How's Your Edge? Interviews

Keith Sidorowicz - Vegan Straight Edge, Drummer, Energy ...

2009-09-11T17:05:00.006-04:00

Keith is a guy you see at every show. You can't recall where or when you first met him, but you then start to see him at every show you attend. Doesn't matter what town or state, he's probably there. He gives off this quiet guy vibe, but once the music kicks in, so does he. Moshing, stage diving, finger pointing -- he knows all the words. Now you can find him behind the drum kit for the band Energy. They're huge. You know this. Keith took some time out from his busy touring schedule to answer my mostly random questions so if you could read this interview and support the bands, he and I would appreciate that. LOL.

Yo, how's your edge?

It's feeling fresh! Just gave it some sesame tofu last night, and we are going on another full U.S. tour next week with The Wonder Years and A Loss For Words.

Click here for more details ...

Where did it all start for you? If I had to guess, I would say you were always a fan of music growing up and naturally drifted to punk and hardcore. But please, clue us in proper.

Music has certainly been around me all my life. My family would always listen to a lot of Mo-Town and R&B in the house growing up so I would always listen to the 45's my mother would put on at dinner. Then as I started meeting my extended family my cousin had a great palate for hip hop and he would listen to his tapes when he skated. He jammed the Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, and Run-Dmc whenever I attended family bbq's. I would always bring maxell cassettes and dub them for my own possession. In fact, around 4th grade the lp Paul's Boutique" inspired me to get on the drumkit with that opening drum fill. So I started taking lessons with a very respectable instructor named John Miceli and I would play along to hip hop tapes whenever I got home from school.

In late 7th grade my friend Mike brought in an Operation Ivy tape when we had a sub for math class and a few friends of mine and myself took turns listening to it all day. That lead me to go out to store called "Trax On Wax" and buy their record "Energy" as well as a few tapes by The Clash cause Jesse Michaels was wearing a Clash shirt in the lp photo. Then in 8th grade my friends Doug, Mike, Chris and I all realized we played instruments and decided to start a band. One afternoon we all met up in my basement and he brought a mixtape he borrowed from his brothers tape collection. It consisted of Youth Of Today, Snapcase, Silent Majority, and Minor Threat. We needed a song to play in order to get in the groove so he put on "In My Eyes". The lyrics really struck a chord with me, and at that point I had no idea anyone could scream like that, or play such tempo's! We played the song about 35 times that day, and did not come close to doing it justice, but I was sold. When practice concluded that tape never left my basement, and I told Mike to bring more into class the next day!

When did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now?

I realized what straight edge was a week prior to that first practice my friends and I had in my basement. My friend Mike came into homeroom one morning sporting 2 of the thickest X's I had ever seen on anyones' hands. I asked him "what gives" and he responded by saying he was straight edge now. He described it as the definition of no alcohol, drugs, or promiscuous sex. I related to that because my extended family has a very bad history of drinking and poor decision making in their lives. Seeing my relatives acting inappropriate frequently left a huge impression on me to the point that I never wanted to see myself act or communicate in that manner. In 2009 straight edge has upgraded to an all time high for me. It continues to be the lifestyle for me because it keeps me focused, motivated, cements morals within myself, and is a very peaceful approach to communicating with others.

You've been in a couple of great bands. Tell us about them and how your experience differs between each. What goals do you want your current band to accomplish?

Wow. I don't know if I can reflect on the entire list of bands that I have been a part of. My bio is almost as lengthy as SSD's "How We Rock" intro. But, I will explain my approach to any project that I work with. I have to find a creative outlet in the band, I need to be working with a great bass player, I need to have artistic freedom, and I need to be able to get along with every single member in the band. I try to make sure I work with all different sounding bands. I try not repeat a certain genre of hardcore once I move on to my next venture. Some bands I have been in may have something in common, but each one of them has their own features. As far as goals in the bands, it's not too complicated. I need to be on the road constantly, not loose money, meet a lot of exciting people, be into the music, reach as many people as we possibly can, and also have fun of course!

You seem like you are a dude with a lot of things to say. How did you end up behind the drums in a classic "anonymous position" instead of behind the mic?

I'm a drummer before anything in life, so that's what I have to do first and foremost. I have been training for well over a decade now in technique, music theory, and reading. I even continue to do so as much as I can off tour with many established instructors in NY. I just always got the niche of percussion easily and if anything it is always so flattering to be asked constantly to fulfill drum duties for so many great bands. Now as for getting my turn on the mic, I have books of lyrics I never show anyone that are eager to be spat out. I'm so down to front a side project but I cannot find anyone that wants to play music inspired from Inside Out, Burn, and "Disengage" era Youth Of Today. Oh well, at least I have a goal to work on outside of Energy.

Which would you rather?

a) Get a Mets tattoo on your ass
b) Get a Yankees tattoo on your forehead

a)Mets tattoo on my ass! The only bombing things from the Bronx are Krs-One and District 9.

a) Win one million dollars
b) Tour across every continent

b)Tour across every continent. A million dollars would be nice, but my travels would not be as interesting as they are without the music and people involved with it. I truly mean that too. Things can get very hectic sometimes with this lifestyle, but I would never trade anything for it!

a) Hang with Tegan Quin
b) Hang with Jules Masse

a) Tegan Quin. I have met Tegan before and it was very inspiring! We had a really awesome talk about Face To Face and it was so humbling to see that Sara and herself had the same touring upbringing and work ethic as hardcore and punk bands before they took off in their indie following. Tegan And Sara have been my favorite song writers for a legit time, and I would always be down to get coffee with them.Now I love Side By Side and Alone In A Crowd, but I dunno if I would want to meet the current Jules Masse. No harm meant, but it probably wouldn't be the same as when he would spring up all over the Anthrax stage in a hoodie at boiling temperatures.

a) Live in San Diego
b) Live in Chicago
c) Live in Western Mass

a)San Diego! It happens to be one of my favorite spots on the West Coast. Great burritos, The Living Room Cafe, Over My Dead Body, Che Cafe, and Sarah Ellis! Chicago is a runner up. Great people out there and excellent cuisine. Western Mass is very foreign to me.

Lets talk about Ambitions. That first EP was a giant, then the LP came out sleeper style. Then you guys broke up. It all seemed strange to me. I always felt this band should be HUGE, but it didn't together like that. So what happened there? Did Ambitions never get the respect you deserved, or am I missing something?

The time spent in Ambitions will remain as a huge success for the rest of my life. The band pushed me harder as a musician, I was introduced to so many sincere individuals through them, and I was able to tour with some of my favorite bands of the time. I'm very proud of "Stranger". We wrote some really interesting songs, and I think the right people caught on to it at that time and they won't forget the shows we played or put their vinyl on ebay. I feel that we were very respected by the right people, especially by a lot of the bands we played with. Unfortunately, Ambitions just ended at the wrong time. I know that if we had kept playing out and really toured on that lp, it would have gotten into the hands of more people. I respect every members decision on what they wanted to do post Ambitions, and I love them to death. The only thing I did not care for during that time were the commutes on I-95.

You're now playing in Energy. Do you see that as a departure from your previous bands or as a natural progression? How would you compare a Ambitions gig to an Energy gig?

Energy was a very warm welcome. I had no idea I would end up as a member of the band, but I'm quite thankful everyday that it worked out that way. Energy is definitely similar to the melodic sound that Ambitions embraced, yet it has some elements that are quite different. Energy embraces more of a punk flavor in the vein of mid A.F.I, Bad Religion, and just elite punk that dominated the early 1990's. Ambitions had a palate that was more on the side of post-hardcore, alternative, and melodic youthcrew stuff. I always got so excited when people would ask if we had a major Turning Point , Farside, and Dag Nasty influence. A lot of the grooves I played in Ambitions defiantly translated well in my learning process with the Energy catalog. Then once I figured out the Energy set like the back of my hand, I just started to come up with these new ideas left and right nonstop. So there is a progression of compulsive growth as a musician upon my new home at Energy camp. As far as shows go, Ambitions had a very similar base to the Energy crowd. I dig when people just have a lot of fun and will love a band because it reaches them with a burst of life. I like when kids listen to the music in all of its aspects, and not because a band has ironic merch or because the trends are telling kids that it's cool to like a band. Independent thoughts are what's up in the new year!

What bands get you psyched these days? Psyched on the edge and psyched on the core?

My playlist definitely caters to a ton of indie, hip hop, female fronted and classic core material but don't be fooled, I get really excited on hardcore bands going on right now. The new Bane songs are unbelievable and I'm so glad Triple B is putting them out. As for others, I dig Debaser, Capital, Backtrack, Crime In Stereo, Agent, Defeater, Blacklisted, Foundation, Cancer Bats, Memorial, Tigers Jaw, Transit, Title Fight, ON, Paint It Black, Cruel Hand, Touche Amore, Offsides, Mindset, Commadre, and Polar Bear Club. I'm sure most of the kids reading this already know whats up, but if not then you should go to your local record store and stock up.

Is it a pre-requisite to get an anti-crucial haircut before joining a band like Energy? Consider when Steve from Embrace Today started playing with Panic. He certainly came out of that band with a very un-crucial haircut.

Haha, I was waiting for this and appreciate you breaking the ice. Yes, it is true that my pos top has been m.i.a for awhile now. Honestly my hairstyle just changed because I wanted to change it. There was no consultant, female, trend , or band member that brought about my current hairstyle. I feel that every individual tends to have their own style even if they are anti-fashion. The true story is that one day I was getting complimented on having a very strong hairline and it just kind of hit me that I should really take advantage of it while it's in it's prime era. My hairstyle will never reflect how I act, think, or present myself to others. That's a cliche statement, but it is what it is. Trust me, I will always love the crucial kid style, but we also need diversity. And lastly, my hair will never jeopardize my edge.

Suppose I gave you a straight edge, hardcore time machine. One use only. Which show would you attend and why?

This is a real tuff one! It would have to be the classic "shutdown" show at CBGB's with Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, and Side By Side. I hear stories about that matinee all the time and I could only imagine how a-wall the youth got that sunday. Plus I would've loved to have had a chance to stage dive to "backfire" off my favorite stage of all time.

Over the years, what was your favorite show to play, and why? Also what about your favorite to attend?

Definitely seeing Silent Majority a lot were the best times of my life. They are my all time favorite band in any genre of music. Tommy Corrigan is my absolute favorite edgeman because he just gets it and continues to write some of the best lyrics I have ever read. Tommy also has an impact on me because he never really made me feel shunned away as a younger kid, and that meant a lot to me since I felt that when I first came around a lot of older dudes sort of wanted you to "earn your stripes". Every show I played in Heads Vs Breakers were some of my favorite memories and I truly appreciate Rich Jacovina for giving me that phone call one night and definitely giving me such a wonderful opportunity to play with some of the best people ever. Anytime Kill Your Idols played was unreal. That band kept me in check with my spirits when a lot of my friends were dropping out hardcore in high school and college. Plus they put so many of my bands on shows with them, and to this day they will always come up to me and say hello. Indecision always sparked a lot of life to me. I would just spend that 30 minutes they played pouring every ounce I had on the dance floor to classics off "Unorthadox" and "MPB". Any Bane show past and present just gives me chills and they still get me to stage dive. The past few years I was finally able to tour with them . Getting to know all of them as people made the band an even bigger deal to me. And last but not least , the BURN and Insted reunions were certainly a treat to experience.

How important is a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle in terms of the hardcore scene? Personally, how important is it to you?

Veganism and Vegetarianism is important in all aspects of everyday life. It is a huge part of who I'm and how I'm aware of my surroundings. In hardcore the cruelty free lifestyle defiantly rallies a collective of people that connect with one another because they already disagree with what the majority is telling how you must live. But Globally it is more effective because there are so many individuals that are doing something against animal cruelty that do not even know what hardcore is. I assist in 2 organizations on my downtime from touring. Make Peace With Animals is a Greyhound Rescue out of Mineola NY. On the next end, I'm a personal assistant at the North Shore Vet Practice where animals are not only treated for medical issues, but they are also treated for personality, hygiene, nutrition, and fitness. I'm very lucky to work with such generous and passionate people and they defiantly have educated many clients to not only care for their animals, but also themselves through their diet. So promoting a cruelty free way of life is not just for a sweet cover of "No More", there are a ton of organizations, restaurants, and individuals that are spreading the kind word as we speak in your own town all over the globe!

I feel like I've run into you in some of the farthest corners of the US. What's the furthest you've ever traveled for a show you weren't playing?

Seattle is a very well known area for bringing me out just to attend a hardcore show. Probably my 2 favorite times were for the Trial reunion in 2005, and the unforgettable weekend when Champion played their last show. I absolutely love the North West!

Top 5s
a) Current EPs
1)Title Fight- The Last Thing You Forget
2)Bane- Triple B 7inch
3)Paint It Black- Amnesia
4)Capital- Blind Faith
5)Debaser- Rich White Boys

b) Current LPs
1)Polar Bear Club- Chasing Hamburg
2)Defeater-Travels
3)Touche Amore- To The Beat Of A Dead Horse
4)Memorial- The Creative Process/Berlin
5)Cruel Hand - Prying Eyes

c) Vegan restaurants in America
1)Angelika Kitchen (NYC)
2)Curlys' Veg Diner (NYC)
3)Pizza Pi (Seattle)
4)Govinda's (Philly)
5)Red Bamboo(NYC)

d) Tegan And Sara Releases
1)The Con
2)If It Was You
3)So Jealous
4)The Business Of Art
5)My mix of their live banter

e) T-shirts
1)BURN longsleeve
2)Silent Majority tour 96
3)Insted We'll Make The Difference tour shirt
4)Outspoken Current design
5)Quicksand Slip tour

Any closing thoughts, shout outs or positive mental attitude statements?

Thank you to Have Heart! I will miss seeing those guys play so much, but I'm so proud of what they accomplished. Thank you for interviewing me on HYE. This is a big deal since I've been a long time fan. Thank you to Chris Wrenn ,Karl Hansel (go get em at Epitaph!) and everyone at Bridge 9 for just being the best label out there. Josh Lovell for being the best. JC at C&C Drums. Diesel Cafe in Sommerville for keeping me occupied in MA on off days. And of course anyone that supports Energy and the hardcore scene worldwide. Make your move and be a part. Put out a record, promote a show, and keep an open mind. Stay Fresh!

All pics from Future-Breed.com and Little Pink Shoes. Support the photographers, support the bands, support the artists.

Andrew Kline - Strife, Prohibition, Tradition Shop ...

2008-12-11T20:50:00.009-05:00

Andrew Kline is a good dude. He was in one of the most legendary Straight Edge bands of the mid 90s (possibly just one small step behind Earth Crisis). He's toured the US over and over. He's toured the world. Now he owns a shop in Westlake Village, California. They sell some awesome items and host some amazing events. Andrew knows what's up. He even catches me on brain slip (shows how much I care about post Sox players ...). Check it out.

Yo Andrew, how's your edge?

My edge is just fine... Contrary to what you may read on misinformed websites on the internet or hear through the rumor mill, I am still Straight Edge.

Click here for more details ...

Andrew Kline is a good dude. He was in one of the foremost Straight Edge bands of the mid 90s (possibly just one small step behind Earth Crisis). He's toured the US over and over, he's toured the world. Now he owns a shop in Westlake Village, California. They sell some awesome items and host some amazing events. Andrew knows what's up. He even catches me on brain slip (shows how much I care about post Sox players ...). Check it out.

Yo Andrew, how's your edge?

My edge is just fine... Contrary to what you may read on misinformed websites on the internet or hear through the rumor mill, I am still Straight Edge.

How did it all begin for you? Straight into SXE hardcore, or jump started on skateboarding, punk rock, thrash, metal?

I was really into punk rock growing up. I had a few friends that were really into music and they turned me on to bands like the Descendents, Circle Jerks, C.O.C., D.R.I., and others very early on.

Skateboarding played a huge role as well. I started skating in 6th grade, and I would read Thrasher regularly. The later Skate Rock comps turned me onto to a lot of great bands including Brotherhood, Insted, and Half Off.

I had a next door neighbor that was really into punk and hardcore as well. He was probably 8 or so years older than me. He had an amazing record collection. I would borrow a few records at a time and bring them home to dub them onto cassette. He has everything from the F.U.'s , to The Freeze, to Minor Threat, to Operation Ivy, to Bad Religion, and more. A few records still stand out in my mind as favorites from his collection... One was Agnostic Front's "Victim in Pain" and the other was Negative Approach's "Tied Down."

I slowly started getting more and more into the harder bands... As time went on I got really into all of the NYHC bands. Everything from Youth of Today, to Killing Time, to Sick of it All, to GB, to Judge. Keep in mind, this was long before the internet... You couldn't just wake up, decide you were into hardcore, and download a play list for your new fad.

We had to actively seek out bands, trade tapes, order records in the mail, and hunt down any information for upcoming shows.

I was lucky enough to have a local record store that would special order records for me, since they didn't have much of a selection.

Is straight edge still as important to you today as it was, say in 1992? Why aren't you vegetarian (hahah)?

It is and it isn't... It's not really something that I think about. When Strife was active and touring it was a really big deal... I know that we were a positive influence on thousand of kids around the world, and that was really our goal as a band.

Most of my friends know that I don't drink, so it is rarely something that ever gets brought up. Every now and then when I start hanging out with someone new, they will offer me a drink or something and then I will have to explain... Otherwise it doesn't cross my mind.

I try to accept people for who they are, people are different and that's what makes the world a special place.

I have never been vegetarian, and I don't think that it really has anything to do with Straight Edge really.

Which is better?
a) Inside Out NYC
b) Inside Out from Cali

Do you really have to ask that question? Inside Out (from Cali) was one of the best hardcore bands ever. They were able to do something most bands don't, which is sound original! They also had one of the best frontmen ever, and an unrivaled live show...

They really had the whole package... Great lyrics, great musicianship, and an awesome live show.

a) Cheering for Manny as an Angel
b) Jeering at Manny as a Red Sox

I'm not a big baseball fan, and I guess you aren't either because Manny plays for the Dodgers. I go to games every now and then, but I prefer basketball. I know they looked pathetic in the Finals, but let's see if the Lakers can take the Celtics this year

a) Electric Frankenstein
b) Baby Gopal
c) Doughnuts

I'm not a big fan of any of those bands, but if I had to pick one I guess I would go with the Doughnuts. What's worse than all three of those bands is the new crop of "hardcore" bands signed to Victory. Victory really changed their format in the late nineties, and signed a bunch of bands that I don't really care for...

a) Quiet Sunday Morning
b) Jumping Friday Night

I like a combination of the two, although I prefer to go out in the middle of the week that on the weekends. Everyone likes to have a good time, but I am always off on Sundays, and it is a good day to relax and wind down. I'm a pretty busy guy, so this is really the one day when I don't do anything.

a) Uniform Choice
b) Minor Threat

If I had to pick one I would have to say Minor Threat, only because they didn't release "Staring Into The Sun." Anything Minor Threat ever recorded is awesome... Don't get me wrong, "Screaming for Change" is a great album... I just listened to it the other day at the gym, but Minor Threat is fairly untouchable.

Ok, enough fooling around. Lets talk about Strife. How awesome is One Truth? That's a rhetorical question, of course.

One Truth is a pretty good album... I think it was a strong record... Certain songs are better than others, but overall I am pretty happy with how it came out.

I feel that "In This Defiance" is our best record by far... I think we really developed our sound at that point to create a perfect blend of hardcore and metal that still sounds modern even to this day...

How did you luck into playing for Strife, were you boys from day one, were you coerced into the band ala Cliff Burton and Metallica or were you auditioned into the band ala Jason Newsted?

I started Strife with some of my best friends. I guess it was lucky to find 4 other people that held the same ideals as me and wanted to play the same time of music that I did. When we started the band there were maybe 5 or so other kids in our hometown that even listened to hardcore.

Rick and Sid had previously played in bands, but I pretty much learned to play guitar writing our earliest songs.

Did you accomplish every goal you wanted with Strife? Were you happy with the bands life and passing? Care to start any reunion or next show rumors?

When we started the band we never thought that we would get as a big as we did. Originally we just wanted to start a band a play some shows. We never thought that we would release a record let alone a few albums. We wanted to play some shows, but we never thought that we would tour around the world. I am proud of everything that we did as a band. Could we have done more? Definitely.

I feel that we broke up at our peak, but I know that we could have done so much more. I would have loved to taken our band to that next level, but it just didn't work out.

As far as reunions or upcoming shows are concerned it is something that I wouldn't rule out. We are all great friends, and we all miss performing. We do some shows here and there just for fun. We will never be a full time band again, but I'm sure we will play at some point in time.

Strife was always a big straight edge band, a torch carrier for the edge in the early 90s. Do you think any edge breakings that occurred by band members have tarnished what Strife is? Who from Strife is still straight edge?

I am the only member of Strife that is still Straight Edge. I'm sure that has tarnished our reputation to some degree, but it is what it is. People change, and I can't hold that against anyone. I know our lyrics and our message inspired many people and I know that we truly made a positive impact on a lot of lives. I'm sure at this point people are over it... And if they aren't there isn't much we can do.

You played guitar in Strife, but one day back in 93 or 94 while in Cambridge Mass, you played drums for a band at a giant show. What was this band, and how did you get jumped into that?

Haha That was one of the versions of Prohibition. I had met Sweet Pete a few years before that, and we became friends. Keep in mind this was way before the internet or Myspace... You would actually have to write letters to people or call them out of the blue if you wanted to get in touch with them.

Anyway, we were playing a show at the Cambridge Church with Mouthpiece, Rorshach, and a few others (maybe Endpoint or 4 Walls Falling)... Anyway, we decided to play a few songs. We didn't practice, I could barely play drums, and I'm sure we sounded like complete shit! We had fun anyway.

A few years later, we did another version of Prohibition that turned out much better. We played a place called The Macondo in Los Angeles with Strife and Undertow. We played Straight Edge Revenge, a few originals, and a really bad song from the "Generation of Hope" comp called "You're a Liar." That was pure comedy... There is a video of that floating around, and we didn't sound half bad.

I always wanted to play drums for some reason, and I got a little better as the years went by.

There is a demo tape floating around from a band called "Hard Attack" that we did one night in Santa Barbara. We showed up for a show a day early and had nothing to do. One of our friends had a radio show up there, so we decided to write a few songs on the spot and then play live on the air. It was during a time when the whole Santa Barbara scene was really politically correct. The bands name was a take on Kent McClard's zine at the time Heart Attack... We had a back story the we were the first hardcore band from Santa Barbara and that we had just came out of retirement... It was pretty funny. We played a few originals and an "Alone in The Crowd" cover... I was on drums, Rick was on vocals, Jeff Kapra (Manumission/Broken Needle), was on Guitar. I forgot who played bass, but Mike Phyte did some back ups...

How did Turnedown slip under my radar? Was this band WAY ahead of the curve, or were you in place to "cash in" on the hype bands like Atreyu and Thursday helped foster?

I started Turnedown right when I graduated High School. We definitely weren't trying to cash in. We were influenced by bands like Dag Nasty, Descendents, and Lifetime. We were definitely ahead of the curve and way before Atreyu or Thursday. The last e.p. we recorded had Joe from Fury 66 on vocals, and it still is one of my favorite records that I have ever recorded.

Top 5s
Lps

1.Gorilla Biscuits –Start Today
2.Judge – Bringing It Down
3.Turning Point – It's Always Darkest...
4.The Beatles – White Album
5. Embrace – Self Titled

Mid 90s Shows

1.Strife/Mouthpiece/Outspoken/Endpoint/and more at Middlesex County College in New Jersey.
2.Wisconsin Fest with Integrity, Strife, Falling Forward, Guilt, and 3 days worth of bands that I can't remember.
3.Strife and Sepultura (last tour with the original lineup) in Prague.
4.Strife/Earth Crisis/Snapcase... any show on that tour.
5. Any show on our tour with Warzone.

Streetwear Brands

1. Crooks and Castles
2. The Hundreds
3. Akomplice
4. Undrcrwn
5. Tradition

Places to get a Burrito

1. Las Casitas
2. Los Toros
3. Chipotle

What's up with Tradition? Do you own and run this shop? How did it all come together?

I opened Tradition with my business partner, Jason, a little over 2 years ago. I have always been interested in fashion, and I worked as a retail buyer and manager for over 10 years. I felt that it was time do my own shop. We opened our doors in November of 2006 and we haven't looked back since. We have the best selection of sneakers and streetwear north of Los Angeles. You can check us out online at www.shoptradition.com

Tradition is certainly more than just a retail store. What events can we expect from Tradition going forward?

We just did a huge event with Akomplice clothing for the release of their newest season. We had an in store performance from Raekwon from the Wu Tang Clan and an upcoming rapper named Young De.

http://www.vimby.com/video/fashion/us/all/detail/8693

We also did a collab tee with Raekwon that sold like crazy. It's crazy because a lot of brands have done t-shirts influenced by the Wu... We pulled off an official collab and had a performance. No one is doing that!

We have a lot of artshows as well. In the past we have shown work from such notable artists as Axis, Alex Pardee, J. Bannon, Eyeone, Derek Albeck, Marco Zamora, and many more. We are working hard to show the real culture behind the clothing.

We have done many collaboration tees as well. We have done tees with Terror, Mr. Cartoon, Soul Assasssins, Undrcrwn, Akomplice, Raekwon, Axis, Marco Zamora, and many others.

We sponsor a few bands as well... You can see bands such as Terror, Internal Affairs, and Alpha and Omega rocking our clothing.

We have a few events line up for 2009. In April we are hosting a Radio Silence book release party and artshow. We are still working out the details, but this will definitely be an event that you will not want to miss.

Who dragged who into the Streetwear Scene? Did you drag Rick, did he drag you? 15 years ago when you were touring the world with Strife, did you ever imagine yourself landing where you did?

We grew up together so we were into a lot of the same things. Rick is a very talented graphic designer and he actually designs a lot of our graphics and t-shirts.

