Little Advice was a great introduction (especially the title track, that mofo’s a ripper). It’s also available on vinyl with the band’s last EP It Falls Apart on the B-Side; get that here (US), here (EU), or here (UK).
FRENZAL RHOMB Thought It Was Yoga But It Was Ketamine
This is the second single from Frenzal’s long awaited new album The Cup of Pestilence, due out April 7th on Fat Wreck Chords. Spoiler: the rest of the record is even better than the singles.
Oslo, Norway’s Fights popped up on my radar with the release of their new single “Serenity Now”. I was immediately taken aback by their unique “boogiecore” sound, which fuses elements of hardcore punk and boogie rock. Shit’s super unique. Read Dying Scene’s Band Spotlight on them to learn more.
I’ve been hyping up Los Angeles pop-punk band NOT for months now. The project ft. members of Sharp/Shock & Mercy Music recorded an album of songs that recreate that distinct ALL / Descendents sound. Stop the World is due out April 7th on Wiretap Records, Brassneck Records, and Waterslide Records. “Alien” is my favorite track released so far from one of my most anticipated albums of 2023.
SoCal punk veterans Jughead’s Revenge are gearing up to release their comeback EP Vultures, and our first taste is the blazing fast skate punk ripper “I’ll Be Seeing You”. Vultures releases May 5th on SBÄM Records. You guys are gonna love it.
Columbus punks Prime Directive‘s new single “Reaper” is a catchy horror punk track with a cool Graves-era Misfits kinda feel. The music video’s pretty fuckin’ sweet, too.
Hey! These guys are in that band NOT that we discussed earlier. Well, Mercy Music is their main band and they have a new record called What You Stand To Lose coming June 30th on SBÄM Records. This first single “Love You / Need You” is excellent and has that newer Flatliners kinda feel. I really like it. I pre-ordered the record, have you? Also worth noting they’re on tour right now with Unwritten Law and Authority Zero.
We talked about these Aussie newcomers last month when they dropped their first single “Left for Dead“. That was a super fast skate punk song, this new one has more of an early 2000’s Blink vibe (just listen to the guitars). Really looking forward to their debut EP.
That concludes the March installment of the column. Thanks for checking it out! Keep your eyes glued to Dying Scene for all things punk rock and follow our friends Punk Rock Radar on Instagram, YouTube, etc. and be sure to join us again for the April edition! Like I said, a lot of good shit snuck in on the last day of March, so we’ll probably circle back to some of that in the next column.
Here’s a Spotify playlist with songs from all the releases featured in Dying Scene & Punk Rock Radar’s Best of 2023 series so far:
Hello, and welcome to the September, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan aka Screeching Bottlerocket, tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs and singles I enjoyed the most this month. Also, I’d like to once again remind you that this is a collaborative effort […]
Hello, and welcome to the September, 2023 edition of Dylan’s Favorite Punk Albums, EPs & Things! This is the column where I, Dylan aka Screeching Bottlerocket, tell you what new punk rock albums, EPs and singles I enjoyed the most this month.
Also, I’d like to once again remind you that this is a collaborative effort with our friends at Punk Rock Radar, with whom I’ll be doing a video version of this Best Of wrap-up each month. If you like discovering awesome new bands as much as I do, be sure to follow Punk Rock Radar on Instagram and YouTube, and keep tabs on their Upcoming Release Calendar.
Here’s our video for September (let us know what your favorite releases of the month were in the YouTube comments):
American Television Scars
This sophomore album from Washington, DC punks American Television is very nice. Some songs are straight up melodic punk, other songs remind me of the Dopamines, a few are kinda orgcore-ish. Buy the record!
RBNX Nothing Here Is Yours
By now anyone who reads these monthly columns is aware of my affection for ska, especially that which is of the skacore variety. RBNX messaged me on Instagram to check out their new record. I did, in fact, check out their new record, and it’s quite fantastic. For fans of Against All Authority, Leftover Crack Cocaine, and all things crusty. Buy the record!
