Here’s something I never saw before today, a video made by Placebo Records for the JFA song, “Pipe Truck”! This song, and especially this band, was one of many I’d skate to constantly during the 1980s and my teenage punk rock years There’s lots of great images of the band playing the old Mad Garden in Phoenix which is a place I would have lived at had I been in Phoenix instead of Chicago at the time!

Sunday night Reggie’s played host to a hardcore extravaganza which was headlined by the long awaited return of DRI! This was also a marathon show and a late one featuring five bands, which meant it was going to be a long night.

Vicious Attack

Vicious Attack

Vicious Attack

Vicious Attack, a local band, opened the show as a steady stream of people were filing into the club. They were a speedy thrash band with some metal tinged guitars. Their songs were somewhat similar and they played one speed, full. There was some occasional guitar noodling going on too which added a little bit of spice to the songs. The band had a few fans in the crowd that were moshing and slamming into unsuspecting people in their general area. The band played about 30 minutes.

Chicago Thrash Ensemble

Chicago Thrash Ensemble

Chicago Thrash Ensemble

Chicago Thrash Ensemble

Chicago Thrash Ensemble

Another local band, Chicago Thrash Ensemble played second. They are made up of people from previous bands like Authority Abuse, Hewhocorrupts, and others. As you could probably guess from their name, they were a thrash band. The singer had a sort of high pitched scream voice and he paced around the stage the entire time while shrieking his vocals. The band were pretty tight too and they played their short blasts admirably and were a pretty enjoyable band.

The Muzzler

The Muzzler

The Muzzler were third and are another Chicago area band. They played metal hardcore. They had more tempo changes and a lower end than the previous two bands and were quite enjoyable. The singer had quite a yell in him as well. The club was really getting full by this point and it was looking like the show may be a sell out.

Diamond Plate

Diamond Plate

Keeping with a trend, the fourth band was also from Chicago and that band was Diamond Plate. This three piece band played really heavy thrash metal. They seemed to have really studied their old Metallica and Slayer albums because there was a very similar sound to their early albums. In fact one might have thought that these guys came out of a time machine from the late 1980s. They played a really tight and powerful set but that singer/bass player has no business playing without a shirt on! The crowd went absolutely nuts during their set too. If these guys stick with it and lift less riffs from some older bands they could really be onto something big.

DRI

DRI

After over a six year hiatus due to one of the members having a bout of cancer, DRI made their long awaited return to the Windy City. DRI is a hardcore institution and their first record, the Dirty Rotten EP is a hardcore masterpiece and went on to become one of the blueprints of 1980s hardcore that hundreds of bands that formed since have followed.

DRI

DRI

At this point the club was totally packed and people were excited to see the band play. There was a buzz about the entire room and you could feel the excitement in the air. As the band was walking onto the stage, some people even started a pit before the band played! Once the band started into their first song, the entire floor went nuts and were pushing, shoving, moshing, jumping, and any number of other crazy things all while singing along to the chorus of “Who Am I”.

DRI

DRI

They played a ton of songs from the first two records (ie: the best ones!) and some newer material too and the crowd never got tired of going crazy and knocking down everyone in their path. Nearly the entire floor was a sea of bodies bouncing around like pinballs which lead many people to flee for safety. People were singing along and there was even a couple attempts at stage diving. The band sounded great and if they had any rust from not playing in so long they must have worked it off before arriving here because they were spot-on! These hardcore legends may be up there in age as they are about to embark on their 30th anniversary as a band, but age has been kind to them as they can still deliver the goods.

Some additional photos from the show can be seen here.

Social Task – 7″ EP
Artifix Records

Orange County, CA in the early days of hardcore had a talent pool unlike any other scene that spawned some of the most legendary and influential hardcore bands of all time, some of whom are still around to this day in one form or another. I don’t know what it was about that particular place in the country but a whole lot of magic came out of there and there hasn’t been anything like it since.

One of the earliest OC punk bands, Social Task, dates way back to 1979. You never heard of them? That’s because until now they never put out a record! The band featured Scott Sisunik who was the original singer and a founding member of China White. The music is early hardcore that bands like China White, Adolescents, and countless others made famous and for good reason, this blend of somewhat melodic hardcore was the bees knees back in the day and still stands up today against any of the modern day bands calling themselves punk rock or hardcore. It is classic and essential stuff.

So why didn’t the band release anything back then? Well they didn’t last past 1981 so their career was very short lived. Back in 1979 then went into a studio and recorded five songs that never got released. The band somehow forgot about these recordings after they broke up. How a band spends time to record songs and forgets about them is a mystery to me but that’s the story. 28 years later the band found out that the place they recorded those songs at not only still was in business, but they still had the original tape the band left behind! Artifix Records came to the rescue and had the tape baked and transferred and finally righted the wrong of Social Task never having a record out by pressing the songs on this 7″, but that’s not all.