I never really thought about where I would be now... I am just happy that I am successful, and doing what makes me happy.

Hardcore and streetwear almost go hand in hand now. How do you feel about all the crossover?

I think hardcore and streetwear go hand in hand. A lot of the streetwear brands share the same D.I.Y. ethic as many punk and hardcore bands. It's all about starting on the ground level and building your networks.

A lot of people in the streetwear industry come from the hardcore scene or have roots in the music scene as well. They both share a similar aesthetic as well. A lot of hardcore kids were wearing camo shorts, letterman jackets, and Champion hoodies, which isn't far off from the streetwear style of today.

Also, who in the streetwear scene currently has roots in the hardcore scene? Like Bobby from The Hundreds grew up on Quicksand and Throwdown, Toby H2O, Nick from Final Word at Goodfoot or Dan at Bodega.

I guess you named a few already... Bobby from The Hundreds used to come see us play out in Riverside back in the day. I didn't know him then, but I knew a few of his friends.

I meet kids all the time that are into hardcore... I know the guys from Mishka are into some hardcore, Flying Coffin is done by a Straight Edge kid from Hawaii (now in Seattle). Arsen from Hall of Fame and Kendo used to come see us play as well... I met Christian from Nike on tour with Sick of it All... The list goes on. Frank 151 just did a DMS issue, so I can only assume they have roots in hardcore too.

Lets say I loan you my hardcore time machine for one shot. What show do you go back and see or play again?

Some of my earliest shows were also some of my favorite... Probably because it was all so new and I wasn't as jaded as I am now... I would love to see GB, Instead, and Reason to Believe at the Country Club again... I saw Judge there too, and that was awesome.... I would love to see Chain of Strength at Spankys again.

When I was 15 I lived to just go to shows and stage dive!

What current bands psych you up? What's been getting a lot of spins lately?

I've really been listening to a lot of hip hop lately. I produce a lot of hip hop stuff as well, so I try to stay on top of what is current.

As far as newer bands are concerned...

I really liked Internal Affairs. They bring me back to the Connecticut bands in the late 80's... They could have easily been on that "X Marks The Spot" comp.

I think Terror is pretty much carrying the torch for what Strife did as a band. If Strife was any band in 2008 we would be Terror.

Alpha and Omega is another newer band to look out for. The play a more crossover style of hardcore similar to Leeway.

Any closing shout outs or words of wisdom?

Thanks for the interview... Be sure to check out www.shoptradition.com for all info and updates about the shop.

You can hear some of my hip hop stuff on my myspace page as well.

Myspace.com/worldwardrew1

I'm sure I will do another hardcore band in the not so distant future as well... Playing music is something I love to do and it's in my blood...

Trumbull Magazine with Owen Black & Sam Reiss

2008-10-13T11:57:00.009-04:00

I remember meeting Owen for the first time (I think) at Youth Attack's first show at WPI. That show sticks out a lot in my mind. First and foremost because Jeff was this young ass kid singing for Youth Attack with permanent marker drawings ALL over his person. Secondly, there was a dude absolutely losing his mind in the pit. I mean, this was an opening band playing one of their first, if not their absolute first shows, and there is this kid just busting crazy in the pit. He had style, no doubt, and he had intensity. I met the dude later in the night. Turns out, it was Owen. From that point forward, Owen seemed to bring the same intensity and drive to all his projects.

Sam is a little different. He was always the laid back dude. We started talking sneakers a mess of years back over the internet. I would always think, "does Canada even sell sneakers? Aren't they on some ice boot tip?" Obviously not (shoot outs to Goodfoot T.O.). Sam had deep knowledge. He wasn't the fad follower. He stuck to his guns, saw the trends come and go. When everyone jumped on the SB trend, he just laughed and copped 97s for cheap. He's still laughing. While you are wearing some terrible Puff and Stuffs, he's flossing in some ill vintage 95s. Ps. He's still laughing at you and your Bics.

When these two minds got together, it was a wonderful marriage of gritty determination and an attention to obscure details that has barely been seen prior to this. Each guy brings years of experience to the table and starter skills that make all us Monday Morning "journalists" jealous. Read on and learn.

Yo, how's your edge? AND, how was your edge?

OWEN: I saw my edge walking around the city the other day. I was like, "Damn, I know that guy..." but I couldn't place him. Then he came up behind me after we had passed and kicked me in the nuts. That dude is out of his fucking mind, and now I remember why I killed him.

SAM: To quote Lewis Carroll, "It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place."

Before we get into the mag, let's discuss you dudes. How did it all begin for you? Were you coremin from birth or was it a gradual transition? Anyone you should be thanking for turning you onto punk and hardcore?

OWEN: How did Morgado answer this one? I want to say "ditto." I want to thank Mark Baumer for letting me borrow his Hatebreed CD in 1999. "Your family, your friendships, your community, these are the most valuable things a man can have." "I'm a family man- I run a family business. This is my friend and my partner, S.I. Reiss."

SAM: Ehh, read a lot of magazines, bought a record or two, read the liner notes, dragged my folks to record stores on vacations, standard stuff. I was a hungry little beb. I didn't get anyone into shit, unless you count getting three people into Alpha Omega three years ago something. I'd like to take this space to thank John Bloodclot for giving me a nickname way back when. It's made it all worth it.

Was it during this time that you discovered Straight Edge too? What did it mean to you then and what does it mean to you now?

SAM: I copped Minor Threat CD a little bit after I got into the other stuff, and it clicked, so I stuck with it. I'm loyal. S.E. can be great, you can either get something out of it, or become a weird loner. Plus, it's nice to have the money to spend on gear and candy, important stuff. I think the best thing about it, besides Straight Ahead, is that it can mean as much or as little as you want. To me, it's whatever Barrow and Jay Bil say it is. The missing link lies in listening to Stop and Think.

Suppose you were granted the power to erase one band or artist from the history of mankind. Who would you delete?

OWEN: I think I would delete BIGGIE because then 2Pac might still be alive. Controversial answer, I know. No disrespect.

SAM: I would never go back in a time machine and erase history, because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can't even imagine. But probably The Wrong Side, they're the worst band of all time.

What music gets you psyched these days? What is getting a lot of plays from you these days?

OWEN: I think the older I get the more I narrow down my tastes. Hot new Lil Wayne tracks always get me psyched. Wayne for sure is a huge inspiration to me. Especially his work ethic and his confidence. Merauder, True Blue and Dead Wrong always get me psyched. Shout outs to Ivan, Kitzel, Rene, and Minus. RIP SOB.

SAM: I only listen to Juan Epstein and baseball podcasts. I got into Spice-1 this week, he's great. That Mister Cee five-hour Biggie mix is awesome, too. That new Cam'ron, "Still the Reason." Iceburn. I like some hoser shit, Doughboys, Inbreds, Mystery Machine, Superfriendz, Inepsy. Zac Davis and I both got into disco around the same time, but I didn't put the work in. He still fucks with it though. I'm probably going to get into Tangerine Dream by Christmas. I love Klaus Schulze, he's hard. Classic records like Show World, Heaven and Hell, The Fix, Unrest, Four Walls, are why life's worth living. I like driving around with my girl, she is as good at listening to classic rock radio as she is bad at spelling. Waiting on that new Erlend Oye. As far as what gets me psyched, I like a good baseball game, George F. Will, Cam'ron, candy, dips, squats, water parks, the Kosher falafel place next to the Pyramid club, Niketown, skinheads, pizza, Air Max 97s, Jay Bil, finding money on the street, Ten Minute Misconduct, the first few pages in Paper Lion, doing yardwork, Muscle Milk, my roommate's dog, Mr. Penut, free food, etc.

Top 5s
a) Current Releases
b) Current Bands
c) Lower East Side Eateries

OWEN:
Current Releases:
1. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
2. Weezy mixtapes - various
3. T-Pain - Pr33 Ringz
4. Cold World - Dedicated...
5. Unforgiven - Last of the Few

Current Bands:
1. World Collapse
2. Down
3. Merauder
4. Cold World
5. Unforgiven

Current Artists (besides Wayne etc)
1. Jay-Z
2. Keri Hilson
3. Eminem
4. Cam'ron
5. The Cardigans

I'm going to give you my favorite eateries that are either near my work or near my Williamsburg Apt
1. Maffei Pizza - 6th and 22nd - #12 Italian restaurant in NYC according to Village Voice....get the buff chicken. 1 slice is $4 and its a meal.
2. Rickshaw - 23rd b/w 5th and 6th - Dumplings. Get them fried!
3. Tony's Pizza - Graham and Metropolitan, Brooklyn - I used to be a Carmine's man but their hours suck and I'm a late night kind of guy. Also, Tony's has a special every day, for a special price. It makes deciding easier.
4. Daniella's - Same area, different corner of the intersection - You can get a bacon, egg, cheese, and POTATOES on a roll. Put on ketchup and hot sauce and you will be happy. $4.
5. McDonald's - I love McDonald's. If you like chicks with fat asses, go to any McDonald's in New York City. Especially in Brooklyn. Wear sunglasses and Jordans.

SAM:
top 8 current artists:
1. Cam'ron
2. Rampage
3. Buddens
4. Scarface
5. Foreign HC: Erlend Oye, Gauze
6. Electric Wizard
7. Cassidy, Cold World, Mind Eraser, Inepsy, Shorts Guy
8. Godhead (this is my solo project, it sounds like Prong meets Gary Glitter, it's terrible)

Current releases:
1. Those unreleased Cro Mags songs that just dropped
2. Cam'ron new shit
3. Mood Muzik III/Cassidy Mixtape/T-Pain tape
4. That Gauze LP from last year is a ripper
5. America's Youth, "Being Straight Edge to make music to be Straight Edge to." This is actually a terrible record, don't listen to it.

Restaurants:
1. Ray's
2. Famous Ray's
3. Original Ray's
4. Original Famous Ray's
5. TIE: Hans' Deli/Blimpie/Momofuku Ssam Bar/We Cut Keys*

*Honorable mention to DiRienzo's

Lets discuss your public writing history. Trumbull, Sleepy Puppy Action Newsletter (S.P.A.N.), Spotrusherz, The Cult Of Paris ... Each format had different focal points but similar pieces. What inspired these outlets?

OWEN: Sami and I have both been writing to a large audience for a long time. We both had jobs reviewing music for widely-read publications since we were teenagers, and once you start, you never really stop. I think we decided somewhere along the way, "Hey, we're stupid, we say stupid things, and people are also stupid. The only smart people in this world are John Adams (RIP), Bruce Willis, Lil Wayne, and our friend Jagger; lets try to write something that these beautiful minds might eventually read whilst defecating on a toilet."

SAM: I can't speak for Cult of Paris, but the stuff I've done has been more or less the same. Just writing stuff that would make me chuckle. I just like to write stupid stuff and get better at it.

I can break my "public writing history" down for you.

Trumbull: We started this zine at 91 Gordon, mostly about over evolved NYHC and sneakers nobody was into yet. This caused beef with a guy named Scones that has not been squashed. We also made mixtapes, which featured songs by Silkk the Shocker, Deathside and the Descendents.

Sleepy Puppy: We didn't have enough content for a second issue so we made a two-pager and filled it up with poetry and our thoughts on Avenged Sevenfold and the Willie Wonka movie. It was technically issue No. 2.5.

Spotrusherz: I started this 'blog with Woj. He posted a bunch of cool shit but I just ended up posting about Israeli politics and the Senators' checking line, eventually abandoning it.

Cult of Paris: I think this was a money-making scheme by Owen. I was under the impression that it did quite well.

Can you see any obvious progressions from one outlet to the next? You don't look back and cringe, do you?

SAM: I always find at least two or three gaping errors in anything I've written. That's going to happen -- it's hard to write something that doesn't make you occasionally wince, unless you're writing business copy or something about robots or something. But generally, I'm very proud of all my Uppercut-related writing. This means I'm probably going to be ashamed some of the new Trumbull, but that's how it is for me and English. As long as there's real progress, then good.

Is it just me, or has Paris completely fallen out of the public eye? How does that make you feel today (considering Cult Of Paris hasn't been updated since summer 2006)?

OWEN: Paris has a new show on MTV called "My New BFF" in which contestants vie for a chance to...win a reality show? I really wish I could have been on this show. Paris and I would have become fast friends and then I could have bounced right off the set entirely. Shout out to Wheeler, who actually did this on A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.

SAM: Yeah

Now about your current project, Trumbull Magazine. How did it go from the DIY handout into this full blown, glossy spread?

OWEN: I felt like I could run a magazine just as well as anyone else, plus maybe a little better. I could have pursued a career in the magazine industry, but I'd rather just run my own empire. What I'm saying is why aim to be Cassidy when you can be Hova? I have enough heart to drag Sami and the disgusting couch he watches baseball on with me to the finish line.

SAM: Owen has a great work ethic, and is my friend, and he wants to do this. Like he said, other magazines just aren't that good. I'm pleased as punch with our older issues, but there are like 20 circulated copies*. Fuck it, we're trying. God loves a tryer. If people could overlook the bad layouts and photocopied scans in the first few issues, they can fuck with glossy covers. Also it will be free now, it wasn't before. That should help us, what with the print industry being dead and all.

*Email us at zacgreerrecordtrading@lycos.com to secure a copy. "Interesting trades considered."

Besides getting your voice out to the public, what are your goals with this magazine? What props your magazine over the crowd of the GQs, the XXLs, the Complexes and the Vapors?

OWEN: This is a really good question, because people usually ask us "What's your magazine about?" We're better than GQ because that magazine is too big, we are baby-sized. We're better than XXL because we can write and don't mix 6 fonts on a page, I don't know how we are better than Complex, they have had 2 Lil Wayne covers, that's hard to beat. Their magazine is also tiny, so it really is one of the best on the stands these days. I can't see Vapor.

SAM: That's a really bad question. We're outsiders and we write better. I have no idea what Vapor is, is that some engineer shit? None of those magazines' logos are based on William Gaddis' National Book Award winner, like ours is. The numbers here are actually a step down for me, to quote Owen's favorite rapper, "Fuck the public." My goals with this magazine are to be a bit better than the older issues, and with slightly more distribution. Owen's goals involve boats, secretaries, etc.

What's the target market for you magazine? Will little Johnny Straight Edge enjoy this magazine as much as Thrash Or Die Johnny?

OWEN: Yo Johnny Straight Edge always clutters my bulletin board with surveys and Thrash Or Die Johnny just picked my roommate up for practice. If you see in color and can read the English language you will like our magazine. In fact, I think babies would even like our magazine. Show your baby a picture of a dog or a beach from our new issue. I bet s/he will like it.

SAM: Anyone who likes good sentences, photos of dogs, skinheads, shit like that, should at least get a snarfle out of this. As long as Messrs. Edge and Johnny know what a gerund and who Stephen Murphy is, then good. Actually, to make an analogy, I don't give a shit about coal and trumpets, but I read the New Yorker. So anyone can read Ish IV, for example those guys' girlfriends, if they have them.

Since Trumbull Magazine hasn't hit the racks yet, what 5 novels and 5 blogs would you recommended as prerequisites to digesting your magazine?

OWEN: Homework time!! Murphy this interview is fire!
Books
1. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov - The beginning of excessive yet hilarious footnotes.
2. Consider The Lobster by David Foster Wallace - Vibe jocked the fuck out of this gentle, gentleman's style.
3. Babylon By Bus by Ray Lemoine - Ray demonstrated to our young minds how to hustle and do big projects, and to therefore fulfill our Jewish prerogative to make lots of money and control the media.
4. The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature by Neal Pollack - Sounds long but is quite short. Our namesake lived and died within these pages.
5. Your favorite book - this magazine is definitely for people who enjoy reading so if you just like to read, period, then you pass.

Blogs
1. Medicine Agency Blog
2. Lil Wayne's ESPN blog
3. Can't Stop The Bleeding - For Sami, I don't read this.
4. AtheneWins on YouTube
5. Egotastic

SAM:
Influential shit:
1.New Yorker/Big Brother --Flynt-era ONLY
2. The 'zine trilogy: Bust Super Fanzine, Lockin Out No. 1 Fanzine (and Trumbull Escapades). All OOP
3. Army Man magazine -- Main Trumbull influence. Photocopied FTW
4. Old MAD Magazines -- Mort Drucker FTW
5. The author trilogy: Pynchon, Gaddis, Foster Wallace (RIP)

Blogs:
1. Cantstopthebleeding -- The best 'blogger alive since the best
'blogger retired
2. That 'blog that has the whole No Limit discography at 320.
3. Jay Bil's 'blog
4. The 'blog trinity: Jasonbarrow.com, Jasonbarrow.com/Wayne, Spotrusherz
5. Carl "I'm Pissed" video 'blog

If you had the chance to work with one artist, alive or dead, who'd it be, and what topic would you give them to work on? On a more serious note, who would you love to have on the staff as a regular columnist?

OWEN: I think doing a photo shoot with Brian Wilson in like July 1966 would be retarded. Or I would get drunk with Edgar Allan Poe and just put a tape recorder on him all night. Part two: I'm gonna clarify that I interpret this to mean that I am picking someone who would quit whatever job they have and work solely for the magazine. And that's a hard question to answer. Right now, I wouldn't be able to do this magazine without the help of all my friends. They contribute a lot of the material, so I would like to send all my love out to them right now. What this means, though, is that I have essentially assembled my dream staff already. Short answer: Zac Greer (myspace.com/usercd).

SAM: The answer to the first question would have to be Picasso. I'd give him the whole issue, or have him preview this hockey season. To be honest, our contributors can go fuck themselves, you all should have worked much harder, I had to edit the shit out of you. And I can barely edit to begin with, so that put me in a tight spot. Neal Pollack has a standing offer to do whatever he wants, but he's a real writer, and gets paid real money, so we might have to suck the peanut gallery's dick for content for awhile. Also, anyone from Baseball Prospectus, esp. Will Carroll, and Steve Ludzik, Joe Budden, Robert Smith (of the Vikings), Mister Cee, Felix Havoc, would be great. Ludzik is actually in contact to write our "Getting the most from your modem" column for the website. It was going to go to Havoc but he told us to go fuck ourselves.

When can we expect to see the first issue? Where can we learn more about the magazine?

OWEN: I am operating on a deadline matrix which happens to manifest itself as an apparition resembling a shadowy Uzi-wielding Grim Reaper type dude. The guy is just ALWAYS around the next corner...there is so much involved with launching this concept from zero to 100 that its impossible to look ahead and say it will be out _____, but I can say that the best way to stay up to date is to bookmark trumbullisland.com. We are about to drop some very sweet pixels upon your collective displays. And the magazine will be out SOON.

SAM: First issue is dropping sometime before the Biggie movie hits theatres and sometime after Jason Bay fucks the Rays up the ass. You can learn more about the magazine here, glad you asked. Expect glossy pics, skinny-ass girls, not that much writing from me, stuff Owen is into, stories about drugs, photos of dogs, fantasy basketball tips, skinhead literature reviews, recipes, Ask a Girl, five-word movie reviews, My Dinner With Scace, record reviews, photo essays, Owen's graphic skills (they're legit), attempted journalism, etc. The magazine will be like the record, and the website the emp. The website will be completely self- and Scace-indulgent. There really are only so many times we can write about Sheeds and Uppercut, but we plan to stretch that to its logical limit. Owen says we can't write about Mortains no more, we can't write about coke no more, can't write about being broke no more, so my web input will probably be sports-related, as I am no longer that good at listening to music. I'm not sure what Owen will write about, but I hope it has something to do with Bruce Willis, restaurants and air travel, a.k.a. the finer things in life. I also hope you all like MLS, because I am jumping in feet-first this winter.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions. Do you have any final thoughts or words of wisdom?

OWEN: BURN the haters. If you got beef, step up. To the ladies: I love you all! If we didn't do this magazine, who would?

SAM: Fuck society and their rules, we got this.

Note: Owen sent me a different picture originally. I told him this was a family friendly website (lol) and suggested he tone it down for me. He then followed up with that pic. If you want to see the original image (which is pretty hot), get the magazine!

Ask Yasi - LOL

2008-10-10T15:56:00.004-04:00

I've followed the Hundreds for a few years now. Bobby's down with core. I've seen pics of him and Pike hanging. Toby H2O and crew too. He probably even owns a HYE shirt if he looks through all those piles of free schwag. Their blogs have been jumping lately, and Yasi has really got back into frequent postings. The other day she quoted Fugazi so I figured I woudl hit her up.

subject: dear yasi

hey yasi, how's your edge?

peace.

b. murphy

B.,

Jagged. And sometimes very confused.

Yasi

So there you have it. Peep the original source.

xChipxSem x The Collection Space

2008-10-02T21:03:00.002-04:00

Chip is passionate about tshirts. He is also passionate about the mid 90s and all the straight edge, vegan bands that came along. His collection includes nearly every single Earth Crisis shirt as well as a plethora of dope Battery shirts. Sure, Battery isn't vegan, but then again, neither is he! Don't worry, the vegan police are already working him over. Check the interview for more information about Chip. Then check his collection.

Yo dude, how's your edge?

My edge is nice and as strong as it's always been. 14 years strong for me this January.

Click here for more details ...

Yo dude, how's your edge?

My edge is nice and as strong as it's always been. 14 years strong for me this January.

How and when did you get into hardcore? Metal head, skate punk, a cool neighbor ...

Originally I was into metal. I started off with thrash like Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, SOD…pretty much the staples that any kid whos 14-15 gets into. I unfortunately didn't have an older sibling to push me in the right direction so I kinda had to discover music on my own. Well in high school I met my friend Roy who is still one of my best friends. He was into some punk and the two of us met a local band called Thought Crime who at the time were called Lifeline. They were into some hardcore but mainly metal and they took us to our first show. It was just a local show but it got us hooked. The following week, Roy and I went to Cheers which was like South Florida's CBGBs. I remember we were across the street debating on whether or not to go over, completely afraid of what was going on inside. We ended up crossing the street and its started off the best years of my life.

How involved are you in your local scene now? What local bands do you wish were getting more recognition currently?

Well as of now Im living in Tallahassee, FL and going to school so Im not really involved much in South Florida's scene. I started playing in bands in 1997 and then from 2002 til about 2005 I was in 4 bands simultaneously so I was really doing my part but now school is my top priority. I have always been kinda like the middle man in that Im friendly with everyone and in a sense the mediator whether its breaking up a fight or just trying to make sure everything is going smoothly at a show. Currently, Tallahassee's hardcore scene is small but the kids are real dedicated. They go out and support every band that comes through and are very appreciative of what they get as far as shows. As far as bands go I wish Dead Weight from South Florida would get more recognition. They are on a bit of a hiatus right now but Im crossing my fingers that they will get back on track.

It's obvious you love hardcore, and that it has given a lot to you. What have you given back? What would you say has been your biggest contribution to the scene?

I've always tried to be the nice guy especially to the younger kids. A trend I see is that a lot of the older kids who have been going to shows for a while tend to look down on the newer kids (this is in no way pointed at any one person or group of people, just a generalization). I understand that the new kids need to get out there and do their part to support but they also need to be shown the right way. If the kids who were older than me when I started going to shows belittled me and talked down to me, I probably wouldn't have kept going, so I make it a point to say hi to the younger kids and let them know they are welcome. Also in terms of straight edge, I still X up for shows and wear straight edge shirts because I want to show those kids that just because you get to a certain age doesn't meant you have to drink. If they choose to drink, then its cool, its their choice. Im not going to look down on them because they don't hold the same beliefs that they used to. The majority of the kids I came up with aren't straight edge anymore but I still love and respect them and they respect and love me. I'm gonna be 30 in January and I still call myself straight edge and still display it proudly.

My current contribution to South Florida comes in the way of the blog I run which documents the South Florida Music Scene. I started doing it in February and the response Ive received is incredible. Ive been able to track down so many records and tapes that it blows my mind. The most amazing thing has been the support from the bands Ive received. They've all been real excited and very happy to see so many people still enjoy their music so that's real rewarding to me. Check it out if you have the time http://southfloridamusicscene.blogspot.com.

Current 5s:

This is just my favorites of this past year:

Energy "Invasions of the Mind"

Shai Hulud "Misanthropy Pure"

Seven Generations "To See The End"

Metallica "Death Magnetic"

Unrestrained (OR) – New upcoming 7 inch

Albums from 91-95 that stood the test of time:

I was and still am a huge fan of the early Victory catalog so here we go:

Earth Crisis "Firestorm" and "Destroy the Machines"

Strife "One Truth"

Unbroken "Life. Love. Regret."

Snapcase "Steps"

Tension "The Sickness Of Our Age"

Albums from 91-95 that did not stand the test of time:

That's a tough one because I still listen to all the same stuff I listened to when I first got into hardcore…yes even the Doughnuts.

Vegan straight edge bands:

Oh man Earth Crisis is at the top of my list obviously. A very close second is Morning Again who is my all time favorite hardcore band to come out of Florida. Culture, Birthright, Another Victim, Contempt, Green Rage, Arkangel, Lifeforce,…I love the sound all those bands had and Im glad that there are bands doing it again...like Seven Generations for example and Eye of Judgment.

Best venues for stage diving:

I always liked Cheers in Miami. Stage was about knee high or just below so it was a good height. The Factory in Ft Lauderdale was good too and I believe that was the last time I actually did stage dive during a Sick of it All set. I haven't done it in a while but as a guitarist Im just afraid I may injure myself and not be able to play. I got kicked in the hand during a Morning Again set and I thought my thumb was broken so I slowed down on the stage diving and moshing.

Lets discuss your collection:

Always one of my favorite topics.

When and how did your collection begin? Estimate if necessary, what is the size of your collection?

I started collecting in 2001 right after Hellfest 2001. A friend had bought an Earth Crisis shirt from Hellfest for her boyfriend. Well they broke up so I asked to buy it and it started off there. I had shirts before that but I wasn't obsessive before that. My collection now is around 540 shirts, hoodies, zipups etc and Im up to 73 items of just Earth Crisis merch.