CONTRA CODE Friday Junior
Surprise, surprise – Dylan’s got a skate punk record on his favorite albums list again! Ay listen, this is a bad ass record. Vancouver, BC’s almighty Contra Code returns with their first new album in 8 years! Friday Junior rips; it’s like A Wilhelm Scream meets Megadeth. Buy this record.
THOUSAND OAKS Remnants
More skate punk! Italy’s Thousand Oaks (ft. ex-members of another great band called Jet Market) put out an insane new record earlier this year – go back and check that one out if you missed it. Remnants is a bunch of old songs from EPs and shit; it’s pretty good! “Nest of Vipers” is my favorite song on here. Get it on CD here / digital download on Bandcamp.
RANDOM HAND Random Hand
Random Hand is an excellent ska band from the UK. These guys never disappoint and their new album doesn’t buck the trend. It starts strong with “The Cycle” and only gets stronger from there. This is a bad ass record from a bad ass band. Get it on prettycolored wax.
THE SUBJUNCTIVES Let’s Try Again
The Subjunctives are a pop-pop-punk band from Seattle, fronted by Sicko’s Ean Hernandez. This is their second record. If you like Sicko, early Green Day, or The Muffs, you’ll like this. Buy the record!
WITH HONOR Boundless
In a surprising turn of events, I have picked a melodic hardcore album as one of my favorites of September. Connecticut’s With Honor has been around a long fuckin time but this is the first album I’ve checked out from them. I’d say it’s a good hopping on point! Balls to the wall, full throttle, whatever contrived saying you prefer to use… this shit makes you wanna run through a wall! Buy the record.
SKEETCH Skeetch or Die
German skate punks Skeetch pop off on their third EP Skeetch or Die. These four songs are fuckin awesome. No nonsense Epifat style melodic skate punk. These guys even have a theme song – that’s how you know they’re not fucking around. You can’t buy this record anywhere unfortunately 🙁 But you can listen to it:
TRY AGAIN Still Trying
Here’s another 4 song skate punk EP; these guys are from Quebec City though, not Germany. I think I’ve had a People of Punk Rock Records release on every one of these Best Of lists so far this year. Here’s another one!
NORMY What The Fuck Planet Are These Guys From?
Normy proves that some good things do occasionally come out of the desolate wasteland of sadness and despair that is Cleveland, I suppose. The band’s new EP What The Fuck Planet Are These Guys From? (early frontrunner for best record title of 2023) picks up where their debut EP left off. More early 2000’s infused melodic punk, with anthemic songs like “Idiot” and fast shit like “Right Place, Wrong Time”. I like this record. You should buy this record.
REASON TO LEAVE Rise and Grind
Continuing to flaunt my ever-eclectic music taste, I have opted to include one last skate punk EP on my Best of September listicle thingy. Bri’ish punks Reason To Leave have a new EP out now; it’s called Rise and Grind. These guys kinda remind me a lil bit of Consumed. I guess Pennywise would be a more prominent band I could compare them to as well.Buy the compact disc!!!
Ay listen, I know you fuckers already stopped reading. It’s like 2am right now and my ass hurts from this $75 Staples office chair, so I’mma wrap it up here and skip the singles. There really weren’t that many this month anyway! Check out the Spotify playlist down below, we’ve got the singles on there.
Anywho, that concludes the September installment of the column. Thanks for checking it out! Keep your eyes glued to Dying Scene for all things punk rock and follow our friends Punk Rock Radar on Instagram, YouTube, etc. Join us again next month!
Dying Scene (DS) first caught up with legendary post-punk and industrial drummer Martin Atkins (Public Image Ltd (PiL), Ministry, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, Brian Brain) at the 47th anniversary celebration of The Alley, an historic staple of Chicago’s underground scene. Between July and September 2023, DS visited Atkins at his aptly named Museum […]
Dying Scene (DS) first caught up with legendary post-punk and industrial drummer Martin Atkins (Public Image Ltd (PiL), Ministry, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, Brian Brain) at the 47th anniversary celebration of The Alley, an historic staple of Chicago’s underground scene. Between July and September 2023, DS visited Atkins at his aptly named Museum of Post Punk & Industrial Music (PPIM) in Chicago. Atkins led tours, told stories, hosted a whiskey and pancake brunch, and sat for an interview over coffee.