When this project got under way in 2007, 3/4 of the original band along with a new drummer recorded three new songs to put on the flip side of this EP! I’m happy to report that nearly three decades has been kind because these songs sound like they easily could have been the follow up recording to the original five song recording and if you told me they were done in 1980 I’d have believed you! Not too many bands can take three decades off and still pick up right where they left off and sound as good and not dated, but Social Task pulled it off.

This 7″ slab of wax is pressed on yellow vinyl and comes housed in a color 3/4 fold-over sleeve similar to the old Dangerhouse Records 7″s. It comes with a two sided insert with one side containing all the lyrics and the other side containing a nice history of the band. The whole package was nicely done and the music on it is wonderful and is yet another great punk artifact that is worthy of any old punk’s record collection.

Sunday was the fifth and final day of the biggest Riot Fest yet, and it was being held simultaneously at two different venues. I choose to return to the Congress Theater for the show being held there and the chance to see a couple bands that I’d never seen before.

She Likes Todd

She Likes Todd

She Likes Todd

When I arrived She Likes Todd was getting things started for the day. I had never heard of them before this day. They were a fairly fast melodic hardcore band. They weren’t bad at all but nothing really stood out much about them either. They played a half hour and it was a pretty solid set for the most part.

The Arrivals

The Arrivals

The Arrivals

Local punkers, The Arrivals soon followed. I have seen them play before and they put on a good show then and this time they did much the same. Melodic punk rock that is really catchy and punchy. They kind of sound like a band you might also find on No Idea Records which is quite a compliment.

Pegboy

Pegboy

Pegboy

Pegboy

Pegboy, who recently played one of the secret Riot Fest shows took the stage in front of an eager crowd. They just returned from a small tour and it showed in how tight the band sounded on stage. When I say the band, I mean the musicians. Larry still ran out of breath and was complaining he was tired like three songs into the set. He sat and knelt down a lot during the set but also still managed to muster up enough energy to do a good job singing the songs and came down into the barricade to sing into the crowd a few times. Their bass player busted open a finger and was bleeding all over his bass but that didn’t slow down his playing one bit. Now that is hardcore!

Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel

After a decade long hiatus, one of the evening’s highlights was the return of Screeching Weasel. I wasn’t much of a fan back when they were around so I never bothered to go to any of their shows. I remember everyone I know liking them and never really understood the appeal so I thought maybe I needed to see them to figure it out. This version of Screeching Weasel featured founding member Ben Weasel and long-time cohort Dan Vapid returning to his guitarist role in the band after a longer than decade hiatus for that particular member.

Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel

Screeching Weasel

When the band started playing the crowd, which was at near capacity, was going insane. It consisted mostly of younger folks who seemed to know the words to every song. The entire main floor was a sea of bodies. They played a pretty good mix of songs from their various releases which seemed to please everyone in attendance. Honestly I think they could have played country songs and those kids would have still gone nuts. I did understand the appeal though during the show, they have perfect the pop-punk craft and have become masters of it. I think I’d go see them again for sure as I was really surprised by how good I thought they were and I barely own any of their records (only the earliest ones). To me they ended up being the highlight of that day’s show.

Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio closed the show shop after a lengthy setup process. Somehow the crowd in the front shifted to a whole new group of people who looked just as eager to see them as the ones waiting to see Screeching Weasel before them. They delivered about an hour’s worth of pop punk with a heavy emphasis on the pop and I saw every teenage girl up front singing along lovingly. There was plenty of crowd surfing action too which kept the security guards on their toes and gave them their daily workout catching bodies and returning them safely to the action.

After they finished another Riot Fest was completed and logged in the record books. The biggest and most ambitious one yet was a huge success and made for nearly an entire week of non-stop fun. I was exhausted, but in the good way and am already hopeful that we can do it again next fall!

Saturday’s Riot Fest show (well one of the them) had me back to the venue where Riot Fest all began, the Congress Theater. I’m quite fond of that venue and it’s nice big stage and good lighting so I pretty much figured I’d be in for a good time and of course a good time is just what I got!

Off With Their Heads

Off With Their Heads

Off With Their Heads

When I got there Off With Their Heads just started playing. They put on a great performance a few weeks ago at one of the secret shows and this time was no different. They played a half an hour of solid and crunchy melodic punk/hardcore.  They were every bit as good as the show a few weeks ago and I swear once I’m re-employed I’m going to buy their records!

Shot Baker

Shot Baker

Shot Baker

Shot Baker took the stage a few minutes later and it had been awhile since I’d seen them play. They had a temporary replacement guitar player for this show. That didn’t seem to slow them down one bit and if I hadn’t seen them before I probably wouldn’t have known they had a substitute in the lineup. Good solid Chicago punk sound. They played a half an hour and it too went by very quickly.