What is your favorite piece? What is your most limited piece? Which would you guess is the most valuable (ebay standards)?

Personal favorites include 2 of the first Earth Crisis "All Out War design" that Guav sold when he released their record on Conviction. The Gomorrah's Season Ends record release design that was sold only at that show which has Wolverine on the front. The Destroy the Machines record release design. Non-ExC designs include the Strife "Stormtrooper" design that was screened for a show in Syracuse, an Excessive Force design with a full color back design of the record cover, a Culture "Judge" rip off…Its real hard to pick one favorite but currently its probably that Gomorrah's Season Ends record release design.

Tell one funny story involving tracking down that one "crucial last item" as part of your collection. What piece was the hardest to get?

Not really funny but Mat Wadsworth from New Zealand sold me the first "All Out War" design and then contacted me about 6 months later saying he found another one along with a Damnation AD German tour shirt and a Cabal 315 "Rebel Alliance" design and offered to give them to me if I covered the shipping. He told me that he wanted them to go to someone he knew would appreciate them and that meant a lot to me. So that was really cool of him to do…to go out of his way like that when he could have Ebayed them and probably gotten some good cash for them.

The hardest item was probably the Gomorrahs Season record release shirt. I saw it on Ebay when I was Las Vegas for a friends wedding in 2005 buthad no internet access. Turns out it was Patrick Kitzel from Reaper (shout out to Reaper) who was an old friend of my girlfriends. I contacted him and he had already sold it but he ended up selling me the Destroy the Machines release design. Well early this year in my continuing search I posted on the Syracuse board and someone told me they would sell it. I sent money and it never showed up. I contacted him about it and he said he was moving and would send it out right away. Usually when I get a line like that I don't believe it but I checked my PO Box 2 days later and there it was.

What (if anything) else do you collect? Do all of your collections get equal love, or is one definitely your "first love?"

The only other thing I really collect is CDs. I like to own the original copies to have the artwork and read thank you lists…all that stuff we used to do to find out about different bands. It just makes me think of a period in my life that was just incredible and I wish I could show people what it was like if they weren't there.

All my collections get equal love but I tend to learn more toward Earth Crisis and Morning Again. Those are the bands I'll drop the cash to make sure I get that piece Im looking for.

Thanks for taking time for this interview. Any closing shout outs, words of positivity or parting shots?

Huge thanks to you Brian for being a standup dude, asking me to do this interview and taking the time to keep HYE on top of its game at all time. Ive been able to acquire quite a few items in my collection through the HYE tradelists so for that I am incredibly appreciative. Also big thanks to the South Florida music scene for shaping me into who I am today. Thanks to Guav for fielding all my questions for everything ExC related. Check out my current band if you have the time, check my tradelist if you are interested in making a trade, and check out my blog for all thing South Florida related.

XXX S.E.M. ETERNAL

http://www.howsyouredge.com/swap/display.php?page=1265

http://www.myspace.com/noexcusesstraightedge

http://southfloridamusicscene.blogspot.com/

Stefan Sonic x The Collection Space ...

2008-09-11T10:59:00.002-04:00

Stefan Sonic has seen it and done that. He's been collecting since before you were born. While I was collecting matchbox cars, he was collecting Misfits singles. His Cough/Cool was certainly more awesome than my 82 Trans Am miatchbox. He probably never played his Cough/Cool while singing Michael Jackson Beat It ,though. Maybe you'll get lucky. His daughter is probably going to attend college in a few years. Maybe you can score some gems. But don't expect any bargains, his collection is way ABOVE the dollar bin. Read up and learn more ... then go visit his collection on thecollectionspace.com

Yo dude, how's your edge?

My edge is excellent. I got it back in 1998. Before that I was not so straight edge...

I began donating blood that year, and never looked back. I am a frequent blood donor. A healthy person can donate blood every 8 weeks (56 days). I try to spread the word to who ever will listen. My wife always donated, but I couldn't then, but I sure do now, and I'm back on track and strong for the last 10 years. I have donated over 60 times since. It's 1 pint each time for whole blood. Do the math on how many gallons I've given...

How and when did you get into hardcore? Metal head, skate punk, a cool neighbor ...

I got into hardcore because it really was a progression from punk. I had always like rock music ever since I was just a kid. I bought my first record album in 1974, was influenced by my father, he was always playing music around the house. When disco hit in 1977 I was one of those kids who wore a disco sucks t shirt to school, and I was sent home because of it. From liking Elton John and Wings in 1976, I went to Kiss and Led Zeppelin in 1977, then at the end of the 70's discovered Bowie, Sex Pistols, Clash, and the CBGB scene: Johnny Thunders, Ramones, Plasmatics, etc. Through 1983 I broadened to the west coast bands like Flipper, X, The Go-Go's, and Dead Kennedys, and some UK goth bands that began as punk bands: Siouxsie, Joy Division/New Order, Human League, and Lords Of The New Church. In 1984 when New York punk band Kraut disbanded and reformed as Cro-Mags, the sound was a little too metal for me, and I fell out of the New York scene. However, I did go see 2 memorable shows at The Rock Hotel in NYC: G.B.H. / Murphy's Law, and Toxic Reasons/T.S.O.L. At one of those I met Ray Beez, very big very scary looking guy, didn't know until later that he would reach icon status. Rest In Peace Ray. Thanks for your contribution to NYHC.

How involved are you in your local scene now? What local bands do you wish were getting more recognition currently?

Unfortunately I am not involved in my local scene at all. Having a full time job and a family really doesn't give me too much spare time. There is a small scene currently with bands like Billy Club Sandwich, Four In The Chamber, Step 2 Far, Maximum Penalty, but I prefer the current scene in Baltimore with such bands as Pulling Teeth and Ruiner. Being friends with the guys in these bands helps my involvement a lot. I could live without the 3 hour drive down there from Brooklyn every time there's a show there.

Break down your current top 5s (some stumpers here!):

I can't say that I have one favourite EP or LP, but I will try to answer each entry by bands I listened to the most during that time frame: Basically I get to listen to music when I go to the gym for a 60 minute aerobic work out on an elliptical machine. I bring one of my favourite compact discs down with me, put on a pair of headphones, and just concentrate on the music. The top 5 album cd's I usually bring with me are: Heartbreakers "LAMF", Plasmatics "New Hope For The Wretched", Sex Pistols "Never Mind The Bollocks", Pulling Teeth "Martyr Immortal", Slumlords "On The Stremph".

Releases '84-87: During this time in my life I was greatly into Siouxsie & The Banshees, Jesus & Mary Chain, New Order, The Mission, and Gene Loves Jezebel.

Releases '91-98: This was a very dark time for me in my life. I had fallen out of music once my daughter was born in 1993, and my work situation was on a downward spiral. I took a 2nd job in a record shop, and one day some Skrewdriver records showed up. I got into that type of music because at the time I had not heard anything like that, and the music just moved me like nothing else within the last 10 years. I actually had a small cd distro going which helped me get by financially for a while. I kind of went off the right track, people make mistakes sometimes, we're only human...

Releases '02-07: I got out of that whole other scene I was into, thankfully, got a real job, and picked myself back up on my feet. Currently, besides all the old bands listed above I now listen to Slumlords, Pulling Teeth, Iron Age, Mind Eraser, and Cold World.

Let's discuss your collection: When and how did your collection begin?

I bought my first rock album at age 11, in 1974 (do the math for my current age = old) It was Greatest Hits by Elton John. I was influenced by my father, he was always playing music around the house when I was young. I have since inherited his vinyl albums and my mother's singles from the 1950's. There was a Bill Haley "Rock Around The Clock" in that box! I am still buying records to this very day. I try to buy with my head and not over it since I have a daughter who is about to enter 10th grade, and looking at New York University as a college of choice. So I either have to start saving and buy less, or begin to liquidate to help fund her education. Although I think I'm safe because I have a financially practical wife. I'm one lucky guy.

Estimate if necessary, what is the size of your collection?

I don't know if it's necessary to estimate the size of my collection, but I would think I have between 3000 and 4000 different pieces of vinyl within the walls of my little 4 room apartment.

What is your favorite piece?

All of my records are my favourite pieces! Though I must say one of my favourite pieces is a UK promo 12" single by Sisters Of Mercy titled Lucretia My Reflection. I absolutely love the Sisters. This record was a gift to me from a dude named Simon Waterman from Surrey, England. I met him through correspondence in a UK magazine titled Record Collector. Before we were married, my wife and I took a trip to London in July 1987, took a box of records along to trade, made some trades, bought some stuff, and one day made a side trip to Surrey to meet him in person. I have since lost contact with him, but thank him for this item. It comes in an embossed snakeskin sleeve and is a black label promo (test press?) and has no indication on it whatsoever as to what it is.

My other most favourite pieces have to be without question a bunch of acetates recently acquired by The Plasmatics. 9 X 7" single acetates of individual songs from The New Hope For The Wretched LP and 8 X 10" single acetates of individual songs from the Coup d'Etat LP.

What is your most limited piece?

My most limited piece has to be any of the many pressing plant mix ups I am fortunate enough to own, leave it to Musicol to not clean out their vats after they do a pressing. Any of the Dead By 23 swirls is rare, then I have some test presses that are limited to 12...I also have a (Johnny Thunders & The) Heartbreakers withdrawn single on Track Records UK titled It's Not Enough b/w Let Go with a picture sleeve. I have a German Sex Pistols Anarchy In The UK, but that has since been reissued (thanks Germany), another prize possession I have is a US Test Press for Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks LP. Then the acetates mentioned above.

Which would you guess is the most valuable (ebay standards)?

My most valuable record in my collection has to be either the Youth Of Today "Can't Close My Eyes" orange vinyl 7" with Batman Stamps /100, or a Warzone "Lower East Side Crew" clear vinyl 7", probably both can fetch $750 each. For the record, let it be known that I used to own every original single by The Misfits, with the exception of NOTLD. I had a Cough/Cool, and I also had a Nirvana "Love Buzz", so either one of those would have been my most valuable record. But who would have known those titles would have blown up so much? They have been traded away long before they exploded as they did...

Funny story about how I got my Youth Of Today single on orange: Remember my trip to England in July 1987? Well, John DeSalvo, bassist of legendary CBGB NYC band The Tuff Darts, who works in Bleeker Bob's Golden Oldies Record Shop, asked me to get him a few things while I was there. He asked for shaped picture discs, and anything I could get by Skrewdriver. Now mind you I had not heard of Skrewdriver to this point, so I had no idea what I was in for when I went around London record shops asking for Skrewdriver. I found one shop that had their first single and their first LP. When I brought those back to John at the record shop, he quickly handed me a Minor Threat "Filler" single with the green cover, mint as could be (ask Sean O'Donnell of Youngblood Records because he now has that record because I traded it to him, but have since replaced it), and a Youth Of Today on orange vinyl with batman stamped blank white B side label and batman stamped dust sleeve. Only problem was there was no cover. John told me to come back in one week because the dudes who made these records were going to bring the covers in at a later time. I went back every week for a month, and the covers never showed up. Some years later, the same Youth Of Today single was hanging on the wall; I told John to let me have the cover. I took it across the street and made a Xerox copy for myself. So I actually have the right record without a batman stamped cover. It's always something with Revelation...

Tell one funny story involving tracking down that one "crucial last item" as part of your collection. What piece was the hardest to get?

The hardest pieces to get in my collection were all Sonic Youth items. One would think that their items would be easily available in New York City since they are from New York City. Finding these few rarities proved to be extremely difficult for me. I began collecting SY in 1990 (a bit late I admit), learned of their back catalogue, and began searching. Locating their 1st single, which is actually not even their 1st release, proved difficult. It's a record on the Forced Exposure label, which is also a fanzine. 1246 copies made, and I finally had to beg a fellow record store employee to sell me his copy. I have since seen the record at WFMU record shows, and on ebay for a lot less than what I paid. I even scored a test press of this record (see my entry at thecollectionspace.com). I had doubts about the test press' authenticity once I got it, but the etchings on both records are identical, so if it is a bootleg, then it's a damn good one...

Another early release by SY is the "Flower" b/w "Halloween" single. There is one 7" version and four 12" versions. The 7" version I got through the Usenet SY news group, before there was ebay. Funny thing is that the person who sold it to me was Barry Henssler, singer for the Necros. I sent him a personal check and he cashed it, obviously, somewhere I have his cancelled check with his "autograph" on the back! Two of the 12" singles were readily available: a gold vinyl UK version, and a black vinyl US version. However, there is a 12" version supposedly withdrawn by SY: the B side is titled "Satan Is Boring" which is basically just 15 minutes of noise recorded live in Europe in 1985. Unhappy with this version, it was withdrawn. Next is a single sided 12" of the first mix for the song "Halloween" and the B side has etching by Savage Pencil. There are supposed to be 100 made signed and numbered by Pencil. I have # 75/100 signed, and I have one unsigned. How many are there out there unsigned? I'll never know...I wound up finding both of these one day apart in 1999, one in a used bin at Second Coming Records in NYC, and one by mail order from London, took me 9 years to find the 2 most rarest records by them.

The other hard to find record comes courtesy of my friend John DeSalvo from Bleeker Bob's Golden Oldies record shop in New York City. Continuing from the above story about my trip to London, he asked for a picture disc of a girl in an SS uniform. He said if you find me this record you can have anything in the store! The record in question is by a German techno/disco outfit called Ryker, the song was called Funkmeister. I couldn't find it on the London trip. He still said if you can find me one, you can still have anything you want in the store. Well, 10 years went by, online came along, Usenet newsgroups found me someone who had it. Got it, brought it in, he told me he had just gotten one like
the previous week. I hadn't told him I was getting it because I wanted it to be a surprise. I was crushed. I still have the record.

Front

Back

What (if anything) else do you collect? Do all of your collections get equal love, or is one definitely your "first love?"

I also collect books by the author Dean Koontz. I really like his stories. I have many first edition books by him, some personally signed to me, Stefan Sonic, very early science fiction paperbacks, and even almost every book he's written under pen names. It's impossible to get every book ever because books are printed so many times, at least in paperback, it doesn't pay to get the same book just for a different cover. Wait, look who is talking: the multiple collector, me. See books are cool, but records are cooler. I always say once you get a book you can't even read it because once you crack the spine the book is worthless, so it just sits on a shelf. But with a record, you can "hang out" with a record. You put it on your turntable, it plays, you mosh around to the music, you play air guitar, bass, and drums, you sing at the top of your lungs when no one else is around, you look at the insert and read along to the lyrics. You can't do that with a book, especially a book made by Charnel House, look them up, their books are hand made, and crazily priced, but to some it's worth it, I'm not rich enough.

Thanks for taking time for this interview. Any closing shout outs, words of positivity or parting shots?

You are very welcome. The first thing I want to say is thank you for wanting to interview me. I am very flattered that you asked to interview me; no one's ever done that before. I am very happy to have been able to share some stories and share my photos with you. Thanks to my wife for putting up with me, and not throwing me out of the house and not putting me in divorce court. Thanks to the labels I currently collect and to the dudes who run them: Dom Romeo at A389, Sean O'Donnell at Youngblood, Alex DiMatessa at Grave Mistake, and Mike Riley at Firestarter and Toxic Pop. Thanks to whomever I've met at shows and whomever I've traded with on How's Your Edge; you are all listed on the top of my page! Words of positivity: never think you won't get that item that you really want: I always wanted a God Save The Queen by Sex Pistols on A&M. When I saw one in 1981 for $1000, I was just a kid in high school and couldn't afford it then. Since their reunion in 1996, it has now skyrocketed to over g-d knows how much and certainly can't afford it, but did get a test press for NMTB. Had they not reunited, maybe their image would have diminished and I would be able to afford it now. I have parting shots to 3 labels I used to collect, they know who they are, but my wife says I should not mention that here...

Klint Kanopka - Reign Supreme, Vegan Warrior, Blogging Genius, ...

2008-08-27T21:52:00.007-04:00

Coming up with a stellar intro for Klint's interview has literally been driving me crazy. It's hard to sum this fellow up in a mere paragraph. You already know that Klint is a NBD, as well as a genuine fucker. He knows how to rock. He once swapped an engine out of one car and put it in another. He's a funny mother fucker. Shit... There's a lot that can be said about Klint. Go ahead and read the interview. You'll ROTFL and other internet acronyms.

Yo, Klint, how's your edge? Have you ever prayed to fucking god that someone ODs on that shit?

My edge is sharp and arrogant, just the way it should be. It also doesn't partake in animal derived activities.

I'm not a religious man, but I will admit to the occasional prayer to fucking god. The militant edge is not a joke, you know.

Click here for more details ...

What's your story? How did it all begin for you and hardcore?

Like most kids my age, I blame skating for all this. Except I was never any good at it. Awful, actually. I have the balance of a giraffe with an inner ear infection. Over a decade later, I can barely ollie. Literally terrible. But the way it works is my friends and I were all into Nirvana and Soundgarden and then started finding out about Sub-Pop grunge and punk. This older dude Gian lived up the street from my good friend Bucky and hung out with the Atari and Rancor dudes. So Gian would skate with Bucky and give him Youth of Today tapes and get him to buy Floorpunch records, and then Bucky would tape them for me. He had a paper route, so he was the one who had money, and it all basically went to records. But I'd get first and second generation tapes of everything. We'd mailorder things and trade tapes among our friends and it all spiraled out of control from there. I quit skating long ago out of respect for my body and ackowledgement of my talents, but I'm still going to shows and haven't slowed down since.

When did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now?

All my friends jumped into straight edge right away. I was a little slower on the boat. It took a few shows for me to get a real grasp of how it all worked. I came from the sickeningly typical abusive- alcoholic father background, and my experiences because of that really polarized my worldview. I never drank, never smoked, never did drugs. None of it appealed to me. So I was kind of a goofy bookworm nerd. I guess that's how I figured kids who didn't party were supposed to be.

Straight edge really changed all that. A few years prior I'd made the difficult decision to cut my father totally out of my life. I took a stand. I figured out that I didn't have to just keep to myself- there was a whole group of kids who felt the same way. And they were a threat- physically strong and morally straight. It was okay to be pissed off, arrogant, and openly hateful of all the things I refused be a part of. Once everything sank in, it just clicked.

Straight edge is still a huge part of my life. It's reinforced the fact that I don't need a father or a substance to control my life. I've done just fine for myself. I finished college, I've traveled more than most people can dream to, I teach, I get by, and I think I'm happier than a lot people are- and the straight edge has been, and continues to be, a huge part of why I was able to do all that.

You play in a band called Reign Supreme. How were you lucky enough to land that gig?

I've known Jay for years. We actually met in the bathroom at CBGB at the final mosh, right before Breakdown played. Anyway, they weren't happy with their current bass player. I have a ton of gear and wanted to tour, so I learned the songs, tried out, and now they can't get rid of me. Seriously though, I love my bandmates, playing music, playing shows, meeting people, and traveling. It works out really well.

Reign Supreme seems like a non-stop touring machine. Any plans for global domination? When are you coming to my town next?

We're working on an LP now, and there's way more touring after that. My dream is to be able to do a world tour. Tons of people are touring places that no one even thought of playing in the late 90's, so I think the door for us to be able to do that is slowly opening.

We were supposed to play Boston on August 17, but it got moved to Providence. I've never been to a show in Worcester, so I have no idea when we're coming to your town. We'll be near it sometime soon, though. Probably in September.

The local alternative rock radio station has a weekly segment about creepy guys doing internet personnels. One guy said a date would be ruined if the girl peed on him. Why am I telling you this story? How does it relate?

Ah crap. First, the links:

Now the backstory:

I was a part of the Drexel radio station (WKDU) when I was still doing my undergrad work. One day a girl came down and asked if I wanted to be on a blind date show. My immediate response was, "Fuck yes I want to be on a blind date show!" The results are what you saw above. The profile had to be made for the show, which was supposed to fake how the Dating on Demand profiles were intended to work. So the profile didn't air until way after the date did. But, apparently the production company thought it was super funny, so I got on. Two bits of trivia: That girl is now Brandon Wallace of I Hate You and Champion's sister-in-law. I was also very into the idea of 90s hardline bands, so my Dating on Demand username was "birthright."

What bands get you psyched these days? Psyched on the edge and psyched on the core?

Have Heart and Let Down are my two favorite straight edge bands. Let Down has the intensity and balls to just come out and say that drinking is bullshit, and I love that. And they're not shitty and 7th Dagger about it. Have Heart is great because they're a much more thoughtful band- no tough guy acts or songs about fist fighting. They have a way more personal intensity that I can't get enough of.

Honorable mention goes to The First Step, even though they're breaking up. They've been a huge part of my life for the past few years, and it's really sad to see them finally hang it up. I'm very upset that I'll be on tour during their last show.

As for bands that get me stoked on the core? The Carrier, Foundation and End of a Year are my big three for that. They're all doing things that aren't entirely straight forward, and don't come off with a sort of snooty forced progression that some other bands exude. And they're all undeniably hardcore bands, with an appropriate amount of sincerity and intensity.

Photo by Cameron Gardner

Which would you rather?

a) Own a PC?
b) Break edge?

Own a PC. A beer won't run Linux.

a) Break edge?
b) Punch a baby and steal its candy?

Punch a baby. I don't particularly care for babies at all. They're not good at anything.

a) Be seen riding dirty in a japanese tuner?
b) Eat a tunafish sandwich?

Gas is expensive as hell, so I'll take a free ride in anything. Supra, CRX, Tibouron, whatever. I much prefer traveling in something VAG or pedal powered, though.

How important is vegetarianism to you? How important do you think it should be to the hardcore community?

I'm vegan, so vegetarianism is hugely important to me. I'm not a particularly political person, but it's one of the causes I do feel passionate about. Everyone has heard the statistics and all the information on the subject is easily accessible. Therefore, there is no reason to still consume animals.

Anyone who considers themselves even remotely progressive should not eat meat. There is no justification for it. Society has progressed to a point where animal based food is no longer required for survival. It's a simple choice and an easy transition to make, so any excuse you come can come up with just boils down to a blend of selfishness, ignorance, and lack of control over your own life.

I honestly find it difficult to respect the opinions of anyone who still eats meat in 2008. Especially in a community full of supposedly socially aware and intellectually proactive people, not expending the absurdly low amount of effort it requires to be vegetarian is an act of stupefying hubris.

You have a widely read blog. What prompted you to start one and how did you decide on the question/answer format?

First, I'd like to apologize openly for slacking on that. I have submissions, I just haven't had the chance to answer them with the attention I like to give them. Expect more after This is Hardcore.

Anyway, I do a dating advice blog called Dear Klint (http://dearklint.blogspot.com). A friend of mine decided that it would be entertaining for me to give her friends dating advice. So, she made me start the blog and had them submit questions to me. Then the links got passed around, and it kind of took off. A lot of people were surprised that I'm actually a solid writer. Apparently you don't expect that from men with science backgrounds, let alone hardcore kids.

For the record, every post has been a legitimate question someone has emailed to me. I know some of the people, but definitely not all of them. It's really bizarre how a complete stranger will open up to you and hold out hope for that one brutal nugget of truth, even though they're fully aware I'm just going to crap all over them and their ridiculous problem. But, it's super fun. And people need to know that their awful relationships are completely their own fault.

Photo by Rachel Annie

What's the best piece of dating advice someone ever gave YOU. What's the best you ever gave someone else?

The best piece of dating advice I ever got came from my friend Patrick: if you fight twice with a girl, break up with her. One fight can be a fluke, but two establishes a pattern. Sadly, I'm not smart enough to follow through with it.

On the other side of the coin, all of the advice I give really just boils down to "open your fucking eyes." If you're in a shitty relationship, it's probably because one or both of you are idiots. Nothing more, nothing less. So why do we act like solutions are on par with rocket science? Most dating situations (and their subsequent resolutions) are about as simple as the minds of the people involved.

That said, my favorite (though by no means the best) pearl of wisdom I've ever passed along has to be, "Never love a woman."

What music have you been giving a lot of play lately? Would it shock you if I said my friend likes to listen to Madball during romantic moments with his lady?

Not shocking at all. I've always got Lungfish and Youth of Today on heavy rotation. Sometimes I listen to a shameful amount of the early Ebullition catalog. Recently I've also been listening to a lot of Uniform Choice, End of a Year, Outspoken, CIV, Merauder, Farside, A Chorus of Disapproval, Tad, Undertow, the new Have Heart, tons of science and math lectures from iTunes U, stand up comedy (Patton Oswalt and Louis C.K.), and the Gangsta Rap: A Glockumentary soundtrack.

Top 5s
a) Current Releases

Have Heart - Songs to Scream at the Sun - Record of the year. Cleaner guitars, more midtempo songs, and great lyrics. I've met a lot of people who don't care for this, or don't like it as much as the previous record. Open your fucking ears- this is great.

The First Step - Connection - Anyone who knows me knows I love this band, and it pains me to miss their last show.

The Cancer Bats - Hail Destroyer - Call it party metal or whatever else, but it sounds like Jesuseater. Riffy and driving rock.

Verse - Aggression - Another band I absolutely love.

The Carrier - No Love Can Save Me - Until we played with this band, I didn't fully appreciate them. Great live, and the record absolutely blows their demo out of the water.

b) Current Bands

End of a Year - They hate the comparison, but I love their Revolution Summer vibe.

Have Heart - Best record of the year.

The Carrier - Young kids, awesome song writing, and great live.

Foundation - They absolutely nail the weird/aggressive style that's very popular nowadays.

Bitter End - Perfectly executed New York hardcore, without the meaningless lyrical content.

c) Shirts

Chain of Strength - Navy Blue TTD - The absolute perfect hardcore shirt, and my all time favorite design.

Uniform Choice - 4 Sided "Use Your Head" WW - Very clean, and very straight edge.

Black Flag - White Minority - A very in your face design that captures the intensity of the band perfectly.

Bold - Standard design, navy with yellow letters - An absolutely iconic and striking shirt. Simple and effective.