Atkins was around for the beginning of punk rock, drove the beat in the development of the post-punk sound in PiL and helped countless punk, post-punk, and industrial bands hit the road and choose their own adventures with his own Invisible Records and his book, Tour:Smart, a road map to touring. Atkins settled in Chicago because he considered this the home of industrial music. In 2021, Atkins formed PPIM to preserve the history of these genres born from punk and steeped in its do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos.
An active participant in Chicago’s underground music scene, Atkins showed his appreciation for The Alley and their shared community. Check out the photo gallery below.
During DS’ first visit to the museum, Atkins led an informative guided tour and shared stories about many items in his vast collection of memorabilia stacked from the floor to the ceiling.
During the second visit, DS was accompanied by a guest who was in from out of town to attend Riot Fest. Atkins sat down with us and talked more about a few items of interest to DS’ punk rock audience. Check out the photo gallery below.
During the third visit, DS had another guest in town for the Cold Waves Festival. Atkins invited fans to hang out for whiskey and pancakes. This treat was served up by the talented Melissa Oquendo from DomiBakeTrix. It was an amazing visit in which Atkins shared details about when he stalked and auditioned for PiL and his time with the band. Check out the photo gallery below.
A Conversation With Martin Atkins
(The language in this interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Dying Scene: Why did you create the Museum of Post Punk & Industrial Music?
Martin Atkins: So, I..um…I’d spent part of lockdown in the basement doing Zoom sessions. Like a Killing Joke Zoom, a PiL Zoom, a Ministry Zoom, a Pigface Zoom. And pulling different pieces out of boxes to have behind me as a background. And I didn’t want to put any of the pieces back in their boxes, so I kept moving around in the basement creating these areas for Zoom sessions and it occurred to me after a while that I liked being around all this stuff. I like to have it be visible and not in boxes and I wondered what it would be like to set these things up, up here on the ground floor. And kind of, I don’t want to say, on a whim because I’d been thinking of this stuff for a while obviously way. Um, I announced I was starting the museum in a kind of a Nipsey Hussle way, where he had the hundred-dollar mixtape, I had the hundred and twenty-five-dollar founder’s t-shirt. And, I thought that I would see if anybody was interested and lots of people were interested. So, once you announce something, it was I think three months before we then started to set things up, up here on the ground floor and now we’re two and a half years in. Um, I’ve just been completely blown away by people’s enthusiasm, people’s tears, people’s generosity…um..and just the response from people just being in here.
DS: How is it going?
MA: Well, it’s…I mean…it’s so fueling to me. I’m an empathetic person…um…and so…just to sit here. I was sitting here yesterday listening to the Dandy Warhols really loud…just sitting in this space because I’m ADD…just to have stuff revolving and flashing, it just calms me down. Um…but…um…just to see people’s responses…people donating items that are significant and different…like um…Genesis P-Orridge’s (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) lederhosen from a video we did. These…these…the exhibits keep growing. Um, so, uh, it’s great. It’s turned a lot of ideas on their head. So, yesterday, we had 10 people, which is crowded in the studio, it’s not crowded up here. But, um, yesterday was like a fifteen hundred dollar day for us. So, whereas in the past, 10, 20, 30 years ago and still some people today you think how many people, how many people are we getting through the door. It’s not about the quantity, it’s about the quality, the experience, and we’re seeing how sustainable something like this is on what might seem to somebody like a ridiculously small scale. Like if I said, if I said to you, It’s going great. We had 10 people here yesterday! You’re like, oh, that’s 70 people a week. Lookout! Lookout MoMA! Lookout, lookout! But, it’s sustainable at that level, which is pretty wild.
DS: What has been the response been like from your punk rock supporters?