Embrace - Alex Brown boot - A great band that deserved great shirts, and this was the best design that someone ever made for them.

d) Vegan restaurants

Horizons (Philadelphia, PA) - Upscale and delicious. Seasonal menu and always impressive. Only downside is the high cost.

Vegan Treats Bakery (Bethlehem, PA) - I don't know if this counts as a restaurant, but you can sit down and have coffee and donuts inside. Absolute best vegan bakery on Earth. You've had their cakes in NYC and Philadelphia.

Basic 4 (Philadelphia, PA) - Some black lady has run this stand in the Reading Terminal Market for years. Only open Sunday-Friday for lunchtime hours, if you can make it here, check it out. The hands down undisputed best vegan chicken salad in the universe. This place was a hidden gem, but I guess I just blew it up.

Govinda's (Philadelphia, PA) - Service sucks, and everyone who works there is retarded. But fuck, their food is great. It's the place that you automatically take out of towners, and you always get requests for. They also serve Vegan Treats desserts.

Red Bamboo (New York, NY) - Overrated and overhyped, but still great. They serve Vegan Treats, and the food is really good. I can't get enough of their mashed potatoes.

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:
Foodswings (New York, NY) - Go here if you want to pay some bike punk $8 to cut up a Tofurkey Sausage.

Gianna's (Philadelphia, PA) - My list of grievences with this hellhole are longer than most. I orginally decided to go vegan while sitting in a booth at their old location, and subsequently ate here 3-4 days a week for years. As it turns out, they lied about their food being vegan for their entire existence. They fucked over Robby Redcheeks. They also stole all of their cake recipies from Danielle who owns the Vegan Treats Bakery, and then had the audacity to shit talk her afterwards. Fuck them. They don't care about the vegetarian or vegan community at all. I don't respect a single person on Earth who supports these people. Even though they fixed their foods, I firmly believe that if you eat there, you are NOT vegan. Attempting to argue otherwise will just get you on my shit list.

Photo by Jeff Lasich

Due to extreme temps at the Have Heart record release show, there were many dudes moshing and stage diving in just boxers. How do you feel about that? What about people moshing or even playing bass naked?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. At an exceptionally hot show, removing your shirt helps A LOT. That said, I don't have a particularly impressive physique, so I save that for dire emergencies. As for playing bass naked... the guitar covers everything you want to see. And Louisville, KY was the hottest show I've ever played in my life. I almost passed out at the end. And I may or may not have thrown a Barbie doll and hit someone in the face with it.

Any closing thoughts, shout outs or words of PMA?

Thanks for the interview. Stay edge, go vegan, and reclaim it from the dirty bike punk xvx bizarro scene. If you don't like Youth of Today, you're not straight edge. Come see Reign Supreme on tour, hang out with me, bake for me, and follow me on Twitter.

Sincerely,
Klint Kanopka

Chucky Edge - Roadie, Mosher, Blogger, Stage Diver, Pizza Lover ...

2008-05-10T12:37:00.003-04:00

Do you know Chucky Edge? I'm guessing you do. Chucky is one of those dudes that EVERY person knows. In fact, if you asked me how I met Chucky, I couldn't tell you definitely. It was like one day, this dude showed up to mosh and it was like he had always been there, like an integral part of the local scene. If you honestly don't know Chucky, it shouldn't be too hard to meet him. This guy is usually in your state at least 3 times a year, and probably has hit up your continent twice since last summer, touring with your favorite bands. Ask him about 'za or the shirt he is wearing. He'll be into it. No doubt.

1. Yo, how's your edge?

My edge is good man. Its one of those things where I am constantly learning more about myself. I am very happy that straight edge has been a big part of it. I've learned over the years you have to rely on yourself, when it comes to things like straight edge, the only person that can ruin it for yourself, is yourself.

2. How did it all begin for you? Straight into SXE hardcore, or jump started on skateboarding, metal or punk rock?

I never go into Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer or whatever was popular when I was a kid. My older brother got me into Metallica and Guns 'N Roses when i was 6 or 7. From there I got drawn into bmx biking, and got pretty serious into that. From watching bmx videos and hanging with my peers I got into Hot Water Music and The Misfits and other various punk acts. One of my idols and best friend's Ben Pritchard, got me into hardcore and straight edge through Side By Side. From this band I got into the early Revelation Records catalog. From there it was Minor Threat, and then I discovered the San Francisco Bay Area had/has a local music scene, and from there the rest is like everyone else did and its a great experience.

3. When did you learn about straight edge and when did it start making sense for you? When did you become "Chucky Edge" or Chedge? Who first called you that?

I learned about straight edge my freshmen year of high school when I was just drinking and doing whatever just out of curiosity and boredom. My friend Ben who was previously named, told me about straight edge, and was straight edge at the time. It made sense to me the first time I heard "You're only young once" & "Break down the walls". I just knew it was something that fit who I was, and where I wanted to be. The early Rev catalog, like I said before, was and is my bread and butter. Hell, the later on Rev stuff too had a huge impact on me.

Chucky Edge: I was going to a "troubled students" school and some crust punk peers of mine would see me at gilman st going to shows would call me "chucky straight edge" at school, and then later on "chucky edge". And from there the name stuck.

Chedge: If memory serves me correctly... Greg Willmott and Nicole Deathwish both started calling me it the same week. And they both have rights to the nickname.

4. Which is better? Inside Out NYC or the Inside Out from Cali? In a semi related note, which is better: Buried Alive or Terror? Raw Deal or Breakdown?

Hmmm... I'll go with my favorites on this one. I don't know much about musical notes and chords and whats innovative, I just know what I like. So here it goes.

Inside Out CA: Solely because the 7" is on the revelation catalog and I heard it first. Im not the biggest Inside Out fan tho. But they both are pretty cool tho.

Terror: Terror has put out more stuff, and I have seen them live. I never got to see Buried Alive. Lowest Of The Low is a really good record too. One With The Underdogs is more diverse tho, and has my favorite Terror songs on it. Always The Hard Way is rad too. There are some definite hits on that record. The new one is gonna be cool too.

Breakdown: This is really really really hard to choose. the Raw Deal Demo is retardedly good, and the Breakdown '87 Demo is next level. Im gonna go with Breakdown though cause I like the '87 Demo a little bit more. Merch wise... thats a whole other interview. Either side of the fence you sit on, your a winner tho.

5. You're life is touring. When was the last time you were "at home" for more than 2 weeks? What bands have you been touring with lately? What tours do you have upcoming?

The summer of 2006 was my tour-a-thon. I went on tour with Blacklisted, Shipwreck, Guns Up!, Have Heart, Down To Nothing, Bracewar, Have Heart, Ceremony, and back to Blacklisted. I was gone for the whole 3 months of summer. 2005 was a big one too, I did Verse tour with Bane, and then a Guns Up tour 3 days after. I took off a lot of down time in 2007 to fix my teeth and to try to do speech clinics in California. I still got to clock in a lot of time on the road. 2008 has been pretty busy doing a week with Trash Talk on a Bane/Outbreak tour. And doing the Earth Crisis tour with Down To Nothing, then having 3 days off at home and doing a Blacklisted tour for a month. Well see what comes up in the rest of 2008? who knows?

6. Suppose I let you borrow my time machine for two trips.
Trip 1: what show, any show, would you go back and see?

Hmmm... as cheesy as it is, I would love to be at one of those Cro-Mags gigs from the We Gotta Know video. Those look like a good time. And the ever-so-popular Breakdown Tompkins Sq show from the home video. But then again a lot of those Live CBGB recordings sound like really cool shows. To go back and see a show I already saw is kind of spoiling an already good memory...

Trip 2: what tour would you want to relive again?

Well every tour is different and special in its own way. So like going to a show I've already experienced, I already have good memories from those. So the next thing to do is go somewhere I have already been. I really want to go back to europe, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The grand canyon is like nothing else I can explain, its soo scary at first. Then you cant stop looking at the vastness. Europe is cool cause its different than the US. Don't get me wrong the USA is cool. But different scenery is refreshing.

7. You're the author of pretty successful blog, http://whatchedgewears.blogspot.com. What compelled you to start this blog and how do find time to post EVERY day?

I was up at the Deathwish Inc. office back in November helping pack orders and hanging out. And Tre brought up "blogs". I had never read a hardcore blog (sports blogs mostly) and was curious as to what I could write about. I brought up that I have a lot of shirts, and tour stories, and both Jake and Tre kinda gave me the first nudge to doing the blog. Im pretty happy with how its shaping up. It sucks when i don't write a lot cause I feel like im letting people down or something? But my blog is like my life... sometimes I have bad days and I'll write a sentence... and then other days I will bear my soul.

if anyone has criticism about the blog please let me know. it helps me know what works and what doesnt. making it interesting and fresh is sometimes hard, life is full of challenges.

8. You've received a few amazing mosh injuries over your lifetime. Please recall some of your injury "highlights" for us. How many times have you proclaimed to be going into "mosh retirement" only to start moshing again during the next band?

I think I have only "muttered" those words 2 or 3 times, and yeah... it lasted a few shows and then I got back to routine. I have had a lot of concussions due to playing lacrosse for a large portion of my life. And at shows I am pretty accident prone. I think in 2006 after a bad concussion I was taken to the hospital and then told me to "NOT" get anymore concussions or else... And there has definetly been a couple incidents where I got close to getting KO'ed. I think im around 5 concussions at shows, but thats probably too little of a number. My elbow took 4 stitches in 2005 at a guns up show right before end of summer jam 1 in new england. uhh... a monitor fell on my head at sound & fury 2007 after a stagedive during Rise And Fall. I try to not remember the injuries, but its hard not to.

9. What's worse: kids who stage dive terribly or kids who mosh terribly? What are your thoughts on choreographed or synched moshing versus synched stage diving or head walking with perhaps a high five in the middle?

Kids who stage dive terribly is worse because your putting people more at risk of injury. When kids dive feet first and/or run super fast and just jump it can seriously hurt someone. Whereas some "pitboss" who is moshing terribly, though hard to look at, he poses little injury factor. Yeah he can try to mosh on the side of the pit, but usually those kids are pussies.

I think that "moshing" should definetly reflect the music or part of the song being played. So when there is a skank part, do what you gotta do. Its all about getting positive aggression out at the end of the day. I can definetly respect a good choreographed dive by 2 friends, and sometimes you gotta go for a high five to keep it alive. I'm definetly getting more and more into diving, its hard when your 6'4" and 195 pounds tho... you gotta try to be "graceful".

10. What jams are getting repeat listens on your iPod currently? When was the last time you toured with someone who still used a discman? Do girls jogging with a discman bum you out?

I have a very addictive personality so when I get "on a hit" with a record or band, I will usually play it on repeat till I can't stand it anymore or Ihave found something else. Lately I have been on: Red Hot Chili Peppers-Greatest Hits or Californication. The Loved Ones- Build & Burn. Chuck Ragan-Feast or Famine. Hot Water Music- Till The Wheels Fall Off. And Trapped Under Ice- Stay Cold.

Last time I toured with a band who used a discman had to have been 2005 maybe? soon the art of touring without a gps will be gone and out of hardcore. thats kinda wierd. girls who jog with discman's should be given an award for being stubborn when it comes to technology. Thats not very common in 2008.

11. Who is the best stage diver you know? In the history of stage diving, who do you think is the best?

Ryan Hudon of Have Heart / Step Forward had some good dives in his time. Maine crew has some of the best divers around in current hardcore. At the Suicide File reunion bane show thing at the ICC in 2005 I saw some great dives from some old boys, that was a treat. I'd have to say Rat Bones or some shit might be the best diver? I don't know he is an old dude from NYC so that kinda makes sense? Current hardcore is lacking a lot of good divers, they are few and far between.

12. Which would you prefer: 20 years of medicore at best pizza daily or one and only one slice of heavenly pizza once a year for 20 years? What state has the worst pizza? Cici's or pizza hut?

good question! I am going to go with 20 years or mediocre at best pizza daily. I eat at Little Steeve's in Boston so that shows that I have an iron stomach for 'za. Don't go to steeve's in the day unless your good for it. Pizza is pizza sometimes, I just really like it. I think it would be great everyday. Once a year would be too little. California has some bad pizza, when I am there I usually eat mexican food tons and pizza maybe 4 times a month maybe at most... I am going to go with Little Caesars for my favorite fast food pizza or TOUR PIZZA. you cant go wrong with a 5 dollar hot and ready large pizza on tour. cici's is cool but i feel obligated to eat too much and the worst people eat there. pizza hut is cool but not enough choices. ill just go plain jane.

13. Top 5s

a) Top 5 shirt designs (ill just go with my favorite, i know there are better, but this is my preference i guess?)

- Raw Deal (with the dealer on it.)

- Floorpunch smorgashboard rip off anything. (made the classic design even better. "the best")

- Warzone iron cross american flag dont forget the struggle dont forget the streets. plz sell me this!

- Guns Up! Crew Elk Shirt (hey i made these, i take pride in my work.)

- Stop And Think longsleeve (wore it for maybe 20 shows after i got it.)

b) Top 5 lead singers (dudes i've seen live, never got to see a lot of bands, IE: warzone or YOT)

- Freddy Cricien (set it off)

- Scott Vogel (lots of years on the mic, and still puts in 110%.)

- Pat Flynn (gets mauled by kids and still looks good doing it.)

- Greg Willmott (being a youngster in cali seeing mental was great. held it down until the last gig.)

- George Hirsch (seen him sing maybe more than any other band, ever.)

c) Top 5 sophomore LPs (hmmm... really good question.)

- Best Wishes (really got into this when i matured, and opened my mind.)

- Five Deadly Venoms (pokey from leeway on drums, find my way, final war, tons of hits.)

- Nothing To Hide (ime, without this band, i wouldnt be who i am today.)

- Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God (what blacklisted sounds like.)

- some hot water music record. (im bad with hwm timetables and that band does it for me.)

14. One time I saw a Champion (the band) tshirt that said "Drug Free" on it. When I asked Aram why it didn't say "Straight Edge," he told me that not all their shirts could say "straight edge as that gets old" Or something like that. Is that fucked up or what? How would you respond to his remark?

I constantly battle this argument in my head. I personally don't really think the "drug free" thing is something for me. I have always been a straight edge or no straight edge kinda dude. the shade of grey just isn't something that I thought would work for me. Drug free is shit that people can half ass so they can fit in with straight edge, and then not fully commit and then follow some trend of something else next thing. I don't know thats just been my experience with "drug free". Repetition and band merchandise is always a hard thing to deal with tho, its hard to get refreshing designs but still staying true to your band image or whatever. I don't know? haha.

15. Tank top or cut off sleeves?

Well, tank tops are great cause they are nice summer apparel. Cut off sleeves are also cool cause you can make an ill-fitting shirt happen. Shirts with bad sleeves will most of the time get the ol' cut. Im still trying to perfect the "deep cut" sleeveless. Tank tops are few and far between so its ok.

16. That about wraps it up. Any closing shout outs, words of wisdom?

Thanks for the interview. Its really cool to answer these, and sorry it took a little bit. I get in a good mood and I jump on this interview to try to come up with cool stuff. shout-outs to boston, san francisco, and nowhere usa. have fun, enjoy life, eat pizza, and listen to hot water music bands or whatever came out of that band.

xxx.

Photo credits to "some people." Sorry, I'm not sure who took what pics. If it was you, let me know. Zac Wolf should be an obvious one, though.

Travis Reilly - This Is Hell, Long Island Hardcore, Dude ...

2007-09-21T11:38:00.000-04:00

Back in October of 2006, I was lucky enough to get to hang in California with Bane. They were doing a US tour with 3 other excellent bands: A Global Threat, Strike Anywhere and This Is Hell. Personally, I had never really noticed This Is Hell. Sure, I had heard the name before, but I had never gone out of my way to check them out. After a few days, I got to know the dudes and then on the third day, I actively paid attention to them playing. At this point, I kicked myself for not paying attention earlier. This band was ill! All the dudes get into it, and Travis knows how to work the crowd. Over the next couple of days, I had the chance to hang with Travis more and realized, "yo, this dude knows what is up." From there, I knew an interview had to go down. After leaving tour, I told Travis I would set one up. And with my superhuman speed, it only took 4 months for me to write it up. Faster than a speeding bullet. Of course, he turned it around much faster. Before they head off to Europe on an amazing tour with Comeback Kid, The Warriors, ... Europe get psyched!

Without further ado, here's the interview. Get into it.

HYE? - yo dude, how's your edge?

see below...

HYE? - when did you fully realize what straight edge was? and what does it mean to you now?

hmm, probably when i first started going to shows... i remember hearing the term and never really knowing what it meant... i remember being asked by Daryl of Glassjaw and Vinnie of The Movielife who were both edge at the time if i was... and i think i replied with "i don't know" haha, because at the time i truly didn't know what it meant and felt to dumb to ask.... to answer the second part of your question, i don't claim that i'm sxe when people ask, i don't really feel the need for the label... i never did and still don't have the desire to drink or do drugs.. it was kind of one of those things where i was "straight edge" before i even knew what it really meant, i was always just scared that if i drank or something my mom was gonna catch me haha...so i guess to truly answer the second part of the question, i do what i feel is right for me.... there are some people who i think make straight edge look silly and others that make me very proud that i share a similar lifestyle....

HYE? - what is support? what's the deal with this little company?

it's a "clothing line" that my girlfriend and i started, it's still in the very early stages, we have a lot of friends who are great artists, we want to showcase their work and hook people up with some sweet gear in the process... we only have a few designs up at the moment.... the first design we did was the "i support same sex marriage" design... i got a shirt like that a few years ago on tour in atlanta, and i wore it so much on tour and everyone would ask me where i got it and how they could get one, so i asked around to friends in atlanta and they said the kid who made them isn't making them anymore, guess he dropped out of the scene or whatever... so we decided to make some so people could get a hold of them, because i think it's a great message, it blows my mind when someone gets bummed out on something that has zero affect on their life... but also because of that shirt people tend to think that we are a political or not for profit based kind of company, which isn't the case... you can check the designs out at www.supportshirts.net.

HYE? - who is the best stage diver you know? who is the worst? at what show did you execute your best stage dive?

hahah, great question... best stage diver, i don't personally know him but i've seen Ray Lemoine do some amazing stage dives, especially at Floorpunch's "final mosh" at cbgb's... i think you ask this question knowing that everyone is going to say that YOU are the worst stage diver (Editor's note: Would I do that? No ...) .... and i agree... although i think 95% of stage divers are bad at it.... it's a art form, everyone one tends to choose quantity over quality and i think thats a bad move..... my best stage dive... hmm, i've had a decent amount of solid dives in my 10 year career.... the ones that stick out to me are all Movielife shows, huge front flips over barriers... one was in wales at a show with Lost Prophets, like 5000 kids... i have it on video hahah

HYE? - you sing for this is hell. do you think people would be surprised to learn that you are straight edge? when i say people, i really mean "fans of the band," specifically. also, when are you going to start sporting camo pants and varsity jackets on stage?

haha yes, everyone thinks that i'm a smack head or something because of my raccoon like eyes... it runs in the family... as for the camo pants and varsity jacket i don't see that happening anytime soon... i don't need a core uniform to sing in a core band....

HYE? - suppose this is hell battled soldiers. you get to represent tih, rick gets to represent soldiers. who would win in the following competitions?

a) home run derby

ME

b) stage diving

I'd say TIE, he's little and has pulled some huge front flip type stage dives in his time....

c) psyching up a crowd

HIM, i hate talking, let alone begging a crowd to get into it, he's a fucking lightning rod...

d) stand up comedy

ME for sure, i'm convinced people enjoy our band way more during the breaks when i'm talking

e) cooking

ME

HYE? - if you had the power to cause one hardcore band to reunite for one show, what band would you chose? what venue would pick for this monumental event?

man, there is so many bands that i'd love to see play again or for the first time... a band that i always loved and would love to see is Battery... as for the venue, i wouldn't really care.. as long as it had a good stage to jump off of.... and i think in a close second would be CIV..... i would have rather seen a CIV reunion tour than the GB tour that happened.... crazy i know...

HYE? - what touring band pulls the best pranks? which band is the chillest to tour with?

the only band that pulled some pranks that we've toured with that i can remember is Most Precious Blood... last show of tour in med set they just start tossing cardboard boxes at us on stage and throwing cups of water on me from the balcony.. that was funny... they would fall under chill bands as well... along with Bane, Comeback Kid, Darkest Hour, I Am The Avalanche... i mean honestly we have toured with a lot of bands and i'd say 98% of them were awesome and easy going....

HYE? - speaking of touring, how do you flip a van in western canada and not miss a single show of your tour? what exactly happened there?

haha, well we were in the midst of a 12 hour drive from vancouver to edmonton.... the weather was amazing for the whole drive... we are about 2 hours from the show and we hit a bad patch of snow and ice... Rick is driving... and he's going slow... and all of a sudden i feel the van fish tailing and hear Rick yelling "shit shit shit shit" - we have hit our fair share of ice and had our fair share of close calls, but this just didn't feel like it was going to end good... i was laying on the second bench so i just braced myself, we wound up doing a 180 and going off the highway backwards into a ditch and rolling onto our side, the trailer flipped and busted out our back window... luckily everyone was totally fine, cops and tow trucks came... towed our van and trailer out of the ditch, brought it to a impound.. the cops drop us off at tim hortons like two blocks from the impound and go on their way haha... it was a sunday i think, so after many phone calls we finally got this cunt to come to the impound so we could recover our van and trailer.... they didn't think it was a good idea for us drive the van or trailer in the shape it was, we said thanks for the concern, paid the 800 bucks, hooked our trailer back onto the van and drove to edmonton and played the show, and finished the final week of tour.... when we got back home the insurance company deemed the van totaled and the trailer didn't last much longer after that tour either....

HYE? - another tour related question. tih is a non stop touring machine, but a lot of the tours don't really seem to be hardcore tours. how did you end up touring with bayside or i am the avalanche or glassjaw? was there a conscious decision to tour with non hardcore acts? how does that experience differ from touring with outbreak or bane? the crowd feeling it?

well all three of the "non core" tours you mention above we did were with friends band essentially... to me i don't view hardcore as a secret society, i WANT younger kids to get into hardcore because i think it's great, there are so many good bands with so many good things to say, it's not like anyone was born with a fucking Black Flag shirt on, you got into hardcore somehow, chances are it was through a punk band, or a metal band... or maybe a metal core screamo spazzy kind of band, regardless why try to shut people out? those tours we got asked to do and we were stoked, it's fun doing something that is outside the box you know? the Glassjaw stuff was especially cool because growing up on long island they're one of the first bands i saw, i never thought that 10 years later i'd be in a band touring with them... and honestly on long island Glassjaw was always considered a "hardcore" band... so i don't think that was really out there ya know? we don't make a conscious effort to do anything... if we get asked to tour with a band, we sit down as a band and discuss it... it's all music to me, i'm not going to rule out touring with a band because they're not a "hardcore" band... especially if they are buddies of ours, i go on tour to have fun and hang out with friends... and to answer the last part of your question, i think kids for the most part were stoked, because it was fresh to them, they aren't used to bands playing that style of music or the band walking around, hanging out at the merch table, it seems so wild to them, it's cool to show kids that there are plenty of bands out there that don't hide backstage, that we are grateful and we are just like them....

HYE? - as a show attendee, what was your favorite show, and why? what was your favorite tih show?

another very hard question, where do you come up with these brain busters mr murphy..... favorite TIH show would probably be our first London show... it was pretty surreal, like 300 kids going insane, we've played some amazing shows on Long Island of course and a handful in Syracuse stick out in my mind... as for a show i went to see... fuck man, i've been to hundreds of shows, i guess a few that stick out in my mind would be of course my first show ever... 96/97 on long island.. VOD, H20, Silent Majority.... i'm kinda bad with years but another awesome show i saw on long island was Saves The Day, Farside, Fastbreak, The Movielife, Kid Dynamite... i saw a handful of sweet shows in the boston/worcester area... 420 fest with Bane, AN, Panic, Right Brigade.... Bane at the met cafe, anytime i saw Bane at the palladium, Suicide File twilight release show at the ICC was a wild one.... i could go on and on....

HYE? - what bands get you amped up these days? psyched on the edge and psyched on the core?

umm when i'm checking out a band i don't really care if they're edge or whatever, if they are cool, if not whatever... i've never liked a band just because they were edge... but two current straight edge bands that come to mind that i think are sweet are Down To Nothing & Let Down...

HYE? - who is cooler: pike or merrick?

look at the time, let me get to the next question..

HYE? - what music have you been giving a lot of play lately? how does your playlist change when you are chilling with a special lady?

lately i've been listening to a lot of Seaweed, Down To Nothing, Nightmare Of You, Leeway, Crime In Stereo.... my girlfriend grew up in NYC going to shows and probably saw a ton of bands that i would have loved to seen.. but we listen to a lot of the same stuff.... i would say a few bands we can jam together would be... Jawbreaker, Lifetime, Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Head Automatica, I Am The Avalanche....

HYE? - any closing thoughts, shout outs or words of encouragement?

in 10 days we start recording our second LP... it should be coming out in jan/feb of 2008... keep an eye out for that, murphy please practice your stage dives for Bedards well being..... keep the faith!

Matt Wilson - Set Your Goals, Sharp Dresser, Fan of The Kenmore Agency, ...

2007-05-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

What can be said about Matt Wilson that you do NOT know? A lot, I'm sure. And this interview aims to answer some of those questions. Unfortunately, his association with the venerable Pete Lynch is never brought up. Sad but true. The next time you see Matt out and about, or on tour with Set Your Goals, make sure to ask him some deeply disturbing questions. Until then, read these and enjoy.

Yo, how's your edge?

Ten years and still going strong!

How did it all begin for you? How did you get into Hardcore?

I started going to punk shows when I was 11 or 12. My friend and I would go to 924 Gilman St. and through mixed bill shows, got to see a lot of great (and some not so great) hardcore/punk shows. Things just sort of snowballed from there and I feel that getting into it that way helped me to keep an open mind when approaching all kinds of new music.

When did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now?

Once I got over the initial stage that every straight edger goes through where you're like, "alright man I gotta X up at every show and buy as much sxe gear as possible and rep it all day every day!" I realized that it is a part of me and I don't need to prove it to anyone or even advertise it because I learned that doing that only serves to separate me from the rest of the world even more. I already feel isolated on the inside, but I don't see a point in building a wall outside myself for people who don't understand me to attack. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of the fact that I can survive reality without the many self-destructive devices that exist to escape it, but at the same time I know that anyone can find some facet of their life to relate to anyone else's life if they try hard enough and life is too short to go around hating other people because you choose not to relate to them anyway. Basically for me it comes down to my outlook on life and drug free is the way I've chosen to live that works best for me.

Ok, let's get a few formal questions out of the way.

You sing for a band called Set Your Goals. For people who have been living in caves for the last couple of years, can you break it down for them?

Basically, it's like this: we like to have fun. Whether you like our music or not, I'm sure anyone can find something in our lyrics that relates to their life to sing along with at a show. If you haven't seen us live and you still go to shows to have fun (and some people don't) I recommend checking us out because if you're watching a Set Your Goals set and nobody is having fun, something is very wrong. Oooohhhh yeahhhhhh brotherrrrrr!

Set Your Goals style is not typical youth crew or metal hardcore. In your mind, is Set Your Goals a hardcore band? Do you think most of your fans (anti-fans too) view you as a "hardcore band?"

This has always been a tough question because it's hard for me to categorize us and I don't feel its terribly important to either. Slapping a band with a genre only gives close-minded people an excuse not to check them out in my opinion. We're all hardcore kids and ex-hardcore kids and we definitely take influence from hardcore bands but when I started this band with Jordan, we never set out to do a hardcore band or play hardcore music. I know that a lot of hardcore kids are quick to call us a hardcore band which in my opinion is open to one's interpretation of what hardcore is. I've said this before but musically we're as hardcore as lifetime, new found glory, kid dynamite, etc. Take that statement however you like. I remember when At The Drive-In got really popular people were calling them hardcore which never really made sense to me. I think some people just can't justify liking something unless they have a name for it that suits their tastes. I guarantee that your friend's 13 year old sister who listens to us in her room and the bro push-moshing to our songs with his friends in the back of the show pissing off all the core kids don't consider us hardcore. We set out to write something more pop-influenced musically, but to keep the intensity of the live shows and the lyrical integrity that hardcore has to offer and I feel like we've accomplished that at least in some small way. I think that a lot of the reason some "hardcore kids" don't like us anymore is because they expected us to play basement tours forever which is something we've planned on progressing past since the day we decided we were going to tour full-time.

Another reason many "hardcore kids" who were all about us a year ago don't like us anymore is because many of them are sheep. I use quotations around the term because I believe that when one takes on the ideals of hardcore music, part of the mentality there is thinking for yourself and anyone who doesn't do that is not a hardcore kid in my eyes. At the risk of sounding like a huge nerd, allow me to illustrate the following example: we are both frequent readers of the B9 board and anyone who has been reading that board for the past year cannot deny that a year ago there wasn't a day that went by that you wouldn't see a thread about Set Your Goals. If anyone spoke ill of us they were torn apart by other posters. Today if a thread is made that even mentions SYG there are more than enough posters standing by to put in their two cents about how lame we are. Nothing has really changed in the past year except for the fact that we've toured nonstop and reached a larger audience. Maybe I missed something but that's the way I see it. Trends come and go in hardcore and we were one of them and that era has now ended which is fine with me because I never cared about impressing anyone, the only thing that bothers me is when rumors are spread and an entire band's reputation can be damaged by what a 15 year old kid may or may not have heard from a friend, and message boards are the best/worst venues for that sort of behavior. There are a lot of fakes in this scene that prides itself in being "the one honest music scene" and it sucks but at the same time there are a lot of people who keep it real and that's what keeps it going. Surprisingly, some of the older guys I've met who play in bigger bands that tour arenas have more integrity in their pinky finger than some of the people I've met within the underground hardcore scene. I will never stop loving and supporting hardcore and I will never abandon its ideals but when I go to a show these days, I can't help but feel isolated in a place that was once the only environment I could relate to. I think that is the case with a lot of the people I've met through touring as well. They still have the same ideals they started with, they've just progressed beyond the high school nonsense that comes with "the scene."

Someone once said to me, "Here's the deal with bands with two singers. Everyone in the band is friends and want to start a band. However, two dudes can't play an instrument. One guy can obviously be the singer, but the other can't be left out so they make him a singer too." I didn't buy it (haha), but what's your take? Is two singers a key factor to the success of Set Your Goals, or are you just trying to be the next Path Of Resistance?

Honestly, we didn't plan it out like this. We didn't really plan it out at all hahaha. We started with myself on vox and Jordan on guitar, just jamming and writing songs for a demo. We never thought anyone would give a shit about us, much less want us to tour and play their town, but that's the way it turned out. As we built up a full line-up Jordan wrote the guitar parts and wanted to sing as well but we all felt that if he played while singing that it would be boring live so we found a guitarist so that we could have 2 singers. I think that it works to our benefit live because it makes for a much more intense show. I don't know that it's a key factor or even a factor to our success at all, but it does set us apart from the rest which makes us unique.

Who's cooler: Pike or Merrick?

Next question please! hahahaha Oh man you're trying to get me into trouble here!

Well I've only met Merrick a couple of times so I'm gonna have to say Pike but Merrick gets bonus points for being a much more mellow dude to deal with. There are pros and cons to each approach I guess hahaha

What bands have been getting a lot of play from you lately? What current bands are you most excited to play with?

We really like playing with Bangarang from Lansdale, PA. Great dudes and their music is really good. I hope at some point we can put out a split or put together a tour with them or something because we love their music. We met them through our friends in CDC who are always fun to tour with as well. We just finished a tour with Daggermouth, No Trigger and Hostage Life which was a lot of fun, all great bands and great people. Really looking forward to doing a tour with our friends in Fireworks in about a week as well, though I'm afraid we're all going to be arrested at one point or another for inciting a riot in a restaurant somewhere hahaha

When you aren't listening to hardcore, what are you usually listening to? Has that new Avril Lavigne song, Girlfriend ever been stuck in your head for hours?

We don't really listen to hardcore in the van any more than we do any other style of music. We like to mix it up a lot. That new Avril song gets stuck in everyone's head I think. Jordan is all about that record but usually just listens to it with headphones hahaha.

It's a huge list but I'll try to summarize: I think Brand New's latest record is incredible and I've listened to it at least a couple times a week for the past few months. That Memorial (ex-Renee Heartfelt) EP has been on heavy rotation in the van on the past couple tours as well. We would all love to tour with them. On the metal tip, the Decrepit Birth promo songs are unreal and as soon as we get our paws on the new Animosity record that will be getting some heavy play as well. Dave and I listen to a lot of Katatonia while driving.

Two shows: What was your favorite show to attend and favorite show to play? Explain why.

Honestly the Gorilla Biscuits shows were some of the best shows of my life, both playing and attending. Truly a dream come true for me. They are my fav hawdcore band of all time.

When was the last time you were urinated on? And the reason for that was ...?

On the Less Than Jake tour, Junior offered me $25 to let Jordan pee on my leg and I accepted. LTJ's stage manager Rhino saw the whole thing and told us we all need to start doing drugs hahaha

Last year, your band was in car accident during the middle of tour. Do you think that negatively affected your tour perspective or does it make you want to get out more, play harder, tour harder? "Twelve hour drives are nothing when I'm with all of you ..."

It definitely made us all sit back and put things into perspective a little bit. Joe was driving and hit a deer. Luckily we were all fine but we were stuck in Nebraska for a while. More recently we hit ice in Idaho and again we were stuck for a week after the wreck and sort of forced to reflect on what happened. It was a test of our fortitude but we're going stronger than ever now, we will just think twice before booking a winter tour next time.

Let's say I had a hardcore time machine. You have one shot to use it. What specific event in the past would you go see?

I'd probably go to around the time I was born when all the greats were coming up in DC and NYC. I'd want to see Minor Threat, Bad Brains, GB, Agnostic Front, and Cro-Mags. I'd also love to see the thrash metal acts of that era in their prime: Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, etc.

I've heard rumors of you appearing in a Teen People feature. Can you clear up these rumors?

Guilty as charged. It was a few years back and there were about 8 of us in the picture. Sarah Plante was interviewed by Teen People and they wanted a picture of her hanging out with her edge friends so we came over and ate all her chips and salsa and played with her pets during the interview and posed for some pics. I bought it when it came out and still have the issue in a box somewhere. I think maybe 3 of the 8 or so people in that picture are still edge haha

If you could tour the world with any band, like 180 days straight, who would it be?

It's a toss-up between Led Zep and The Beatles. The Beatles were larger than life and I think that would be so surreal to fly to some foreign country on their jet with them to watch them play to a sold out crowd of thousands upon thousands of people who absolutely worship them. It would truly be a life changing experience. Then again Led Zeppelin were way big too and probably much more exciting live. Plus they were complete ragers.

What one question do you wish interviewers would ask you but never do? What's the most off the wall question you have been asked?

Pretty much anything out of the ordinary is more fun than the average "state your name and what you do in the band" type of stuf; the more creative and intimate the question, the more fun it is to read. Some of the best interviews I've read have had nothing to do with music. Once I was asked what my favorite porn movie was by my friend Kirby for AMP Magazine, that was kind of strange haha

Any closing thoughts, shout outs or well wishings?

We recorded an acoustic version of "Echoes" for Punk Goes Acoustic 2 which is out now, check it out! Thanks Brian!!

Images courtesy of those who took them (yeah, real specific) and Matt Wilson.

Pat Flynn - Have Heart, The Straight Edge, Pos, ... Beano!?!?!?

2007-04-02T10:35:00.000-04:00

"My favorite 7 Seconds shirt getting destroyed"

Pat Flynn is a dude. In every sense of the word. I first learned about Pat Flynn a few years back. I had got an Action Taken demo and was pretty stoked. Then I began hosting a website for this new band called Have Heart. After a while, they moved on to this new site called MySpace, but for a while, it was great hosting this positive, straight edge band's site. During their tenure on HYE, they boosted the hell out of my site stats. Now Pats all grown up (haha) but definitely still young til he dies. When you see Pat at the next show (because he goes to every single one, and is always up front singing along), make sure to say what's up and give him a pat on the back. The following interview is filled with some random, funny shit. Enjoy. Please note, all captions by Pat Flynn.

Yo, Pat Flynn, how's your edge?

-dude, my edge is almost too strong. people might start thinking im taking artificial enhancers for my edge. rest assured, this edgeman is all-natural.

How did it all begin for you?

-I was born on july 6th, 1985...everything from then until i was 13 or 14 is completely meaningless. thats because during that time i was what one would call a "norm", aka, didn't know what hardcore was. I think it was the summer of '99 I went to my first hardcore show in New Bedford, MA at this sweet place called "Reflections". I believe the lineup was Beyond Authority (feat. Joseph Hawk of RnR fame, sweet, right?), Before I Break, All Chrome and Grey Area. Not exactly a show of the most well-known bands, but that show sent me spiraling down a path of righteousness (aka hardcore)

"This is my ipod that I'm trying to sell because i dont believe in technology. I'm a Luddite and I need money"

When did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now?

-my Mother actually got me into straight edge. Which I'm sure sounds like the lamest possible way to be introduced to straight edge. But how it went was my mother showed me an article of "skate-boarder-looking guys" who didn't do drugs. The article was of TYF and In My Eyes actually. At that point (as a serious 12 or 13 year old punk rocker) I knew that Minor Threat had a song called 'straight edge', but I didn't know there was a culture in existence (o' how lost i was). So anyway, like 8 or 9 years later I'm still straight edge. I look at it in a way in which my edge is the only one that matters. Of course I will curse the fakes to a doomed life, but I won't exclude non-edgemen or edgebreakers who smoke weed for medicinal purposes.

Let's talk about the Action Taken. Who was in that band and what did you guys do?

-The Action Taken was a band from New Bedford, MA who played there, and only there every weekend from 2000 to 2002. I think we played ONCE outside of MA in Rhode Island. The band consisted of Me and Ryan Hudon (fellow HH-man) on vocals and three other members whose names were once on the HYE Edge-Break list...never knew who put them on there, hm. Anyway, we were an uber-youth crew band in the peak of our glory. The soon-to-be edge breaks wanted to start playing other styles of music though, and Ryan and I were eventually given the serious boot. Ryan and I had HH in the works, so all was well. And since the ugly demise of TAT, all former members are at ease with each other. Our claim to fame was our review in the highly praised 'Hows Your Edge Review Section'

"Mr. Ryan Hudon and I shredding the mics when we were 7 years old."

What bands get you psyched these days? Psyched on the edge and psyched on the core?

-Psyched on the core in general, I find myself anticipating the arrival of the WASTE MANAGEMENT demo. Its features righteous gentlemen of the NBHC and Say Goodbye. So far I have heard practice space recordings and seen one performance. The word 'raw' comes to mind when I think of them. Stripped of a lot of that hardcore BS. I like my hardcore slow and heavy, I also like it fast and heavy as well. So I look forward to WASTE MANAGEMENT pleasing my taste for fast, raw, intense, and heavy hardcore.

"The soul of all souls, Mattdude of Soul Control singing for HH"

SOUL CONTROL is another new hardcore band that gets me stoked. They're the kinda band that makes you turn the treadmill up to 10 mph when you already feel 8 mph is enough, ya know what i mean? I thinks its the combination of their lyrics and music that's making me run so much faster these days. A band that gets me stoked on the edge (perhaps most important piece of the core), hands down I have to say DOWN TO NOTHING. They come from the Richmond, VA straight edge scene. Seeing them play anywhere is fucking great. Always energetic, positive and fun. BUT, seeing them play in RICHMOND, fuck...great straight edge scene they got there. Best straight
edge band around. DTN always X's up, keeps straight edge in the wholesome fashion, supports the core and other scenes. More bands need members like the guys in DTN.

Suppose I gave you a straight edge, hardcore time machine. Which show would you attend and why?

a) Oct 17, 1999. Karma Club Boston, National Edge Day
b) A show featuring YOT, Judge and Bold at the Anthrax
c) May 8th 1998 @Reflections New Bedford Mass: Smacking Isaiah, Grade, All
Chrome, and Hot Water Music, where kids were stage diving and moshing for HWM

-Well, I have pretended to be at shows A) and B) so many times in my room by moshing and diving on to my bed that I feel like I can actually say that I have been to those shows so, I have no option but C, but not by default. I live for HWM, if it wasn't for them...I don't think I would have facial hair.

What was the band Beano all about? How many shows were played? Any releases to look out for?

-Beano was about expressing yourself through terribly played music by 12 or 13 year olds who didn't know what guitars or drums actually were, but knew they LOVED Blink182. Look out for the split 7" of Beano / 4 Bob Doles (feat. Sean McCentury of Shipwreck/GU fame and Dan Dole of GU fame). To be released Edge Day 42.

"Me, Jim from Champion and JD from Shipwreck in Seattle. Thats my roomate Sean McCentury from Shipwreck in the background. He's not a singer so he wasn't included in the cool singer guy photo."

What was your favorite show to play, and why? Also what about your favorite to attend?

-To Play: It's a tie between 11.12.06 in California and 3.2.07 in Boston. The show in Boston was with BANE and just felt like one of those classic Boston-Bane shows. And I have loved me some BANE my entire life, so to play a show in Boston with kids going fucking nuts the entire show, feels like some type of achievement. The show in Cali was perfect. We LOVE Cali. The kids out there are the fucking best....animals with stage diving and sweet moshing. I remember at one point when the kids were all on stage singing along completely forgetting I was the singer of the band and thinking I was singing along to some other band with other kids. That spirit of hardcore is what I love best...the interconnectedness of the kids and the bands.

"Reflections revisited circa 2K6. Thats me being a total pussy in a Down But Not Out shirt...i suck."

To Attend: I like shows to be eclectic. If I can get a good thrash band like xfilesx playing with a perfect youth crew band like In My Eyes, and throw in a heavy band like Shipwreck, with kids going off the whole time. Then I'm siked. I'm even MORE siked if there aren't any mo-mo's who show they have something to prove by shitting on all the bands playing or punching attentive by-standers in the face, or anywhere for that matter.

Have Heart has been having a great run. 2007 seems like it is the year for Have Heart to blow up big. What's scheduled for the upcoming year? Big plans?

-I graduate from college this semester and the other guys are down to fuck their jobs and semesters and tour for a loooong time. We're going to Japan in May. Then we head out with SOUL CONTROL and SINKING SHIPS for the first half of the summer in the US, and then with Rise and Fall for the second half. Then we go back to Europe with Bane. THEN we go to Brazil and Columbia , and then do ANOTHER US tour, and we then go to AUSTRALIA. This will span from May 23rd to December 24th with some off-weeks in between. Lets hope we don't end up dying somehow in the process.

"Ryan and i giving a mannequin some shit in London"

Where would you like to go with Have Heart going forward? And not just in the sense of tours, but releases and attitude too.

-I know we are going to write a second LP that will hopefully be out summer 2008 and at least a split with a sweet band. As for attitude, PMA my friend, PMA.

Which would you rather?

a) Own a blood stained knife?
b) Own a tmobile sidekick?
-Does the knife have the blood of a sidekickER on it?

a) Break the edge?
b) Punch a baby for giggling?
-Is the baby an edge breaker?

a) Text message a friend from a show?
b) Say something negative about a band while on stage?
-Is the band Nickelback?

a) listen to Nickelback?
b) listen to Youth Of Today?
-Hey, just because a man jokingly knows every word to every nickelback song ever written doesn't make him a fan. Nor does going to see them live or buying their new record and condemning all his friends that condemn them. I don't know why such a question would be posed.

Is it true, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?

-To make sure no one thinks I broke edge in Vegas I will answer this. An ex-girlfriend/best friend + friend who still likes his ex-girlfriend/best friend + extra money from tax returns + a night in Vegas with NOTHING to do + a good sense of humor = a joke but yet real Marriage in the same chapel Britney Spears was married in. Which ULTIMATELY equals a legal divorce and a reformed relationship with ex-girlfriend/now-current stellar girlfriend.

"this is my girlfriend meryn with her mentally retarded friend charles"

What music have you been giving a lot of play lately? How (if it does) does it get shifted when you are chilling with a special lady?

-As of late NO COMMENT has been receiving a lot of rotation, along with I RISE. When my special lady comes around, I'm sure a little bit of Odetta and Billie Holiday may get some play, hopefully Pat Flynn will too.

How important is a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle in terms of the hardcore scene?

-In terms of the hardcore scene, I'd like to think that it has the potential to make the scene a little bit more conscious caring, rather than being kinda directionless or apathetic. There are other avenues to stay active, but the vegetarian lifestyle certainly help fuel an active scene.

"This is me and Dave from DTN sharing a stage dive together @ TIFY Fest in Florida. We also shared the pain of people stomping on us after the 'duet-dive' attempt failed miserably."

Personally, how important is it to you? When are you going veg again?

-Haha, I'm what a vegetarian George Bush would call "a flip-flopper". But I haven't really considered myself a vegetarian since like 2001. I just practice the diet every 4 or 5 months. I'd like to master it. I find myself feeling really healthy when I'm in the prime of my vegetarian periods...but alas, i usually fall prey to the smell of chicken. But so much meat out there just ain't good for you in most of the ways it's cooked, so hopefully one day I can master the trade.

For those that don't know, can you explain the significance of the "Hardcore > Shoes" record release shirt HxH made?

- Our good friends made a JOKE T-shirt that had a bunch of nike-dunks on the front and on the back of the shirt it read "shoes > hardcore". So for our record release, WE decided to make some shirts that had classic records from bands like the faith, infest, yot, outspoken, bold, unbroken, void, minor threat, citizen's arrest, etc. on it, and have it read "Hardcore > Shoes". GU found it funny, kids hopefully checked out some of our favorite bands, mission accomplished.

"This is Kei Yasui and a diseased leper"

Top 5s

a) Current Releases
1) soul control "demo"
2) waste management "the practice space records that i have heard so far"
3) verse "from anger and rage"
4) i rise "demo"
5) ceremony "violence, violence"

b) Pre 2005 Releases
1) 7Seconds "walk together, rock together"
2) Minor Threat "out of step"
3) Youth of Today "WNITA"
4) In My Eyes "the difference between"
5) Outspoken "the current"

c) Current Bands
1) down to nothing / verse
2) shipwreck
3) ceremony
4) soul control
5) step forward

d) Broken up by 2005 Bands
1) count me out
2) what feeds the fire
3) champion
4) mental
5) blink 182

e) Shirts (any era)
*not a huge shirt guy, but i have three favorites:
1) in my eyes ''est. 1997''
2) 7Seconds 'walk together, rock together"
3) embrace 'weird little design thing'

"Me pretending to be Sweet Pete at the last Guns Up show"

Which end of the Mic do you prefer to be on? It seems that at every show, you are frequently on both ends. How do you keep your enthusiasm level so
high?

-You just gotta actually LISTEN to the bands. Most bands at first aren't all that great. But if you take a small amount of time to really appreciate what bands are writing, you'll its something worth moshing/diving for. I have no preference as for what side of the mic I'm on, as long as I'm in a room with a mic, hardcore kids, instruments, then I'm set.

Any closing thoughts, shout outs or positive mental attitude statements?

-I sat down to write my senior thesis paper, instead I did this interview. Why? because I've been reading HYE since I was like 15. So Brian Murphy, thank YOU for giving me a reason NOT to do my work that I'm probably continue to procrastinate on doing for the next 4 or 5 hours. It really is...a healthy obsession.

Editor's Note: Thanks Pat!! And ps. Pat sent me all these pics. If you took one and want credit, get at me and I'll credit you.

Editor's Note Pt 2: I asked this question of Pat, but received no response.

Who has a more ridiculous (lack of) haircut? Briggs or Nicky I Rise? Would Have Heart be interested in playing The Haircuts for Hardcore benefit?

"Briggs and Ryan in all their long-haired glory, off-setting the extreme YC of my IT'S OKAY...shirt. Fuck."

Toby Morse - H2O, Hazen St, SEOG, NYHC, Youth Crew ...

2007-02-02T09:33:00.001-05:00

Toby H2O, Toby Hazen St, Toby1, Toby SEOG ... He goes by many names, but his message is universally themed: true till death, don't forget your roots, drug free youth, young til I die, ... Cliche phrases to some, but for Toby, hardcore is a way of life. Check this interview for a snapshot into Toby's life. Pics borrowed from MySpace and NikeTalk.

HYE? - Yo Toby, how's your edge?

Toby1 - My edge is great! 36 yrs going strong!

HYE? - Let's start with the basics. How did it all begin for you? How were you introduced to punk and hardcore? Similarly, how were you introduced to straight edge?

Toby1 - My older brothers would take me to shows when I was 12 (1982), my mom was always working trying raise 3 boys alone. So my bros would take me out to shows in providence, ri (prolatarit, idle rich, vicious circle, descendents, impact unit, the FUs etc) were some of my 1st shows. I heard of minor threat when they came out, and I had never tried anything as far as drugs, alcohol etc before them anyway, I just sk8ed everyday and read thrasher mag. But when I heard this amazing hxc band and the fact that they didn't party like me, I was like holy shit! I'm not the only person who doesn't want to drink and fit in.

HYE? - It's obvious that Straight Edge is important to you. Can you picture where you would be today if you had never considered a drug free lifestyle?

Toby1 - I have an ocd personality. So my friends always say if I drank I'd be a alcoholic! I'd be fucked up for sure!

HYE? - You started a company in 2006 called Straight Edge OG. For those who don't know, break it down for them, and tell us the current status of the brand. Check this pic someone posted up on the WDYWT thread on NikeTalk.

Toby1 - SXEOG (means sxe original guy or old guys hahah) Basically besides porcell, civ, steve ready, sweet pete and a couple other old youth crew cats, NO one is sxe anymore. We are the OGs from the Youth Crew 80s days! And its just fun mock designs some original too.

HYE? - A lot of older dudes in the scene are bummed on streetwear's emergence in a lot of the current hardcore merch. Most long for simple schism styled shirts. You however have gone the opposite direction and have embraced the street wear scene. Can you describe your feelings on the merging styles and how you came to be hooked up with The Hundreds?

Toby1 - Man, people starting their own clothing companies is like people starting their own record labels and fanzines back in the day, it's the way people are expressing themselves and being DIY (believe it or not) most of these small comp are starting with a couple people that have passion, vision, artistic skills and some good connections. Its dope! I back it 100% anything to go against the 9 to 5 life! That's hardcore to me.

HYE? - What's the current status of Hazen St and how did it come about? How did you get all those hardcore dudes to sign onto such a project, and what was the intent of the band (blow up, chill with Kurt Loeder or was it just playing music)?

Toby1 - Me and chad just were talking about writing some songs together and I asked him to think of some people that he'd love to have play with us (like a wish list) and he did and I did and we made some calls, some demos and everyone was down. Just for fun, nothing more. Everyone started flying out to l.a and wed fly to ny and we started writing and rehearsing etc. Made a demo that got into the hands for GC twins and the rest is history (I guess) making that record with everyone was one of the best times and experiences of my whole music career. I love and I'm very proud of that record and everyone in HS, everyone worked hard on it. We did some crazy tours GC, Warped, SOTY, Japan (NFG & Yellowcard) and P.O.D. Real fun diverse crowds.

Current status is that we played 2 shows in 2006 and they were fun. Hopefully we'll record something new in 2007.

HYE? - As H2O blew up on an international level and Hazen St went big time, do you think you ever lost focus on Little Johnny Straight Edge and 14 year old Sue Hardcore? Did becoming a huge sensation cause a disconnect between you and "the scene?"