MA: Um…it’s been interesting. So, there’s a bunch of people on our advisory board and that’s been great to have their input and just them saying, “Yeah. we’ll help however we can.” What’s been surprising has been people I don’t know, like the Dandy Warhols, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Mason from Pink Floyd, um…like..fuckin…those people being interested. And um, so…so far, it’s been ridiculously supportive. But like anything, I’ve been doing this for long enough to know I’m sure they’ll be a “Who the fuck does Martin think he is to start this museum,” right? But it’s not the museum of me, it’s the museum of post-punk and industrial. I just happen to have, through all the bands I’ve been in, through all the bands who are on my label Invisible, which is Swans, Psychic TV, Einstürzende Neubauten, etcetera…um..Pig, Sow, Test Dept. I just happen to have this crazy collection of shit. So…so…so far, like I said, it’s been amazing. Um, I would be a fool If I didn’t expect some kind of backlash from some people who…who…uh…you know…I think people have different ideas about what punk is, what post-punk is, what industrial is. And, we’re trying to operate with a museum mindset, so we’re archiving, we’re preserving, we’re trying to enable cross-referencing and other lessons and connections be learned. But, we’re also trying to operate in a post-punk industrial way, so we have a whiskey pancake brunch, pop-up haircuts, which have hair all over the floor. Like things that are the opposite of what, perhaps, a dust-free museum environment should be.
DS: Your life and your museum’s collection has a number pieces related to important punk rock icons. Let’s talk about some of those items. Like John Lydon (Sex Pistols, P.I.L.). Tell me about the time he wore your hospital gown on stage.
MA: Well, he wore that for a whole tour. Um…New York at Roseland, which was a huge show. Uh…Harvey Keitel…uh…Harvey Keitel was there. John made him pay. Just being at Roseland, which is now demolished, um…uh…and he wore it throughout the tour in 82-83. Um…it’s great to see. So, we’re combining some video footage with these pieces to create context. And, um, it’s in better condition, of course, 30 years ago, 83…93…forty years ago. It was in better condition, of course, then. It’s a little bit faded now. But, um, yeah, there’s a bunch of those type things. We also have John screaming at me on my answering machine. You know, there’s all of these different…trying to create a breadth of experience, it’s not just things on a wall you can look at, you know.
MA: Well, so, Ian…This is one of the great things about the museum for me is I don’t think I’d met Ian. I don’t think we had talked before but he spent an hour on the phone with me…um…helping to sort through the problems of some…um…some cassette tapes from the early 80s, specifically the two shows we did in Paris with PiL. Um…I was delighted to find this cassette and then you listen to it and it’s, “wub, wub, wub, wub,” unlistenable shit. And so he sent a really supportive letter and a cassette shell to transfer the tape in to with the metal spring with the felt pad that holds the tape against the head. He’s a cassette tape expert. So, it’s just another way in which the museum is this kind of…it’s like a dating service for me…of like introducing me…it’s like Bumble for industrial post-punk. It’s like introducing me to people that were aware of each other…uh…but we haven’t met. So, it’s nice to have that.
MA: Um…I booked Henry to do spoken word in 88 for 60 dollars, which I don’t believe is his fee any longer…uh…in New Brunswick, New Jersey. And so, we stayed in touch and…uh…the postcard is…I’d asked him to be involved in the whichever Pigface album…uh…92, 93 and that’s him saying he regrets he will not be able to be involved. I don’t think he thought for a second I would frame his postcard but I did.
DS: So, I notice that it is torn in half. What happened to the other half?
MA: I don’t know. It wasn’t like a rip. Maybe it’s like I didn’t want my address on it, which is crazy because I haven’t lived in New Jersey for..uh…30 years. But it’s strange that I would do that but…
MA: Well…um…you know Steve was a fixture of alternative, dangerous music in the early 90’s with Big Black and his studio in his house on Francisco. And…um…Geordie Walker and I recorded Killing Joke demos at his studio. Geordie played bass and guitar. I used a drum machine and played drums. And then Steve produced the first Pigface album Gub. He produced my project Murder Inc., which is half of Killing Joke, Ministry, and whatever… Um, and so, somewhere in the 90s, I bought Steve’s 8-track tape machine, and his ¼ inch machine, and his recording console. I bought those from him…um…on condition he would come and help set everything up. So, and I still talk to Steve every once and a while because he has Electrical Audio now.