Toby1 - When h20 started touring 200 shows a year and never being home, I think we had our own scene whatever town we were in that night. We always repped nyc where we went and when we played at home we our h20 scene. You gotta remember h20 started in nyc, but none of us were born there, like a lot of the nyhc bands actually.

But we always went to shows when we were home supported younger band and still to this day, I have every piece of fan mail I have ever gotten and I have responded to every person. We were and still are about the kids (not fans) and that to me was more important than the scene (which came and went every summer)

1988: No For An Answer; Toby, Nicole Sxe, Chris Daly, ...

HYE? - Here's a deep one. On the first H2O lp, there is a skit about how hardcore is more than music, "it's a way of life." I'll agree to a certain extent. Punk is definitely a lifestyle, but in my opinion, hardcore has always been "an experience." Go to a show, listen to a record in your bedroom, hang out with friends and discuss hardcore ... Hardcore to me is experience first, music second. The music takes a back seat to the feeling of stage diving or just screaming along at the top of your lungs while you bedroom mosh. Would you say you agree with that?

Toby1 - I agree, but being in a band for 11 yrs is different then going to the shows and getting that experience until the next show. We lived & breathed it every night in japan, europe, south america, usa, canada etc playing 20 shows in a row and having h20 become our life, missing peoples weddings, funerals and peoples relationships ending cos of a tour, its was our lives and still is now. We never went to college. I started going on the road with bands in 89, GB, SOIA, Killing Time.

Fuck yeah, the smell of a sunday matinee, diving, singing, creepy crawling made us feel more alive and when I saw GB last summer, I felt like I was 17 yrs old. You can't get that feeling from anything else. For me that's the closest I've prob come to feeling high! I always say hxc ruined my life joking with my boys, but in reality I met my wife at a hxc show, I traveled the world, people have h20 tats worldwide, a kids parent put my lyrics on there sons grave stone (that's fucking nuts) I get the most sad and inspiring emails and messages everyday from kids. Since h20 started there hasn't been one day that hxc hasn't been a part of me and my life.

HYE? - Time to back off the serious tip. Here's a few of "which would you rather" questions. If you feel strongly about your answer, go ahead and elaborate.

Which would you rather?

a) Get a Boston red sox tattoo on your neck that will ensure the Yankees win the next 10 years of World Series?
b) Get no tattoo and ensure the yankees lose the next 10 years, while the Sox win them all?

Toby1 - B. Hoya would kill me!

a) Mosh with Michael Rappaport at a Slipknot (not Rev) show?
b) Hook up my unemployed actor friends with Michael Rappaport's contact info with the phrase, "Tell him Toby sent you?"

Toby1 - A. We'd wear masks for sure

a) Play to a packed venue in Spain?
b) Play to a half packed venue in NYC?

Toby1 - A. I love spain (not as much as NY of course)

a) Have a SEOG shirt spotted in a very infrequently played Heroes (NBC) commercial?
b) Have a SEOG shirt spotted on Nicole Ritchie as covered by every blog and trashy newsstand journal?

Toby1 - B. Except we don't make infant size in our t shirts

HYE? - 2006 seemed like the year of year for reunions. What is your take on old bands reuniting? What were you feeling when the Gorilla Biscuits took the stage at CBs?

Toby1 - GB never toured on Start Today, so it was about time even if it was 20 years later (you know I sang back ups on the whole record). I lived in the GB house in jackson heights, queens in 88 (best times). I got goose bumps when the horns started! Felt like I was 17 again. They were incredible man, best reunion ever!

HYE? - There is a very short list of people who have been "straight edge" for 20+ years. How come so few people actually hit that milestone? I'm sure you are the opposite of "Hardline" but what's your take on edge breaking?

Toby1 - I always have said the ones that preached and pointed their fingers and judged others and were so militant fell the hardest! They usually go from the most sxe to the most heroin addicts! Pretty sad. I'm drug free for me! Never gave a fuck what people thought. I grew up with people who drank, smoked weed & did coke and I still do. To each his own!

HYE? - Any final thoughts or parting shots?

Toby1 - Check out myspace.com/straightedgeog.

HYE? - [Editor's note: This last comment wasn't part of the interview, but it's amusing so I'll include it.] ps. Thanks for kicking me off of the loft spot at CBs during the last GB reunion show. hahah. That would have been a prime spot to see HR do his thing. And of course, GB.

Toby1 - Sorry man, civ only wanted friends and fam on the stage. Hope you got a good spot off stage.

Or you were diving all night!

Aram Arslanian - Champion, Betrayed, Edgeman, Swatch Guard Wearer ...

2006-09-19T08:49:00.000-04:00

What can be said about Aram that hasn't already been said? Plenty, I'm sure, but none of it would be true. This dude is just down. Down for the core, down for the edge. What else could you ask for? All right, here's a story.

Back in 1999, Aram was playing with a band called Face Tomorrow. Now, I recall at the time, that was a little controversial because one of my good friends, Joey C, had a zine called Face Tomorrow. Regardless, I saw these guys play one hot night at the Palladium in Worcester. After the show, they needed some place to crash out for the night. I lived 5 blocks from the Palladium so offered up my apartment.

Leaving the club that night, Aram tells me, "Ok, we don't have any headlights, but since you live so close, it won't be a problem." We stuff way too many people into a van with way too few seatbelts and head off. Literally a block from the palladium, I see a cop aiming right for us. I tell the band to take a turn in hopes of avoiding them a ticket. Doesn't work, the cop goes right for us. Flashing lights, the whole works. And still, only a block from the Palladium. I'm sure kids were thinking, "jesus, those canadians are a rowdy bunch ..."

The cop checks out the van, sees the people sitting on the floor, and hears the sob story about their headlight situation. I tell him they are going to my house which is right up the road. He thinks it all over, and then does the unthinkable. He offers us a police escort back to my house. Off we go, like foreign diplomats of high importance.

They crash out at my house, kick back and watch movies (Aram will later claim that they found mad sketchy porn at my house, but he is confused. No such sketchy porn existed). I tell them I have to break out early the next day, and to just lock the door on their way out. Seems real hardcore of me to invite complete strangers into my home with valuable records, stereo shit, a million shirts, computers, ... But that's what you have to do for a touring band.

I break out the next day and when I get home, I'm convinced they had stolen one of my super rare Swarm shirts. I was furious, I was heated, I was pissed. I was thinking, "Canadians love canadian bands. Of course, they are going to steal my rare canadian merch. Those assholes." For months, I stewed over Aram and his band. Waiting for retribution.

When I moved out of the apartment at the end of the summer, I found the shirt wedged into a trunk that it didn't belong in. No idea how it got there, but I suddenly became ashamed of my malice towards Aram and Face Tomorrow. Fear not, I immediately discarded the voodoo dolls, and called off all curses.

Yeah, that's Aram to me. One of the best dudes around.

1. Dude, how's your edge?

- My edge is hard and sharp. I just turned 32 been sXe for over 10 years and I've never felt better about The Straight Edge

2. How about a little background? How'd it all begin for you: metal, skating, ...?

- I grew up in Calgary Alberta which is right above Montana; its pretty isolated so growing up there wasn't a ton of bands coming through and not a lot of great record shops so you really hard to work for it if you wanted to learn about bands. I was a skater and read Thrasher religiously so I'd always check out the bands they'd interview or review and whenever they put out one of their Skaterock tapes I'd make sure to get it and that's where it really started; it was through the whole skate scene that I started to listen to bands like Minor Threat, COC, DRI, SNFU, The Accused, and then later start to discover bands like Uniform Choice, 7 Seconds and YOT. I did a lot of tape trading back then and was always looking out for new bands and trying to spread the word about bands I was into. Back then it seemed like every week I was discovering another great band.... that was a great time of my life. One crucial band for me was a local called Beyond Possession, they had a self-released EP called "Tell Tale Heart" and a full length on Metal Blade called, ".... Is Beyond Possession" all of which is now on one CD called, "Repossessed"... this one of the first bands that really made an impact on my life.

3. What about the edge? When and where did you decide that it was the right way for you?

- Well back home there wasn't a Straight Edge scene, at points there was a really huge thrash scene, but nothing that had anything to do with sober living. All we did was skate, listen to music, get into fights with head bangers of jocks, and get wasted all of which was great at the time until we started to get a bit older. In our late teens/ early 20's it all took a turn for the worse and we started spending a lot less time on skating and music and a lot more on drugs and alcohol until we wouldn't do any activity unless some kind of substance was involved. At that point things started to really spin out of control in my life, I had a lot of anger about my family and my childhood, a lifestyle that revolved around getting wasted, a dead end job, and a shitty relationship and I didn't feel that there was anyway out so I started to drink really heavily just to be able to deal with my life.

I was still really involved in HC during this period but because the local scene had died down so I had to travel pretty far to get to see bands so I did a lot of flying out to Vancouver and road trips down to Seattle. In those trips I got to know a lot of people who were involved in Straight Edge and they gave me a whole new perspective on the lifestyle; up until that point the very few people I'd interacted with who were Straight Edge were pretty in your face about it, but dudes like Greg Bennick and Dave Larson were just down to earth guys that believed in the ideals and were down to talk about it without being judgmental. The time I spent with those guys was pretty pivotal in my life because for the first time I realized I had a CHOICE... I didn't have to be this person, I didn't have to use a bottle to deal with my life, and I didn't have to live a life that I hated. I know it sounds weird to say that I didn't realize that I had a choice, but growing up in Calgary drinking and drugs... that's just what you do, so to NOT do it was something that was almost alien to me. I gave it a lot of thought and after a few more months of really struggling to get a grip of my drinking I just decided to give it up entirely. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was the thing that allowed me to actually take control of my life and live it to the fullest.

4. Are you Canadian or just a Northwestern US man? What's up with Canada anyway? Speaking of Canada, what current Canadian core should I be spinning?

- I'm indeed Canadian and what's "Up" with Canada is that we're literally "up" above the US and holding it down for the core. There are some great bands in Canada right now like:

Final Word (or if you're like me and enjoy swearing then Final Fuckin' Word) from Montreal are awesome, have a NYHC vibe to them, and provide a good mosh... they have a killer EP on Indecision Records so check it out

Risky Business, a Lockin Out style band from the Halifax and have a record on Rock Vegas Records that's great

Go It Alone, fast HC in the vein of Count Me Out and Battery... some of the best dudes around and have an LP and an EP out on Rivalry Records that people should check out.

Get the Most, this Vancouver unit my new Canadian favorite and they provide some crucial Youth Crew core in the vein of Insted and have a great new EP coming out on Crucial Response Records

In Stride, Vancouver band that rocks a mix between early American Nightmare and Right Brigade. They have a brand new record coming out on Bottled Up Records which is Jeff from Start Today Fanzine so you need to order it!

Comeback Kid, love them or hate them, but you can't deny that this Winnipeg band has left an impact in the core that time will not erase. Great guys, great band

Fucked Up, I've never heard a Fucked Up record but everyone loves this Toronto band, they're on one of my favorite labels (Jade Tree), and have been at it for a quite a few years

Keep It Up, another Ontario band that rules, fast HC with great breakdowns... I know that's the worst description ever but this band is GREAT

About to Snap, new EP out on Specimen 32 Records.... Negative Approach style hardcore with great lyrics.

Recently we saw the end of Vancouver's Blue Monday who was one of the great bands of our time and I'll miss the hell out of them but you know that great new bands will rise up from the break up and that Canada will rep the core to the fullest.

5. I read the Champion 1998-2006 article in At Both Ends. That turned out real well. Were you all psyched on it? Also, should I know the dude who writes that zine? He keeps going on tours with Bane, but I have no idea who he is (and after all, I am Mr. Bane*)

* Trademark Dylan Press

- Yo, Mr. Bane you're slipping.... The 411 is that ABE is done by Steve Fallas, an all around solid dude and current tour manager for BANE... get your shit together man! Yeah I was psyched on that article, I really felt that Champion ended on the best terms and I'm super happy that our friends cared enough to be involved in that article... its definitely a time we'll remember

6. Have you seen Tre's beard lately? What the hell is up with that?

- Tre is gross

7. What's up with the sudden end of Betrayed?

- Todd and I have been friends for a long time and the band was just an extension of that. It got to a point where we wanted to do different things and it was just better to end the band rather than let it cause stress between us. I'm happy with what we did and I think we made a difference.

8. What do you think about the merger of the WB and UPN into the CW? Do you think they'll really bring back 7th Heaven?? Let's pray they don't.

- I back that... in fact lets get together with Sweet Pete and Pike and have a prayer circle

9. Are people ever intimidated by your baldness? What band were you playing in when you last had an unshaved head?

- My head causes a glare when I'm sweating and there are lights on the stage so maybe people taking photos are bummed out, but no one in the crowd has recoiled in horror yet. For about a year I was in denial that I was going bald so although my head had been shaved since I was 17 I decided to grow it out... this was about 4 years ago when I was playing in Champion and there are definitely some shots that reveal a) how fucking stupid I look with hair and b) how fucking stupid I look with shaggy dyed black hair with a bald spot in the back. True story.

10. Champion was a hard working, ever touring band. Of all the places you have seen, what was your favorite? Likewise, what place left a sour taste in your mouth?

- Japan was definitely my favorite with Korea being a very close 2nd. As for least fav... sorry Denmark but I won't be rushing back into your cold awkward embrace any time soon.

11. Along those lines, how did you manage to keep Champion together for 7 long years and maintain a position at the top of the pile? It couldn't have been easy as a full time touring, straight edge hardcore band. What were the high points? What were the low points?

- The thing about Champion is that we really believed in our band and our message so there was never a time when we wanted to do things half-assed. Putting out a record meant touring hard, and touring hard meant giving it 100% every night... there was no middle ground and I think that intensity and conviction is what made us be able to carry on for so long because we were always striving to take it further. High point would be going to Korea because I felt like we were actually really making an impact in those kid's lives. Low point.... Getting "milked" by the Prebosk... you'll have to get Steve TFS to fill you in on that one

12. One time I went to California and hung out with Todd Jones. Every restaurant he took us to was a chain restaurant (California Pizza Kitchen, Baja Fresh, Baskin Robbins,...). I'm curious, have you ever eaten a meal with Todd that didn't involve a chain restaurant?

- No I never have, TJ actually has an inked agreement with the multinationals that own chain restaurants so he legally can't eat anywhere else. Again, true story.

13. Speaking of Todd Jones, how is he to work with him as an "artist?" Yeah, that comes of sounding super douchey. How about this instead? What's a funny Todd Jones story? How did you meet this fine fellow?

- Todd and I met in 1999 in CA when my band Face Tomorrow was on tour. Carry On had just recorded "Roll with the Punches" and my mind was instantly blown; those guys didn't try to fit in with anything that was happening on the West Coast at the time and were arrogant as hell.... So I instantly decided that they were my favorite band and throughout the years became really tight with him and Corey. We'd been kicking around the idea of doing a band forever and it finally came together in the form of Betrayed; working with Todd musically can be the most amazing thing of all time because he has vision. He understands how to make a song work from front to back. Working Todd can also be non-amazing if your ideas of how a song should work conflict with his ideas... either way it's an interesting ride.

A funny Todd Jones story is when we were recording Substance in January in MA. It was freezing cold and for some reason all he brought out from CA was a hoodie. It was cold as hell but he didn't want to buy a coat so he borrowed a ¾ length tan leather trench coat from Kurt Ballou and had to wear it where ever he when for the next two weeks.... He looked like an arctic pimp.

14. How much do you love Starbuck's? Any funny, possibly foreign Starbuck's stories? What are your thoughts on Dunkin Donuts? Is it too blue collar for you?

- Starbuck's is so fucking good, but I'm trying to stop supporting them.... As a result Dunkin' Donuts has moved up in the ranks for my coffee fix. A non-funny Starbucks story is how gross soy milk is anywhere except North America and how it ruined my Starbuck's experience all over the world... screw you non-North American soy milk, get lost with your non-deliciousness and non-frothiness

15. You know who loves Dunkin Donuts? Matt Pike. That guy was the tour manager for Champion for many years. How did that all get set up? How'd you meet him? Do you have any funny Matt Pike stories?

- Matt loves to yell and has given me headaches but I still love him. We met through AIM when he first asked Champion to do some shows with Bane, and then we became "internet buddies" before we became friends in real life. Pike was actually our booking agent [Editor's note: fuck, that's right. I always get Pike's job confused. I can never keep it straight. Sorry, dawg.] although SKOH did do some tours with Champion. That came together because he loves the Edge and supported Champion and his effort was one of the most important things for our band. It was through him that we were able to get on bigger tours like SOIA and Agnostic Front.

16. People break edge all the time. What are your thoughts on the outspoken edgeman to blatant drunker transformation? How do you feel about edge breaking in general?

- People do what they're going to do. I'd rather be someone that makes people feel good about who and what they are rather than bad about what they're not or who they used to be. As for the actual act of the edge break.... Meh, I just don't see what's attractive about that lifestyle so generally just feel bad to see people enter that world, but such is life

17. What are your plans now that Betrayed is ending?

Work at a job I love, buy a shitload of record, hang out, drink coffee, and get married next year. Just live life and enjoy The Straight Edge

18. One time I guilted Greg Bacon into letting me eat dinner at the table he was sharing with Steb add Aaron TFS. They had an open seat, and I was by myself. Do you think this was a faux pas on my part? How's Greg doing anyway?

No that was a great thing to do, Greg needs to be taught some manners. He's as rude as a German. He's pretty good I think, he just had a birthday and got showered with myspace comments so who wouldn't be stoked?

19. Time for the top 5s.

a) LPs
- Minor Threat, Out of Step
- Cro Mags, Age of Quarrel
- Judge, Bringin' it Down
- Gorilla Biscuits, Start Today
- Youth of Today, Break Down the Walls

b) EPs
- Minor Threat, s/t
- Minor Threat, In My Eyes
- Youth of Today, s/t
- Chain of Strength, True Till Death
- Chain of Strength, What Holds Us Apart

c) Current bands
- Have Heart
- Common Cause
- No Turning Back
- Internal Affairs
- Ceremony

d) Crucial t-shirts
- Chain of Strength, navy blue TTD shirt
- Judge, original white hammers shirt
- Floorpunch, Raw Deal rip off
- Agnostic Front, boots shirt
- Cro Mags, Best Wishes shirt

e) moz or ray cappo

Moz for sure

20. Tomorrow Sweet Pete and I are going to grab some Jordan VIIs. Well, Sweet Pete is. I can't hang with Mist/yellow Jordan VIIs. But Sweet Pete is a better man than me when it comes to things like Jordans. How do you feel about Sweet Pete?

- I love Sweet Pete, if he lived in Canada we'd be best friends and talk about Straight Edge all day long. He's a vegan you know... that's tight. He is one of the true pillars of the Straight Edge community but he has some backwards ideas about Swatch guards.

21. You just joined The First Step a few months ago and you seem to like being in a lot of bands at once so what other current bands would you like to join?

- Have Heart or No Turning Back. I plan on joining about 10 more bands this year.

22. The cover art for the Betrayed LP sure has a lot of x-rated swatches pictured. What's your opinion on the 1987 X-Rated Swatch? How do you feel when you see edge breakers selling them for tons of loot on ebay? Also, don't you think there should be a pact among edge dudes? If you break the edge, you are forced to give your swatch to an up and coming edgeman. I think that should be instated as hardcore law.

- The X Rated Swatch is one of the greatest things that I own... my lovely girlfriend got me one for Christmas and I wear it every day. As for the rest of your question..... THE INSTITUTE FOR X-SWATCH RECOVERY, this is going to happen even if you resist.

23. Ok, let's wrap this interview up. Do you have any final thoughts or shout outs? Thanks for the interview, dude.

- Listen to Resist... that's Wrench's new band and they are awesome. Listen to Guns Up! and mosh hard in your bedroom or at a show... mosh people on the streets. Listen to Have Heart and then think about the lyrics... and then mosh. Even if you are an awful stage diver like myself and B.Murph never stop doing it... fuck style, if you love it then do it. Xing up is amazing, Straight Edge is amazing, and Hardcore is amazing. Meltdown rule. I love Chris Wrenn, and I love Converge. Next time you see Tre mosh him.

Joey C & Righteous Jams

2006-02-02T17:09:00.000-05:00

HYE - Yo, how's your edge?

JC - Good. It says hi!!

HYE - When did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now? What role has your big brother Jesse played in this? Finally, how does it feel to be the last NASE (North Andover Straight Edge) dude?

me and jesse, 4th of July 2005 eating ice cream

JC - I dont really think there is a set definition of straight edge, and I dont think there should be. I do my own thing and I always X up at RJs shows because I want people to know I'm still proud to be edge. A lot of its just visual, like when I go to the gym and I'm curling 60 lb dumbells I like what it does but more than anything I just like the way it looks!! I just never thought drinking looked good ya know? I mean no diss, I lived in a frat house for a year and I loved those guys... But that's just my edge, I dont care about anybody else's or anybody else's definition. Yeah, and over the years Jesse, Elgin Gains, and I have put our own spin on things and what it is to be edge for us, ya know, we like to lift weights a lot and stay ripped and just take really good care of ourselves. I just gotta stay young man, that's just who I am. If I started drinking I'd feel like a banker.

HYE - What's the history of Righteous Jams. Start with Right Brigade and ending up at current time. Feel free to bring up any funny stories from your recent EU tour.

JC - Hm. Well jesse me CC and mullet started Invasion. Then me and CC got bummed that Jesse didnt want to play out more so we started RJ's with Jimmy Carrol, DFJ and Cooch. Nathan joined the band when it became obvious that Jimmy was too busy with his other bands to put any time into RJs. And then CC got super busy with school so Paul joined the band. When Paul joined I think Righteous Jams really came into its own. Him, Nathan and DFJ were unstoppable! We went to the gym every day of tour, we went tanning every day, we spent some serious hours in Tijuana, we played a show here and there. Paul and DFJ were like twins separated at birth. Some of the shit that those guys are into man...I cant discuss it publicly, lets just say I was uncomfortable a lot of the time!

me and elgin gains shredded backstage in belgium photo by cindy frey

HYE - Elaborate on Paul RJ and why he's not in the band.

JC - Well there's not much to elaborate on. He just cant commit now that he's married. We all respect his choice. So Derek is playing bass and cooch is on guitar. Who knows what the lineup will be a year from now. I'm hoping Scace is down for good though because he's my favorite person to be on tour with and he's a great stage presence.

HYE - Whats up with RJ having a manager and a booking agent now? Who are you guys Seven Mary Three?

JC - Hahahaha. At first RJs was my baby and I really wanted to have total control over everything we did. But it got to a point where the band started to develop its own energy and I had the choice of sacrificing some of that control or halting the band's momentum. Sometimes having total control over your own band is more hassle and responsibility than its worth. When band members were late for shows 2 years ago, I'd be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, pacing around clubs, calling everybody. Now that's all Mark's responsibility. I'm really easy going on tour now, I just get on stage and sing. I don't organize a thing. It's a lot of stress off my back, and it allows me to focus on my job which is singing and writing songs. Nathan, DFJ and I are ambitious but we're in our own worlds. We need an uptight guy like Mark to stay on us like a nagging mother. As far as a booking agent goes...I know that decision is going to rub some people the wrong way. But we decided to do it because we want to play to more people and we want to step up our game and stop doing everything by the seat of our pants. But for everyone who has booked us in the past, our bookiing agent is super chill, her name's Angie and her compnay is called lucky artist booking. Shes totally down to earth. Shes not snobby or arrogant or anything. And yeah our new stuff sounds like 7 mary 3!

coochie smoochie and DFJ record shopping in germania

HYE - You have a new album coming out someday, Business As Usual. What can we expect from this full length? What label is it going to be on?

JC - The record is going to be on Kung FU. We put a lot more effort into this record and I like it a lot better than ROD. I wrote the record so that kids would have an entire album to lift to. I put more thought into the lyrics this time around and tried to express who I actually was rather than trying to sound cool or angry or something. Nathan and my friend Buckley helped me edit all the lyrics and they just kept on urging me to come out of my shell more and be honest.

HYE - What happened at the "no moshing" TYF/The Trust show in Lawrence? And what about the autographed hat?

JC - What happened? The kids had their say that's what happened!! everyone moshed anyway and the show got shut down! Then the Trust signed my hat!

me and my brother ryan ban

HYE - When is the next issue of Face Tomorrow coming out? What was your favorite interview/piece of that zine?

JC - I am not gonna do another issue. My favorite part of that zine was probably the Jesse interview. I love Jesse. I've seen some great front men and no one has shit on Jesse.

HYE - What bands get you psyched these days? Psyched on the edge and psyched on the core?

JC - Iron Boots, Down to Nothing, Rampage, Bane. Most of the music I listen to isn't hardcore, but all those bands I just mentioned are rad as shit. We've played with all those bands and they impressed me every single time.

HYE - Describe your perfect day. Does it involve sleeping until 4pm then nerding it up, or does it involve waking up early, lifting and then perfecting your mosh? As many details as possible, please.

JC - Hahahaha wow! perfecting the mosh! No, I am not a good mosher. A perfect day would involve working out and doing something unexpected. The last perfect day I had was in Cali when we were on tour. We played a sick show, went out to eat, and then went back to my friend's hot tub. I was having so much fun that I couldn't sleep so I went to 24 hour fitness for 2 hours, did chest, got back, ate, went in the hot tub again and then we all went to TJ, ate, and then played a show that night.

me being gay in england

HYE - How have you gone through hardcore as a guitarist and now a lead singer without one tattoo or even a piercing?

JC - You don't put bumper stickers on a Mercedes.

our last show of EU tour. photo taken in holland. I.ve never seen nathan go off as hard as that night I was scared for my life.

HYE - How did you get so into weightlifting and bodybuilding?

JC - When I was in college I was hanging out with this girl all the time. I knew nothing about girls because I'd gone to an all guys prep school. So yeah let's be honest this girl was my friend and flirted with me or whatever and I just totally fell for her. Hey I was just a beb. People that know me know I'm a really nice guy and that doesn't fare to well when you're trying to nail a superficial college girl. Yeah so I fell for her and went for it and I totally got shot right down. I internalized the whole thing and just asked myself "what's wrong with me?" and it just so happened that right as I was having this internal dialogue I was walking by the cafeteria - and there was my answer. I looked over and saw these three juice heads with orange skin wolfing down food like they'd just returned from Somalia. Their arms looked like beach balls. They had these huge things popping out of their necks (which I later found out were called traps). They had these really blank looks on their faces and didn't say anything, they just kept on eating while their girlfriends shared a cup of cheerios. So I just said "fuck it!" Totally illogical. I knew at the time how ignorant my mindset was but I didn't really care. Teen angst, some kids had Morrissey, I had Gold's Gym. So I started hanging out with these guys. They were just like hardcore kids, you know, extreme, always talked about the same thing. But instead of youth of today and the cro mags it was test and creatine. So they taught me how to lift and eat so that my muscles would grow. I had moderate success. To the people that knew me when I was 150lbs I look huge, but as far as gym culture goes I will always be skinny. I'm ok with that. But for anyone who was as into it as I was for the past four years, it always stems from some sort of internal complex. It's not just about discipline. Yeah, if you can really transform your body you have discipline, but you also have issues, and they need to be worked out with a shrink not a dumbell!

gold.s gym new mexico

HYE - How much tuna would you say you eat a week? What's the current weight lifting schedule look like? Can you elaborate on "anabolica" and "muscle sports?"

JC - I dont eat that much tuna. maybe a can a week. i dont have a set schedule I just work out every muscle group as hard as possible at least once a week. Anabolica! Thats what our German friend Marcel said to us when we stayed at his house. There was a lot lost in translation. We were trying to communicate to him that we wanted to go to the gym. And after a minute he finally realized what we were saying and got this really excited look on his face and said "Anabolica!!! Muscle Sports!" We were like, "YES!!!!"

HYE - Who is your favorite edgeman of all time? And why? Think in terms of inspiration or influence.

JC - This is a tough one but honestly I think it might be Aaron Bedard. Because he's got nothing to prove ya know, he's just himself. Everybody who is like super straight edge and super righteous, you know they are kinda funny at first but after a while you realize it's just a big front you know what I mean? Aaron's my favorite because you can tell he is just doing his own thing and isn't trying to impress anyone or whatever. Plus he's a good friend which makes him cooler to me than any HC hero that I've never met.

tired edgeman!!! me tuckered out on stop and think tour at mandel.s house. 148 lbs photo Dtox

HYE - How did RJ get hooked up with Chad from NFG?

JC - Nathans good friends with him. He loved RJ from the beginning though, before Nathan was in RJ. I love Chad. His band is awesome too and their new record is the best.

nathan being huge

HYE - Which would you have rather seen: the Alone In A Crowd show, the Last Rights show or the Steve Reddy singing for YOT show?

JC - Steve Reddy. Obviously. I love all the YOT songs but when their singer told me to sit down at the reunion it really rubbed me the wrong way and ruined that band for me. I cant listen to them now, the only thing that could redeem them is if Steve Reddy sang.

HYE - It seems as though hardcore bands now more than ever have a reputation of being "players" on tour and living like rock stars. What are your thoughts on this and what is your role in it?

lynwood: rj's most loyal fans

JC - That's cool I support them. Not my thing never will be. But I mean let's be honest most of those kids are posers. I mean, I walk into greg's room and I'm flexing my arms for all my friends, but if Ronnie Coleman walked into the room do you think he'd have to flex for anyone?

HYE - What was your favorite show, and why?

JC - The first FP show at the first and second church. I was still just a beb and I didn't care about anything. I just wanted to see FP and get all my teen angst out on the dancefloor. HC was the only thing in my life that I actually enjoyed. It was before I discovered working out or girls. FP was the best. Mark Porter was a great frontman. Billpunch was incredible. That was when all the older kids still were into HC, before I became one of the older kids. As goofy as we all were, it was a glorious time.

HYE - What music have you been giving a lot of play lately? How (if it does) does it get shifted when you are chilling with a special lady?

JC - I listen to music that has a good hard beat. You can't lift to music that doesn't get your heart pumping. When I lift I listen to Madonna, Life of Agony, Larry Ransom's Bust it, Wrong Side, Annie, because those bands are hard. When I hang with my girlfriend we listen to a lot of cool shit but do you honestly think I'd give away the keys to the candy store that easily?

HYE - List your top 5 shirts/records you
a) owned and gave away
b) never owned but wanted badly
c) currently own

JC - I gave away an AF shirt with a nazi on it and people hanging from fish hooks. I always wanted a warzone superbowl of HC shirt. The top 5 coolest HC things I own are 1. SSD "Kids" 2. DYS "brotherhood 3. SSD "get it away" 4. the cro mags shirt Jesse gave me when I graduated 5. the life of agony shirt Buckley lent me!

HYE - Set the record straight. Who is the better stage diver: Ed Healy, Mothy, Jay Bill or someone else who surpasses all of them?

JC - My favorite stage diver is Greg's roomate Zac because he has no idea what a stage dive is hes just losing his mind ya know? All those guys you mentioned are awesome as well.

HYE - Better 7": Hardcore Pride or Division One Champs?

JC - PORTER.

we found an abandoned house in new mexico. here's me and coochie being silly

HYE - Now personally, would you say you have better moves when holding a mic or when rocking a guitar?

JC - I get embarrassed watching either.

HYE - Any closing thoughts, shout outs or positive mental attitude statements?

JC - Thanks a lot to you, bmurph for the interview. You've always been a great friend. Thanks to everybody who goes to RJ's shows. Check out Larryransom.com. Wanna send a shout out to Bob Shedd, Mike Twambly and Louden Swain. Also a shout out to my friend Tim McMahon. I interviewed that guy when i was 16 and he was as chill and down to earth to me then as he was last week when we played with Triple Threat. You can't say that about everyone.

Rob Fish - Release, Ressurection, 108, Judas Factor, ...

2006-01-18T08:31:00.000-05:00

HYE - Yo, how's your edge?

RF - I'd say it is doing very well.

HYE - How did it all start for you? Where did you first learn about hardcore?

RF - Well I didn't really have much interest in music until I was 8 or 9 (80-81) at which time I started to listen to early hip hop music. Basically a kid moved to the neighborhood from Spanish Harlem and we became friends. He and his older brother turned me onto rap. In 1984 I started to lose some interest in the music and became interested in skateboarding and the music was a sort of sidebar. On my first day of High School I walked into woodshop class and took a seat next to the resident metal head. Turned out to be someone I knew from fourth grade. We started to talk about music and he handed me a tape of Black Flag. From that point I became obsessed with punk music. Within weeks I was primarily hooked on West Coast Punk (i.e. Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, Circle Jerks, etc.) but also took a liking to Minor Threat. Due to some family experiences I took to the straight edge thing. That was it. At the same time I identified myself as a punk kid and didn't take to the straight edge scene until 1986.

HYE - Going along with the last question, when did you fully realize what straight edge was? And what does it mean to you now?

RF - I realized what straight edge was with Minor Threat but didn't become involved in the Straight Edge scene until 1986. In other words where I lived there was just a small scene and no difference between the normal punk kids and the straight edge kid except we didn't drink, do drugs or smoke. So I was Straight Edge but it wasn't as a significant part of the punk experience until late 1986 as the number of Straight Edge kids in our area started to increase and we starting going to CBGB's where straight edge was becoming it's own subculture within the music. At that point we started to identify ourselves as Straight Edge kids as opposed to punk kids who were straight edge.

HYE - You've had a pretty illustrious career as a "band guy." Break down what bands you have been in and what some of your favorite RELEASEs have been (oh, I kill myself).

RF - I sang for Release (1988-1990), Ressurection (1991-1994), 108 (1993-1996) and The Judas Factor (1998-2000). Of those bands I would say my favorite releases would be Ballads in Blue China (The Judas Factor), Threefold Misery (108) and I Refuse (Ressurection). I really like the Ressurection lp, and songs for that matter, but the recordings are painful. In hindsight $600 and a day isn't enough to record and mix an album. I can listen to Songs of Separation (108) and Kiss Suicide (The Judas Factor). The rest of it I don't care for.

HYE - You forgot something pretty important for the first Ressurection show. What was this item, and who eventually let you borrow theirs?

RF - Depends if you are talking about the first show we were booked to play or the first one we played. The answer could range from sneakers to most instruments. I believe you are talking about shoes but they weren't forgotten rather lost on the way to the show.

HYE - Currently, you are a manager for a large company that specializes in any tasks that are perfect for DIY zine making. How many zines do you think your managerial region is currently producing? Any we should be looking to pick up?

RF - To be honest I don't think there are any fanzines coming out of my District. There is a stark difference between the scene from my period and today. Today everyone puts out records and does a fanzine because it is extremely easy. Most of the fanzines these days seem to be webzines or blogs verse the paper fanzines of yore. I would have to say I prefer it that way because back in the day kids produced the fanzines because they didn't pay for them and, well, it would be a shame to see someone get caught doing that in my District! If there is anyone producing a fanzine in my District I have yet to see it. I have received cd's of some of their bands and things of that nature which is pretty cool. I don't know that I have found one that I am into but I appreciate it.

HYE - Besides the job, what else is going on with 2k6 Rob Fish? Any current projects or notable happenings?

RF - Well I have two amazing boys. Ras (8) and Chaitan (3) and I currently live in Northern California. I still write a lot but between my children, work and where I live I haven't done much with what I have written. Due to several different circumstances it seems that my family and I will relocate to the Gainesville, FL area this summer. If that is the case I will most likely begin recording and playing new music since I have some friends in the area who I have worked with before and whom I would like to work with in the future.

HYE - How in touch are you with the current hardcore scene? What bands are currently twisting your screw?

RF - I would say I am on the outside. First and foremost I simply don't relate with much of what I see and hear today. I don't maintain that there is anything wrong or less pure about what is out there today but it doesn't particular interest me. Still I travel a lot, which means a lot of times in hotels, so I tend to look around on the web to check out what is going on in the punk scene. Of the bands that are around and playing today I dig Lords, These Arms are Snakes, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Champion, Charge, Kill the Messenger, Paint it Black and Accidental Gun Death.

HYE - What is getting lots of play on your stereo these days (core or not)?

RF - Oasis, Drive Like Jehu, Black Flag, Absolution, Desaparecidos, Rollins (Hot Animal Sex Machine), Manic Street Preachers and Cap'n Jazz are the most popular.

HYE - Over the years, you have become more and more spiritual. Does hardcore and spirituality have an intrinsic connection, or are they totally disconnected?

RF - I would say so. Mind you I am speaking in terms of personal spirituality rather than institutional/theological dogma. To me punk/hardcore was always about finding yourself, asserting your values and questioning oneself and those around you; spirituality is a part of that. For those that knew me institutional thought was never my thing although I associated with and was associated with an institution I never really fit or tried to fit in.

HYE - Along the lines of spirituality, I have heard that you were famous for littering. Do you think you have a lot of bad karma to overcome from that?

RF - I think I moved on from that phase before I hit 18. Of all of my youthful misdeeds littering is probably pretty low in terms of the magnitude. Based on my life I am pretty sure I have received my fair share of karma for my missteps.

HYE - What was your favorite show that you didn't have to perform at and why? What about the best show you played (if you want to break it down per band, fine by me)?

RF - There are a bunch of shows that remain in my head and I really doubt I could claim one to be the best. Corrosion of Conformity at Middlesex County College (Edison, NJ) in 1996 was very cool. I loved COC and that was the first time I got the chance to see them live which was amazing. I remember the envy I had for Ari because he had money to buy COC Boxer Shorts. Fucker. Years later a friend Kevin Nash gave me a old COC Banner which I still have till this day.

Absolutions first show at CBGB's (was also Raw Deals first show). Absolution opened the show and they played it like it was their show and the rest of the bands didn't exist. I loved the attitude.

Bl'ast in 2002. Kent McClard put on a Ressurection, Lifetime and Downcast show on our first tour in the upstairs of some club. After the show we are loading out and we hear a band in the main area of the club tuning up. We walk in and there is 1 person there. I remember standing their in disbelief to see Bl'ast, minus Clifford, getting ready to play. They played as a three piece in front of 1 paying person and the members of Lifetime and Ressurection and were amazing. Personally I was never very into Clifford so it was even better.

As far as shows I played a few come to mind from each band:

Ressurection: Lifetime, No Escape and Worlds Collide in Atlantic City. It was towards the beginning of the band and I remember how enjoyable it was to watch the horror on people's faces when we played. Needless to say we didn't sound like what they were expecting.

Ressurection, Gorilla Biscuits and NoFX at City Gardens (Trenton, NJ). We received 50 test presses of our ep the day of the show. Chris Daly and I made the covers (attached) and wrote personal messages on each copy. Coincidentally most of the personal messages were to GB making fun of them for their disconnect with Straight Edge. I remember when we played looking over and the GB guys were all watching us and enjoying it. Afterwards we are upstairs in the band room and the GB guys come in and tell us how much they liked us and Walter, whom I didn't know well at the time, asked for a copy of our record. We snickered and gave it to him. I don't think he found the message too amusing.

I also remember a show in the Allentown area with Lifetime, Mouthpiece and Concerned I believe. I remember as we finished setting up and turning around to see canisters of mace sitting atop all of the amplifiers and next to the drums. I think we made it half way through the set before the skinhead thing was out of control and lots of mace was sprayed and pool sticks broken. There is a photo from this show that was on the cover of the It's For Life Comp where I have lots of messages written all over my body for our skinhead friends. I remember that period of Ressurection because literally half of the shows ended in mini riots and violence resulting in tensions with skinheads and bouncers.

108: Too many to name really. Our first show at the Unisound. We had recorded a record and then I quit the band. The band played 3 shows with Vic singing which didn't work out so 108 broke up. After six months we decided to give it a go and had a 5 month US Tour booked with Shelter. By the time of our first show on May 15, 2003 the record was already out. I just remember setting up there was a lot of excitement and when we hit our first chord everyone went ballistic. The show was out of control because of the pent up energy we had as well as a crowd of 700 or so kids excited to see us and by that time they knew most of the songs. Needless to say it wasn't a typical first show.

108, Snapcase and Earth Crisis at the Wetlands. I always loved playing this club. Great staff, great sound and fun club. This show was way oversold. I remember seeing a video of it once and literally you couldn't see the band because of how many people were on stage. I remember a distinct moment when I was practically on top of the drums and Chris, Vic and I all looked at one another and it was just this feeling. Every kid, singing every word and just a great atmosphere.

108 and Refused in Umea, Sweden. This was on 108's first European tour and Refused were our support band. The shows leading up were amazing. 108 had 2 records out at that point and all of the shows were amazing. I remember before the show in Umea, Refuses hometown, I was standing on the roof of the school we were playing at with Dennis, the singer of Refused, and watching all of the kids coming to the shows on their bikes. I think the average age of the kids was 12. When Doughnuts was playing I was standing on the side of the stage with Kate (108 Guitarist) and Lenny (Roadie) and watching these little kids going nuts. I remember between songs I looked at Kate and Lenny and remarked how damn cute these kids were. we all burst into laughter because it was rare to watch kids at a show and remark at how cute they were. When we played I kept reminding myself, no stage diving, because I would literally kill these kids because they were so small.

The Judas Factor and Bread and Circuits somewhere in the Midwest. I remember when we pulled up to the show and wondering if any kids would be there. The little town looked like a ghost town and it was eerie. Literally it was four blocks and every store was closed but this coffee shop. By the time doors opened it was a really good crowd. It was cool to play with B&C because I liked them and they were a bit older so it was easier to relate to them and just hang out and talk. That was one thing that was really strange for me when I did the tour with The Judas Factor. I felt, and probably was, so much older than most of the kids and felt sort of estranged from the scene. Still the kids were totally amazing and the show was one of my all time favorites.

HYE - In that last question, you give a run down of your favorite shows your bands played at. However, you list the first as Ressurection. You didn't mention anything Release related. Was this on purpose, or did it just slip your mind?

RF - I tried to remember some specific things from Release but really couldn't remember anything; at least not a complete story. To be honest I don;t remember a tremendous amount pre 1993... probably a defense mechanism due to all of the shit I went through.

HYE - It has been said that you were various generous with your hardcore gear. What is the best thing you ever gave to someone for buying you lunch?

RF - If you are hungry enough a Release varsity jacket is a very small price to pay.

HYE - List your top 5 shirts/records that you

I was never one to collect records or shirts. I would generally buy them and when I wasn't interested anymore I would sell them or give them away. Sorry for the bad answer but I never really got into it. If there was a record I wanted and could find it I was more than happy with a tape of it.

HYE - Any final thoughts or closing shout outs?

RF - The past is never as great, or probably in my case not as bad, as we remember it and today and the future are what we make it and how we choose to see it. To me this is especially relevant in terms of how we view the punk/hardcore scene. Since this is a site pertaining to those that were involved with the Straight edge scene I am happy to be one of those who still realizes the value in being drug and alcohol free. At least the two straight edge tattoos and 17 combined X's don't require a cover up or witty reasoning.

HYE - Thanks. Also, pics and flyers courtesy of Rob Fish. If you know who took the original shots, please let me know.

Steve Reddy - Wolfpack

2005-12-20T15:44:00.000-05:00

Here it is folks. Possibly the only NY Wolfpack interview ever recorded. This interview literally needs no introduction, but I should get some editor notes in there just so I can look professional. If you've never heard of Steve Reddy or EVR, you should hang up your boots immediately. Even if you know the Steve Reddy story, sit back and (rot) prepare yourself for a full course on NY Wolfpack, NYHC politics and one or two fight stories. Thanks go out to Steve and all the dudes who compiled the questions. One last note: this interview was originally supposed to appear edited in Owen and Sami's zine. There was some bad timing or something equally as goofy, and it never happened. Here's the complete, unedited interview. Enjoy.

Interview by Pete Lynch

Questions by: Sami, Owen, Pete, Cooch, Mir Ali, Joey C (RJ loves the wolfpack!) & Jeff Hess.

Non core pics courtesy of Zusi with a helping hand from Brett Beach. Core pic courtesy of the book "Making a Scene" by Brian Hurley. Also, please note that every pic is a side profile. How that worked out, we'll never know.

-Those who own the record know absolutely nothing about this band from the LP; can you give a history of the band from start to finish?

I didn't start the band, my best friend Don Sullivan did. He was in a band called Fit for Abuse and I loved them, Don was awesome and we were like brothers. Well some of the dudes from Fit For Abuse were older and married and it's not like money was ever a possibility back then so they could do it so much, so don and the original guitar player from Fit For Abuse, Drew, got together with these 3 young metal kids who were coming to shows and could actually play their instruments, and formed wolfpack. Drew was the mastermind, he was into Boston hardcore and he came up with the name and he wrote all the songs. Well one day Don up and joined he marines. Blew all our minds. Out of the blue him and Steve Schneider (the other dude in the cb's picture with me), just came in and told everyone they had joined the marines. I was like what the fuck. Well they left and they asked me to sing and I said no so they got this other guy and they played a show at 288 Lark St. and the new guy sucked. I was embarrassed for myself, Don and Drew. So they gave him the boot and I came aboard. The Bomp hook up was from this girl Betsie, who was in this band the Raunchettes. They had played some shows in Albany so we got to know them and Don loved one of the chicks in the band so we had been to Rochester to hang with them. Well Betsie ended up marrying Greg (RIP) from Bomp and she turned him on to the demo tape that we had. He wanted to get his label more into hardcore and he wanted to do it with Wolfpack. So we went in the studio and did the record for like $500. We weren't ready for a full length. Before the record was out Drew had quit the band and we got this poser kid Shane to take his place. Shane's the graffiti bomber who did the great wolfpack that we are in front of on the back of the album. Shane only lasted one show but he got his picture on the album. Sucks.

We went on one tour. Dave stein set the whole thing up; it was up and down the east coast. I think it only ended up being like 5 shows but it was the end of the band for me. The difference between a hardcore kid and a metal kid was just too much for me to take. We brought along this other metal kid as a roadie, a few months later I ended up beating the shit out of that kid for making a Breakdown flyer for a show that I was doing and it was a drawing of a girl smoking a cig from her heynanunanu. The flyer had my phone number and everything on it so I freaked and I put word out that the kid shouldn't come to the show. Well he did and I pounded him.

Back to the tour. We played in a small club in West Virginia and some other band must have used the place as a practice space and the metal kid stole a bunch of their equipment. I didn't find out about it until we got back from tour and were unloading the van. I freaked and said if they didn't send the shit back to the club in WV. I was out of the band. They kept the stuff and I quit.

-(The only other piece of info I have was when cooch told me you weren't the first singer and they played some shows in the early 90s with the old singer.... is he correct on that?)

Drew wanted to do the band again and I loved Drew but I wasn't into it. They ended up replacing me and playing some shows including the Roger Miret benefit at cb's.

-Unlike virtually every other obscure NYHC record, the LP has pretty much never been booted, do any exist and have you ever thought about releasing it or having someone else release it?

It was probably never booted because it's not very good. If you check your local record store one may show up in the .99-cent bin.

-Outside of the LP does any other recorded material exist?

Dave Stein and I started Combined Effort Records and our first release was the Albany style 7" that had four Albany bands on it and wolfpack had either 1 or 2 songs on it, I can't remember.

-Because the LP never came with an insert, can you finally put an end to the long running confusion of what the lyrics are? Your vocals are some of the most ferocious sounding ever especially on side one and I have wanted to know them forever...

I made an insert for the record. Laid it out in my living room with a typewriter and ruler. I first saw the finished record while I was on tour with YOT. We were at maximum rock and roll house and they had it I was surprised to find no lyric sheet in there but I was in no position to call Greg out on it because the band was already broken up.

-The LP seems to have many themes: the wolfpack, being proud, standing hard and being strong: what led you to write about these themes?

Like I said Drew wrote most of the songs and lyrics. He was a real hardcore kid and those are things that you felt back then just being a hardcore kid. It was kind a merge of looking out for your friends, being tough, and being strong.

-What's the deal with "Chipmunk in the Road"? The song is listed on the LP but does not appear on the record. Is it just the noise at the end of the song until the needle hits the matrix?

I hated that song. I don't know if I even sent it off to Bomp. The bass player Doug wrote it and it was just a silly song. I'm glad it never made it on the record.

-Does the black book of hell have a foreword?

I wrote that one. I bought a used car and I financed it and they gave me this little black plastic cover to keep the payment book in and I ended up making most of the payments while the car sat broken down in the parking lot. It was just about getting into something that you don't really think through but because you signed a paper now you're fucked. I bought a car, I took college loans, my friends joined the marines, etc.

-What kind of reaction would the wolfpack get, on the dancefloor and on the street?

It was about the same everywhere. No reaction what so ever. Does the expression big in Albany mean anything to you?

-Outside of Ray, you are the only person to ever sing a whole show with Youth Of Today.... what was that like, and do you have any stories from being the roadie on the Break Down The Walls tour? I heard about you and Porcell taking out nazi skins in Houston Texas….care to elaborate?

We were in Walla Walla Washington. One of my favorite all time tour places. Well we were staying with these Mormon kids, love moron kids, and they had a skate ramp. Ray and Porcell are pretty awesome skaters and they were skating. They talked Walter into trying to drop in when he could barely tic-tac back and forth. Well he ended up breaking his ankle and couldn't go on. That's a funny story because just that day he and Ray had given themselves funny haircuts. Ray just shaved all these bald patches in his head and then he gave Walter a Mohawk and I think they died it purple. Walter couldn't leave Walla Walla for a few days and we had to go to Seattle and Portland and then we were coming back to pick him up. Well it was over a weekend and Walter had to go to church. Well I guess Mormon Church is like 3 hours long and the priest or whoever came down of the altar with a microphone and started asking Walter questions. Unreal.

They tried to teach me the songs on bass but I'm no musician. So it was either cancel the shows or I sing and Ray play bass. Portland sucked because someone heckled "let the bass player sing." Seattle was cool because all the Brotherhood kids made it cool. I feel sorry for any kids who only saw YOT with me singing.

-What about the Shelter riot? Can you give me a recount from your point of view? What exactly happened in front of you? Who started it all? What was the deal with the guy who brought back all the thugs back to the club?

You mean the Boston Shelter riot? Some dudes were out in front of the club drinking all night and when John Lacriox stopped working the door they all came in and started to fuck shit up. They were big and all the kids at the show were small. Ray called from he stage for me to come up and throw them out. Well I don't think he knew how many of them there were or how big they were. So I went up to this fat kid that was causing most of the trouble and asked him to chill out and he was like FU, and I didn't want to start with him because there was like this other guy with them that was like 6'6 250lb and wearing a track suit. So Ray had everyone sit down and everyone sat down except them. Well the giant kid smacked some little kid and I sucker punched him. He fell down more because kids were sitting down all around his feet and I landed on him and just kept swinging. Well his friends ratpacked me in like 2 seconds and they got me by the arms and legs and were trying to carry me outside and the big guy was saying get this mofo outside so I can shoot him. Well it was a riot and I managed to get free and get back into the club but I had gotten pounded pretty well and the next weekend Project Kate and I got married so I have a shiner in my wedding photos. Classic white trash style.

-What inspired you to become pride of the pack and when did this idea of becoming the pride of the pack happen upon you?

Drew wrote it. And we use to quote it but there's a big difference between being tough at a hardcore show and being tough on the street at least back then there was. I'm sure I've lost 3/4 of the fights that I've been in.

-I understand you are very much into weightlifting...what's your diet like and what is your normal routine like? Do you believe that ideally, straight edge and weightlifting should go hand in hand?

I was into weight lifting. I'm not in very good shape now even though I have a gym at my house. (lame). EVR and my family keep me pretty busy plus I'm 40 years old now and officially washed up.