DS: Let’s talk about Gabe Serbian (The Locust). Tell me about his uniform, his passing, and his contributions to music and your museum.
MA: So, this is, it’s another place where it gets interesting. Two years ago I would never have thought there would be either a drawing of a quarter of the face of the singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders who took Cynthia Plaster Caster’s virginity and she would sketch pieces of his face for the rest of her life. Neither would I have thought that Gabe Serbian, drummer from the Locust, his suit would be here in the museum. But I know Justin Pearson from the Locust and Three One G Records and when Gabe passed, he asked and Gabe’s partner, Katie, asked if his suit, his Locust suit, could be here in the museum. And, um…of course, I agreed. It’s this…there are strange overtones here of almost a memorial garden, in some respects. Um, and of course, I asked Justin, “I’m like of course the suit can be here, do you mind, can I ask why?” And, he’s like yes, of course, we were inspired by all of this shit and so it just made sense for it to reside here. Yeah. And, if you’d seen him play drums…you know I’m a drummer…um, and uh, he would play until he puked. Not in a punk way like uh Rat Scabies from the Damned might do…buugh…you know but just physically almost like an athlete. He would push his body to the very limits of that…yeah.
DS: What message do you have for aspiring music historians, archivists, and museum directors?
MA: Well that’s a lot. Well, ok. So, so just let me add one to that, which is just musicians in general. I think it’s valuable for new musicians, old musicians whatever to come and look at some of this stuff and think about…it’s so easy to put a song up on Spotify now. There are no barriers to entry but there’s 110…120 thousand songs a day going up. So there are no barriers to entry but there barriers to exit…there’s barriers to…for…um…there are, there are physical, insurmountable limitations for people to actually hear your music because there’s another 119 thousand and 99 songs today! And that feels, to me, more significant of a barrier than however we made albums in the 80’s. You know, um, so I would say to musicians, “Come and have a look and think about your next album.” Like, of course, not every album can be packaged the way Metal Box is packaged but I think that’s a great example of pretty fucking ground-breaking music then, slightly now as well. But when you put that music on three 12-inch singles in a metal container with the band logo embossed on the lid it’s kind of one plus one equals 11. It, it’s, it explodes the importance of what it is. So, um, how is your album packaged? You look at the Durutti Column…the sandpaper sleeve. Bizarr Sex Trio, where every single of 750 albums has a completely different sleeve, which is crazy. It’s just time and a bag of speed probably. But, um, so how does your album measure up? I’ve, I’ve hit that point a couple times I think with, um, with the release from the Damage Manual album called Limited Edition. It has this raised plastic sheet sleeve that I’m like holy fuck that’s once in forty years since the Metal Box. But I’m always, that’s my yardstick, is to try like how do I get to this point. So, so I would say that to musicans, like come and have a look around and, and think about a museum of your band. Or at least a room where…are you making things with other creative people that warrant being hung on a wall? Or are you making short-term, strategic efficiency decisions that got nothing to do with creativity really? Are you making those decisions about a poster for your next gig? Are you saying, we’ve sold a hundred tickets, and the place only holds 120 people. We do need to do a poster because the show will do well. I would say you need to do a three-colored glow-in-the-dark, scratch and sniff, hand embroidered, um stained glass poster for five years from now, for 10 years from now, for 30 years from now. And, if you can have that kind of longevity mindset I think it will help