-What was the most you ever benched? What year was that?

I remember being able to do around 285.. But I was never really one of those max out kinda guys. Porcell and Richie always wanted to max out I wasn't into it. My peak year was 1987. I remember working out twice a day.

I believe straight edge goes with everything. Intoxication is insane.

-What is the average day like for you, food wise? Be as specific as necessary. Do you stay away from soy or embrace it? If so, why?

I like tofu.

-What are 3 main factors to running a successful screen printing operation?

I'll tell you when mine becomes successful.

-What do you remember about the NYHC Puerto Rican twins? They seem to have had an impact as being some of the best moshers ever but they were only around for one summer? Did you know them or what became of them?

After the YOT tour in the summer of 88 was over I dropped out of the scene. I lived on the Krsna farm for the next four years. I kinda missed that whole bad guy smashing people with hammers in the pit thing. When I came back around all those dudes were starting bands so they didn't want to see shows getting messed up.

-Favorite Cro-Mags mosh part?

That's a tough one. There's so much to choose from. The beginning of we gotta know, seekers of the truth, I was a bad mosher so probably my favorite song to dance for was it's the limit. I think I had a little better flow for the faster songs. I was at the krsna farm when best wishes came out but when I heard the beginning of death camps I was like this shit is awesome. I would have loved to mosh to that. I hope I don't loose any cred for admitting that.

-What's the craziest thing you've seen in a mosh at cb's?

I don't know about craziest but if you want to change the question I'll tell you some of the best pits I've ever seen at cb's. 7 seconds played with the mob. I was there to see 7 seconds but the mob was awesome and everyone was in the pit dancing for them; JJ, John Watson, Krsna Mike, Karl Mosh, Vinny Stigma, Harley, etc. and I don't mean the celebrity stage dive I'm talking in the pit thrashing from beginning to end. It was awesome. Plus when WarZone got back together and covered young til I die that was pretty cool.

-Who is your favorite frontman?

Of bands I've seen maybe JJ or Kevin seconds. Of bands I didn't see probably Dave Smalley in DYS. I use to play that record and stare at that picture of him for hours, it that gay? I'll tell a side story I was on tour with into another and Richie, Gus SXE, and I walked into a health food store and this hot chick from behind the cash register walked up to us and asked if we were in a band and Richie said yes and then she asked me if I was Dave Smalley. High point of my life right there.

-Do you know Elliot Spitzer? Did you ever run into him at the grocery store or anything?

What?

-Any west coast bands you liked?

Sure. But there was a time when you literally had to deny that you liked anything other than nyhc. Suicidal was my first hardcore show. I loved them. Black Flag, lots of stuff.

-Are there any members of any of the bands currently on Equal Vision who can beat you in an arm wrestling match?

I don't do it too often but I think I'm a pretty good arm wrestler. There's probably a drummer that can beat me maybe Bob from bane. I don't know but I've got a few bands on the roster now that the guys are so skinny I think if I arm wrestled them I could break their arms in half.

-Did you like the Rollins band?

Shit yea at least the first couple of records. Great show YOT, dag nasty and Rollins in Chicago. Porcell and Sammy got Rollins to go in this photo booth with them.

-Can you tell me about the Sam Mac story? Describe the street fight you were in before you ran into him.

My friend Chris Daily from Smorgasbord use to visit me at the krsna farm when he lived close by and when he showed me that born against 7" I was kinda shocked. Not because Sam had the balls to do it but by the fact that he thought that we were good friends. I knew him and I hung out in crowds with him but I never hung with the dude alone or talked to him on the phone. Plus I probably saw him 3 or 4 times at cb's before I moved to the krsna farm but everyone knew I was going and he never came up and said one word to me. They just hated Cappo and wanted to try and one up him. I wrote him a letter from the farm to tell him that I was still the same Steve Wolfpack and that I'd be into writing to him if he wanted. He never wrote back and then Chris Daily showed me some zine where someone asked him about me and he was like I got a letter from that dude whatever. That pissed me off. So I stopped by my friend's house while I was on my way home from the krsna farm to visit my parents and they told me that Sam's band was playing in town. They all wanted me to pound him. I was standing in a crowd and he walked by I reached out and grabbed his arm and he was like oh no I knew this day would come please don't hit me. I couldn't hit him he's so small. But while I was talking things out with him and his guitar player Adam, some neighborhood kids came and started fucking kids up outside the show with baseball bats. I went to tackle one kid and some little kid hits me in the mouth with a little piece of pipe. I reached up and my mouth was bleeding pretty well but I felt all my teeth. The dude threw down the pipe and said come on big guy. I wanted to pound him but this other kid came up from behind him and he had a box razor and said he was gonna cut my face so I backed off. Some dude hit Steve Schneider in the head with numbchucks and sent him to the hospital. It was a bad scene but I felt really bad because I felt like I had backed down to that little punk. The next time I came to town I wanted to go hang out near there and get some revenge but my friends told me that he had pressed charges against the kids but he dropped them because the weekend after the fight those same dudes raped and stabbed some girl. Great world we live in.

-Do you like the 2nd DYS LP? Any favorite songs off that record?

I think I may have liked it if I had given it more time but the tide had turned on them and I just kind a went with the flow.

-Was there ever a girl in the Albany HC scene called Helen of Troy? Was she hot?

Steve Schneider married some hardcore girl named Helen and she's cool. I don't know if that's her. I hardly went after hardcore chicks. I work at this place that had tons of metal chicks working there. I usually went for that if you know what I mean.

Afterword:

It's almost 20 years after wolfpack broke up and I think this is the first wolfpack interview I've ever done, thanks it's been fun.

I like RJ.

Rock on

xstevex

James Ritter - LOJ / Collector / Skater

2005-07-26T09:19:00.000-04:00

What you are about to read, I will attempt to pass off as an interview. In reality, it's just me asking Ritter a bunch of random questions, us going off on a skateboarding tangent for quite some time and a serious lack of interest worthy reading material. Despite all of that, I think this interview was pretty interesting. Also, if you don't know who Ritter is, get ready. He's coming for your crucial t-shirts and old decks. You won't see him coming, and you won't see him leave, but your closets and garage will be a little emptier afterwards.

b. murphy: Ok, let's do this.

b. murphy: How's your edge, dude?

j. ritter: Dull as fuck man...i sold out when i was 19...bad move, but theres nothing really i can do about it now..i drank and got high for a little while and then realized you know this isn't really my scene...i don't believe in round two edge really and i hate to take away from people that have stuck by it so i don't call myself edge...although i cant imagine ill ever go back to those things again

j. ritter: The interview is done.

b. murphy: Haha, perfect. Best interview ever.

j. ritter: You think?

b. murphy: Haha, nah, let's keep going.

b. murphy: Dude, if it wasn't for crucial shirts (ie green hi-impact turning point shirts), would you still be involved in hardcore?

j. ritter: yeah obviously...i mean this is what i know and love..i got into hardcore/punk when i was 13...i mean this is what i do...i skateboard and i love hardcore...i mean there have been periods where i have kind of been bored with hardcore but there is always something that reminds me why i love it...shirts are fun to collect and trade but they aren't the essence of punk to me...they're like pokemon cards....and i don't have a green tp hi impact...i do have three blue ones that i would be willing to trade for a green one though.

b. murphy: Why not records? What do you have against vinyl?

b. murphy: What makes shirts cooler?

j. ritter: i was into vinyl when i was a young buck just like every hardcore dude...but i lived in a basement and it flooded...came down stairs and saw my start today float past my feet...kinda bummed me out...plus its hard to rock an lp in a car

j. ritter: shirts you can wear...i like that

j. ritter: plus i'm real visual

b. murphy: That could explain some of the fantastic images that LOJ uses. Who's the mastermind behind the graphics?

j. ritter: well i usually come up with ideas that are just to stupid and gene has to bring me back down to earth...ie tell me i'm stupid...but we all have input on the ideas...then i call up my friend and he paints em for us...hes a cool dude...and has nothing else to do when he's smoking pot

b. murphy: So the same dude did the demo cover as the Soul Power cover?

j. ritter: yeah

j. ritter: he's a tattoo artist in frederick maryland...i've known him since i was probably 14...used to go to a lot of shows with him and stuff...just an all around cool dude

b. murphy: Kids take note. When it becomes time to hang from LOJ's nuts, go to this guy for all your LOJ related tattoos.

j. ritter: hah

j. ritter: yeah if he isn't to high

j. ritter: nah he's an amazing dude and always does stuff for us on short notice...we really appreciate everything hes done for us

b. murphy: Makes sense. Speaking of LOJ. Does the band have some goals in mind, or is it just "rip until it is ripped?"

j. ritter: well we def have plans to do a full length on youngblood this winter probably...and we are def recording at inner ear again...we'd also like to do a week in the UK this winter...maybe do a little touring around home...we just wanna make music we love and have as much fun as we can until it has run its course

b. murphy: True, true. Any reason why you want to hit up the UK?

j. ritter: well we sell a lot of merchandise to the UK...so i guess they like us over there or they are playing a trick on us...like the ultimate prank...but a lot of bands don't get to go overseas and play and its something we really want to do...gene and i are going to be finishing school soon and we'll be able to put a lot more into the band

b. murphy: So who gives you more love? The UK scene or your home town crowd?

j. ritter: well we have only played "DC' once and Baltimore once... our last show on tour was in the outskirts of DC and it wasn't the best show, but I had fun and it was cool...we played with Fired Up an awesome band and totally awesome dudes...I don't think the UK gives us more love or anything..but none of us have ever been to Europe with a band..so why not go now...just seems like something fun to do...i mean these dudes are some of my closest friends so if i'm gonna go with anyone id want it to be them

b. murphy: Posi Numbers is this weekend. Do you or the band have any expectations for it?

j. ritter: Yeah i expect to have a lot of fun and to see people i haven't seen in a while...that is all

j. ritter: oh and to see awesome bands

b. murphy: No expectations on the posi number reaction to LOJ?

j. ritter: Man, i have no idea...i hope its awesome..there is nothing better than knowing people are into what you are doing...but we do tend to get a mixed reaction...sometimes people stare at us and sometimes people go crazy...you never know... i mean we play early friday so i don't even know if everyone will be there yet...id hope so since every band playing this year is amazing...if i had it my way people would just groove when we play and do weird things that they don't quit understand...you know weird dances and shit...and jump up and down a lot

b. murphy: That sounds like the mid 90s.

j. ritter: yeah i wish

j. ritter: i mean no kickboxing

j. ritter: nothing like that

j. ritter: but just let the music move you man

b. murphy: But grooving with giant stussy striped shirts.

j. ritter: dude

j. ritter: stussy rules

j. ritter: but yeah i mean sounds alright to me

j. ritter: i expect you front and center with jncos and beads

b. murphy: [note: despite wanting jnco's, I could never afford them. I pose. I've never worn JNCOs]

j. ritter: yeah i never owned jncos either...i had some Sears knock offs..and they weren't even that baggy...i guess i was a poser

b. murphy: dude, I never rocked Sears knockoffs. I didn't even know such things existed. One time I tried for 4 summers to skate. At the end of the 4th summer, my ollie was all of an inch and a half. Please tell me you are better than that.

b. murphy: All right. So you are all about skating too. How's the skateboard collection looking these days?

j. ritter: i mean its good...i'm working a deal for a jason lee burger...i need one of those for my collection...and i just landed a jason lee cat in the hat mini a while back...so its looking good...i'm trying but the scene is blowing up its hard to land stuff these days...but i'm at it and hopefully i turn up some stuff i need...on a side note i will trade any hardcore related stuffs for skateboards, etc....

j. ritter: yeah i was shop sponsored for a while...one of my best friends rode for airwalk...another kid i came up with rode for some good companies and still does...to be honest i had potential but i fell off when i did the whole college thing...i mean i still skate but there aren't as many people to do it with and the spots are dwindling where i live...sometimes i wish i had never gone to college and just skated everyday all day

b. murphy: haha, that's a positive message for all your high school aged fans.

j. ritter: yeah really it is

b. murphy: Dude, if your friend has pics of the black/cement/neon green airwalk vic, hook me up

j. ritter: man i haven't talked to that dude in years

j. ritter: cool dude kinda weird though

j. ritter: i miss those days

j. ritter: hah

j. ritter: yeah if you are any good at skateboarding and college is a thought...don't do it

j. ritter: skateboarding is way more fun and if your old you can go to college for free..if you end up sucking at skating and all

b. murphy: But becoming a pro skateboarder seems to be getting harder and harder. Especially with the scene being blown up on ESPN2 daily.

j. ritter: yeah agreed

j. ritter: but who cares about going pro

j. ritter: i wasted prime years i could of been pushing around on wood

j. ritter: i mean i wasted my first two years at college anyway

b. murphy: Yeah, but you still have to pay the bills

j. ritter: i could of been skating instead of getting shitty grades

j. ritter: yeah i know

j. ritter: wishful thinking i guess

b. murphy: Coming out of school, do you think it would have been more worth your time to skate, or are you just waiting for that cushy, white collar job?

j. ritter: i dunno...i'm a confused dude when it comes to that stuff...id rather skate all day and not care...but that isn't the real world...and i dunno if i'm the kinda guy that could swing a desk job...id go crazy

b. murphy: yeah, you don't really seem like a 9 to 5 dude. So how you going to swing a professional life? Or are you getting a degree in something like philosophy where there is no real world use? haha

j. ritter: hah i have an AA in philosophy

j. ritter: nah my bachelors is in marketing with a minor in merchandising

j. ritter: i dunno

j. ritter: maybe ill win the lottery

b. murphy: Dude, that is my goal too

j. ritter: hmmm

j. ritter: maybe we'll have to work a deal

b. murphy: How about this? I'll work on a LOJ website to spread your word and you can hook me up with half your winnings. Everyone wins.

j. ritter: makes sense

j. ritter: but you already did our site

b. murphy: Damn it.

j. ritter: i know and i haven't won anything

j. ritter: are you gonna rip the skatepark at posi numbers? do some inch and a half ollies everywhere

b. murphy: Dude, I don't even have a setup anymore.

j. ritter: i got an old h street in my trunk

b. murphy: Dude, you'd be impressed. I've been doing a little sewing lately. A little project for Pike that involves celtic lows, stuffing and custom tags.

j. ritter: i mean shoes are whatever...but sewing is where its at

b. murphy: Wait a minute, "shoes are whatever??". I've seen you rocking some Nikes that have been gaining mucho hype lately. You got them under the radar before they were cool, but in a way, you must be partly sneaker head.

j. ritter: what nikes?

j. ritter: the nike converse?

b. murphy: Didn't I see you rocking the Futura SB at last years posi numbers?

j. ritter: yeah

j. ritter: i bought em at a skateshop by my house

b. murphy: So there is no sneaker head in you? Just a guy who wants to wear skateboarding shoes while he skates? Makes sense.

j. ritter: hah

j. ritter: i mean like i was into jordans and stuff when i was younger...i bought a lot of the retros when they came out a few years back....but i sold em...and i'm not above buying a pair of nikes i know i can sell on ebay for a lot more...i mean i gotta fly to mexico some how...and i gotta have money for when a jason lee pops up

b. murphy: Mexico? What the hell is in mexico besides "dank bud?"

b. murphy: Ok time for lists: top 5 eps/lps, top 5 boards, top 5 shirts.

j. ritter: whats an ep?

j. ritter: ok top five lps

j. ritter: Bad Brains- Rock for Light, Bad Brains Quickness, Four Walls Falling Culture Shock...now it gets hard..do i put Buzzcocks Times Up or TSOL Dance...or The first Christian Death LP...Actually fuck it...Number four Alice In Chains Dirt, five every misfits record ever (can i do that?)

j. ritter: eps

j. ritter: in no order: 108 curse of instinct, bad brains pay to cum, gut instinct disturbing the peace, burn, quicksand, and a lot of dc bands

j. ritter: shirts

j. ritter: oh and any misfits record

j. ritter: shirts

j. ritter: grey tp hi impact, green tp hi impact, bold join the fight, this white samhain initium shirt my boy has, any schism design, any wishingwell design

j. ritter: boards

j. ritter: 101 Gabriel Rodrigeuz Jesus H Christ, World Industries Mike Vallely Barnyard (the board that changed it all), H Street Matt Hensley Vista (such a classic)/Rays of Light..I cant decide both graphics rule, Blind Jason Lee American Icons (I love it American flags and guns whats better), Real Jim Thiebaud Hangman (amazing graphic of a klansman hanging from a tree, does it get any better and natas kaupus drew the original concept)

b. murphy: TSOL? Christian Death? What about Bringin It Down or Out of Step? Shouldn't you be supporting your DC boys by saying "Can I Say?"

j. ritter: can i say is good

b. murphy: But TSOL is better?

j. ritter: ok

j. ritter: the dead boys

j. ritter: no

j. ritter: iggy and the stooges

j. ritter: fuck i'm confused

b. murphy: Power (by the Stooges) is top notch

j. ritter: were not in this alone

b. murphy: Good choice. Not the first YOT album most people would pick, though.

j. ritter: are you kidding me?

j. ritter: no wait, the last 7"

b. murphy: Dude, your average core man would say, "Break Down the Walls" in a heart beat. Actually, they'd probably say "BDTW" to get it out faster.

j. ritter: idiots

b. murphy: Well, BDTW was a very straight edge album, where We're Not In This Alone and the last 7" are usually considered after their edge hay day. Personally, I love We're Not In This Alone. And the photos in the insert are priceless.

j. ritter: dude much better record

j. ritter: way better

j. ritter: best sxe of all time

b. murphy: So for the uninitiated, how did the Vallely Barnyard board "change everything?"

j. ritter: it was the first board to have an "even" nose and tail

j. ritter: it was designed by rodney mullen and was extremely innovative

j. ritter: vallely was making insane amounts off of royalties for that board

b. murphy: So it was the board shape not the graphic that you are referring to ...

j. ritter: the graphic is amazing

j. ritter: plus he left powell

j. ritter: that was unheard of

j. ritter: especially to ride for world industries

b. murphy: A virtual no one at that point

j. ritter: exactly

b. murphy: How much would one of those boards run in DS condition? Never mounted, possibly still in the wrapping?

j. ritter: which one?

j. ritter: the vallely

b. murphy: yeah

j. ritter: at least 2gs

j. ritter: id say safely upwards of 3 depending on the day and whatnot

b. murphy: Hot shit. But certainly not the most valuable board going. Do you have any decks that are on par with that?

j. ritter: i mean the first hawk brought 6 gs

j. ritter: hmmm

j. ritter: i have a cat in the hat mini that would bring around 2 at least

j. ritter: my thiebaud hangman i got offered 1700 for

b. murphy: Oh word.

j. ritter: my lee schiffer brought 1300 last time

j. ritter: my gonz elephant people i'm working a deal for and valuing it at around a grand

b. murphy: So you actually own some of your top 5? That's always nice. Any grails out there still?

j. ritter: yeah

j. ritter: the 101 jesus

j. ritter: which ill never get

b. murphy: haha

j. ritter: a natas devilworshipper

j. ritter: jason lee cat in the hat full size and grinch

j. ritter: i'm getting the burger so that is done

b. murphy: One more skateboarding question before I change the subject. Who has the best part in Blind's Video Days?

j. ritter: hah

j. ritter: who doesn't?

j. ritter: why don't you ask an easier one?

j. ritter: yeah i'd agree shiloh greathouse does have the best part in world industries new world order

b. murphy: I only ask hard (or stupid) questions. You should know me

b. murphy: Good answer, good answer.

j. ritter: and it is a shame he served time and lost his skills

j. ritter: i'm impressed you brought that up

b. murphy: You know me dude. I have to keep up my skateboard rep. I don't want people coming down on my tremendous ollie skills

j. ritter: makes sense

b. murphy: Now for the "which would you rather portion ..."

j. ritter: ok shoot

b. murphy: a) be a 12 year old mariano gonz for the rest of your life or b) be a 45 year old Danzig for the rest of your life?

j. ritter: dude 12 year old guy mariano.

j. ritter: easily

j. ritter: man hold on peeps this video of reese forbes (dc native)
j. ritter: http://www.slapmagazine.com/million/vortex2.mov

j. ritter: i used to skate with this cat

b. murphy: Tell your boy to hook me up with some wheat forbes.

b. murphy: Size 12

j. ritter: no not him

j. ritter: the vortex

j. ritter: watch the clip dude, this dude rules

j. ritter: skates in a mexican wrestling outfit

j. ritter: he's from baltimore

b. murphy: Awesome. What's the difference between a mexican and other nationality wrestling outfits? a) 6 week LOJ tour of northern canada to 4 unappreciative audience members a night or b) 6 week 9-5 white collar office job?

j. ritter: 6 week tour

j. ritter: work sucks man

j. ritter: i can't get with that program

b. murphy: I hear that

j. ritter: no you don't your a slave to the man

b. murphy: Yeah, but I like my job. But feel free to take me as a roadie on your UK tour. I'd love to hit up London, et al. a) lose a mcgill nos deck on ebay by $1 or b) lose a hand screened misfits shirt by $1?

j. ritter: which mcgill?

b. murphy: skull and snake ...

j. ritter: you mean like that time casali outbid me on that samhain shirt so he could trade it to me?

b. murphy: yes, just like that

j. ritter: well i'm not to pressed on the skull and snake i mean if it was the jet fighter i'd go crazy

j. ritter: the skull and snake is nice though

b. murphy: What would you trade Casali if he beat you on it by $1? haha

j. ritter: he did beat me

j. ritter: and i had to trade him a four sided blast shirt

j. ritter: ww

j. ritter: i hate casali

b. murphy: If there was zero chance of retribution who's collection would you ransack first a) pusheads or b) skatemuseum.com guy.

j. ritter: skateboardingmuseum.com obviously...oh and for you nerds he works for nike

b. murphy: So if you could only smuggle out what you could hold in your hands would you grab decks or weird sneaker samples?

j. ritter: decks i'm not an idiot

j. ritter: dude the 7 ply mcgill jet fighter in gold is sick

b. murphy: Yeah, true, true. Even with the recent insane price of sneakers, those decks still fetch way more.

j. ritter: and are cooler

j. ritter: what do you do with a shoe?

j. ritter: wear it and throw it away

j. ritter: art is timeless man

b. murphy: Some would put the shoe in a special glass case with four hundred silica packets and call it art ...

j. ritter: hmmm

j. ritter: i guess it is subjective

j. ritter: they are both functional

j. ritter: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7170361826&category=16263&rd=1

j. ritter: look at that though

j. ritter: would you rather have that...or a player edition jordan 10 with the 23 sewn in the back

b. murphy: I prefer my Jordans to be 7 or less.

j. ritter: obviously, just saying

j. ritter: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7168152748&category=16263&rd=1

j. ritter: thats the one i'm trading for

b. murphy: that's a quality deck

j. ritter: id like to think that was a shot at vallely over the barnyard since it was a pro veg board

j. ritter: you know "please don't eat my friends" and all

b. murphy: "Dude, I'll give you a hundred bucks and take you out to benihana's if you slide that 75 foot long handrail. I'll give you 600 tries"

b. murphy: "I'll be back next week"

j. ritter: hahaha

j. ritter: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7170519600&category=16263&rd=1

j. ritter: i wanted that

j. ritter: it is destroyed

b. murphy: That board is busted. You just want those DTS rails.

j. ritter: dude its NATAS

b. murphy: Wow. All right man. I'm going to change the subject back to hardcore. How was touring the country with Lights Out, Justice, all those bands?

b. murphy: Embarrassing stories?

j. ritter: it was cool

j. ritter: um big mosh got high a lot

b. murphy: Haha, that's not really an embarrassing story though

j. ritter: we just chilled in the sun

b. murphy: Yo any other embarrassing stories you can drop on us?

j. ritter: hmmm i'm trying to think

b. murphy: take your time

j. ritter: a woman threw an egg at us at a chinese restaurant

b. murphy: hard boiled, poached, scrambled, ...? Why?

j. ritter: hard boiled i think

j. ritter: well we went there to eat

j. ritter: and i ordered and never got my food

j. ritter: well it turns out they gave mine to someone else that was with us...he ordered something different

j. ritter: and she said that we always come in there and try and pull this trick

j. ritter: well even if he ate my food that means he never got his food

j. ritter: so i never ate

j. ritter: and i argued with them for like 10 minutes to get my money

j. ritter: and they kept screaming at us that we always come in there and do this

j. ritter: mind you its california and we're from the east coast

b. murphy: Dude, I heard "you were ALWAYS in there doing that shit."

b. murphy: haha

j. ritter: so as we leave she says something to someone and then hits big mosh with an egg

b. murphy: HAHA

j. ritter: yeah it ruled

j. ritter: i dunno if i am supposed to leak embarrassing stories

j. ritter: i mean i fall off the stage a lot

j. ritter: but that isn't to funny

b. murphy: Funny for us, not so funny for you.

b. murphy: Yo, let's wrap this up. Anybody you need to shout out? Any merch/band/stuff you push? ...

j. ritter: um

j. ritter: i need to shout out lockin out, youngblood, lights out (for taking us on tour), justice, mental, dennis, 85, big mosh, travis, Big Rick Dawg, and i'm sure i'm supposed to shout out others but whatever..oh yeah you dudes for helping us out all the time...everyone ever

j. ritter: set to explode, 86 mentality, fucked with a knife, dude love

j. ritter: some others

b. murphy: who is Set to Explode?

j. ritter: dave byrds new band with tad and jon m

b. murphy: Jon? Was that the dude from For The Living?

j. ritter: nope he was in the Aftermath

j. ritter: great band

j. ritter: and no justice for a while

b. murphy: gotcha

j. ritter: yeah

b. murphy: Ok, well, thanks dude. That's it.

j. ritter: tight

Archived Interviews

2005-07-26T09:16:00.000-04:00

Over here at HYE, we are getting with the times. I am now updating how we store our interviews. All archived interviews can be found here. All new archives will appear in this blog format. Thanks.