you make more of an impact in the moment and more of an impact 10 years from now. Ok, who are the other people? Museum creators? Whew…I don’t know. I bought myself Museums 101 and I’m like I got halfway through it and I felt like I wanted to disrupt the mechanics of museums. But then I find myself slowly getting pulled into a cross-relational database, which two years ago I thought…ugggh…fuck that. But I built this room and I’m happy to sit in this room with other people, scanning things, talking about how this relates to something else, whatever, connecting the dots. So, um, I’m trying to do some dangerous things, one of which was to have Deaf Club stay here. I’m not criticizing Deaf Club. I’m not saying Deaf Club are dangerous. It’s Justin from the Locust. But I let them stay here overnight because I think that, so it’s about impact and experience. So, for a band on the road, you’re lucky to get a hotel room. Everybody’s lucky to get their own bed. And, so, to say, “Hey, you wanna hang out here?” I hope it was an absolute vacation for them to just fucking sit here amongst this shit and not have to pay for a hotel. Right? So, but, but if you think about it…what a crazy fucking thing to do. Have a band stay overnight in your museum? Right? I mean, you know, part of me I love Justin and I trusted him and, of course, they sent me Gabe’s suit. But you gotta say, there’s gotta be a voice in the back of your head waiting for somebody to call me to go, “Have you seen fucking Facebook Live? There’s a hundred, there’s a hundred people in the museum spray painting everything saying punk…fuck punk. It’s on…everything’s on the street and someone started a fire. You know, but, and I think, so I try and lean into those feelings. Uh, and then the next day, uh, Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs messaged me, like “hey we’re coming to town. Can we visit this museum?” And that was directly through, through Justin, you know, so um, so I’m slowly learning to lean into this frightening stuff, to not put everything behind plexiglass. And, uh, you know, I have the Durruti Column album over there in the gift shop and I’m always handing it around for people to, like, it’s weird, it’s obviously sandpaper. But, like, people are…people have to…I think some people think it’s a picture of sandpaper until I make them feel it, which at some point, you know, 10 years from now might be worn out with handprints. But, it’s like, well what else is the purpose of that if you can’t touch it and go, “fucking hell”? So, so it’s, it’s this weird thing like I don’t want the exhibit to wear out. But I want people to touch it.
DS: What is a big lesson you’ve learned from owning and operating a museum?
MA: Uh…the biggest lesson is I don’t know shit. Uh, I mean, uh…I think in the first year I would almost grab people by the hand and wheel them around and show them this…these are the drums from “In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up” and “Head Like A Hole!” Here’s this and here’s that and uh once you leave people alone the craziest shit has so much meaning for people and you can’t predict what it is. I had one guy and I remember thinking…I wanted to say, “Well sorry this wasn’t up to your fuckin’ you know fuck you know, sorry none of this was quite up to scratch.” And as he’s walking in the reception area there was a flight case with a banged up bumper sticker from a radio station in Toronto. And the case, the case was just on its way into the garage or whatever…there’s all kinds of stuff here. And he’s like, “Oh…my God.” And I wanted to say, “Oh my God, the bumper sticker…like, you’re kidding me, you know…are you fucking kidding me?” But it’s like, it’s like whatever presses your button and takes you back to that place. That’s what it is. So you learn to sometimes be quiet. And you learn that you don’t know shit. And I think, I’m like I wouldn’t have minded learning that 20 years ago but I’ll take it. I’ll take it now.
DS: What are your next music projects? Performing, recording, producing, whichever?
MA: Well, so, speaking personally for a minute. What a, what a luxury for me to go and sit in the studio and listen to a gig from 1980 or collage together 17 rolls of two-inch tape of PiL work-in-progress demos or demos and and get a better understanding of what I did and do as a producer with vocals, with lyrics, with arrangements, with strings, with horns, with all the rest of it. So, as part, it’s strange, I thought two and a half years ago, I honestly thought, ok then, this is what I’m doing now…occasional tour guide, “Johnny Rotten this…Trent Reznor ba ba ba…Al Jourgensen…I’ll never forget the day when ba ba ba…” And I honestly, I just thought this will be the end of the creative me and I’ll just be tour guide me. I mean I honestly felt that probably sitting here. And um, but then I wanted to get the Durutti Column sandpaper sleeve album and we have this relationship with Dark Matter Coffee and they wanted to do a special museum blend and I’m like, “Ok.” I want to screen print sandpaper and put the nice bag you made in a screen printed sandpaper bag and I just remember thinking, I just did something I don’t think anybody’s done. There’s reasons you shouldn’t screen print on sandpaper. It destroys the screen from underneath. It’s a nightmare but it’s fucking cool as hell. And I’m like, oh, ok, this is just a different phase of everything. And in amongst all of that, to make a long story short, there’s probably at least a decade where I didn’t go into my studio. And now I’ve been going into it archiving cassettes digitally, do this doing that, taking people in there. And then you go down there with the Dandy Warhols or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and you’ve just been in this room and you kind of connect the dots and go, if I was going to record something, I would want to record in this room, with all of this, literally with all the vibrations of this stuff, the smells, the unlocked vibe that’s in this room. I want to record in this room. I want to record to Steve Albini’s tape machine and I want to do it in this building. So, now we’re looking at throwing some tie lines downstairs to start…it’s almost been a two-year reminder to me of what, what I am when I’m at my most creative. Whether I’m working with another band on songs or producing, whatever… I think I got very nicely side-tracked by education, writing books, and public speaking for 20 years. And I loved it. I love doing that still. But that, the books and the public speaking was why I didn’t go in the studio anymore. And now I’m doing all of that stuff. Sorry, that was a really long answer.
DS: When should we expect your memoirs? And, what era of your life and career would you write about first?
MA: Uh…well…so, I’ve been asked to write, and I understand this from a marketing perspective, I’ve been asked to write the whole fucking thing, which I’m not saying, I’m not attaching any sense of importance to all of the things I’ve done because I’m just old. Right place right time. Um…stuff…uh but that feels like too much for me. I understand why somebody would want a book that’s PiL., Killing Joke, Ministry, Pigface, Nine Inch Nails, the Damage Manual, Murder, Inc., Gravity Kills, ba ba ba ba ba ba… You know that’s an easy book to sell…featuring chapters on ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba. But that’s a lot. I’ve also started thinking in a complete opposite direction of not even doing as I’d planned to do at one point about my five years in PiL. I was thinking about doing my first eight months in PiL, because that’s Metal Box, Paris au Printemps, um…The Old Grey Whistle Test, American tour, American Bandstand, Jah Wobble’s solo album, my first Brian Brain single, which was in the Alternative charts. So much happened in a really short period of time from October to May, the end of May. So, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May…eight months. Like, that’s whirlwind shit and uh that interests me a little bit as well. So, I’m in a, I’m in a not a great point at the moment. I’m understanding 10…10 chapters of a large book I could write…I might want to take in in little stabs and then if it’s an easy enough thing to join all that together for something in the end.
DS: What are the top five punk, post-punk, and industrial bands you’re listening to this week?
MA: Well, I’m listening, I was listening to this Japanese band called Otoboke Beaver. Have you heard of them? Oh my God! Crazy! Also, Sleaford Mods, still. Uh…I’m going a Dandy Warhols phase…just because I just like them. Uh…I’m been listening to that quite a bit. Um…what are we looking for? Industrial? Um, I’m still very attached a Psychic TV album called Dreams Less Sweet, which I think was just questioning a lot of things. Um…yeah. Was that five? Well, um, the other thing that I’m listening to, strangely, is nothing to do with any of this. I’ve been listening to Steely Dan because my thirteen-year-old, now fifteen-year-old discovered them on his own and we’ve been listening together because he loves them. And so I’ve been strangely going all the way back to that, which I listened to as a 12-year-old before I got into punk…um…so I’ve been listening to some of that. What else am I listening to? Um…I’ve been listening to a lot of Skinny Puppy as well recently um but that’s almost like disassembling things that I have, looking at stuff. So, that’s almost part of my day job if you like.
DS: Do you have any last words for fun?
MA: Come visit. Come visit.
DS had an amazing visit with Martin at his museum. Don’t take our words for it, go check it out and experience it for yourself!
Jet Market was an Italian skate punk band, started in 1998. The band released four full-length albums before calling it quits in 2012. Former members started a new band called Thousand Oaks in 2015.