Youth Brigade

Youth Brigade

Youth Brigade

Youth Brigade

Riot Fest regulars Youth Brigade returned yet again and delivered a half hour of their trademark energetic punk. Some highlights included “Violence”, and of course “Sink With California” where a bunch of people came on stage to sing along with the chorus. They played some newer material in their set too and between songs Shawn Stern talked a lot about various subjects as he usually does. As always they put on a great set and are always a highlight of Riot Fest.

Street Dogs

Street Dogs

Street Dogs

Street Dogs

Boston’s Street Dogs were next in line. They were a huge hit with the crowd and played a set consisting mostly of newer material. They have a lot of singalong type songs that really get the crowd going and the singer talked a lot between songs and dedicated songs to various people like firefighters and friends. The band moved around a lot on stage and the singer would often hop down off the stage and sing with the crowd pinned against the barricade. While I probably wouldn’t listen to their records very often, the couple times I’ve seen them now have been very entertaining and they are a really good live band.

88 Fingers Louie

88 Fingers Louie

88 Fingers Louie

Chicago’s own 88 Fingers Louie donned the stage in their reunited format. They played a variety of songs from their past and sounded even better and tighter this time than they did at the secret Riot Fest show they did awhile back. It is obvious that they have been playing and practicing again as they sounded true to form. The crowd were way into them too, people were dancing all over and singing along and a few bodies came over the barricade into the waiting hands of of security who would get them back safely on their feet and back into the action.

Cock Sparrer

Cock Sparrer

Cock Sparrer

Cock Sparer

UK punk legends Cock Sparrer took the stage to what was now a totally packed house. The sea of people extended to every wall and people started chanting “oi oi oi” in anticipation of the band playing. They opened with “Riot Squad” and the crowd went nuts. By the time they got to their second song, “Watch Your Back” the crowd was already at a frenzy with crowd surfers flowing over the barricade like a waterfall, people slamming, pogoing, and singing along while pumping their fists. For a bunch of older guys even by old punk rock standards, they played with an amazing amount of youthful energy.  They played pretty close to non-stop for about 45 minutes and the crowd didn’t run out of gas for a single minute. When they were finished played the crowd was chanting for more! I’m pretty sure the band could have played another hour without anyone in the crowd growing tired.

NOFX

NOFX

NOFX

After what felt like a really long setup process, NOFX finally came out to close the show. Fat Mike came out dressed as “Cokie the Clown” which is the title track and character of their upcoming 7″ of the same name. A film crew came out with them too to film a music video for that song.  Fat Mike had a lot to say and was a big wise ass between every song they played.

NOFX

NOFX

NOFX

The other band members also got in on the between song fun and after some fun they’d belt out hit after hit of mostly newer material. About halfway through the set they played the aforementioned “Cokie the Clown” and filmed the video. It was the first time they’ve played the song live according to Fat Mike and it was good enough to make me want to pick up the single when it comes out.

NOFX

NOFX

NOFX

NOFX

From there it was more songs and more between song shenanigans. During their entire set the crowd was going bonkers and kids were crowd surfing throughout the entire thing giving the security staff a lot to keep them busy with. After about an hour of playing the band stopped and started dancing around the stage while a pre-recorded skit about everyone being a little bit racist was playing through the PA. When this was finished, they left and the lights came on indicating the show was over and another really fun Riot Fest show was on the books, leaving just one day left to go.

The only good thing about fall continued on Thursday over at the Beat Kitchen, which I believe is another first time for Riot Fest venue. This show was a three band bill and got off to a pretty early start. The small size of the venue and the popularity of the headlining band, 7 Seconds, pretty much guaranteed a packed house and that’s just what they got.

Vortis

Vortis

Vortis

Vortis

Chicago’s own Vortis started the show. They were a pretty fast and very energetic hardcore punk band. Their songs were pretty short and fast and had a slight bit of garage twang to them. They played about a half hour set and were totally winning me over until they played their last song in which they besmirched Husker Du by covering “The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill”. Ugh. I should have chosen then to go to the bathroom because then I’d have thought they were really good and I wouldn’t have had to witness that blemish on their otherwise flawless set.

Das Kapital

Das Kapital

Das Kapital

Das Kapital

Another band of Chicago natives, Das Kaptital, played second. This band features Mark Ruvolo of No Empathy/Johann’s Face fame on guitar/vocals. I saw these guys play about a year ago and they were quite good then and this time out was no different. Melodic punk rock with loud guitars. Lots of singalong parts too that makes the crowd happy and some of them were even singing along with those parts. Their short set flew by in what felt like a matter of minutes and they won me over for sure.

7 Seconds

7 Seconds

7 Seconds

7 Seconds closed the show and by the time they were setting up, the place was totally packed full of people and it was about 85 degrees in the club. As soon as they started playing the crowd went nuts. I was getting hit in the back constantly despite the friendly people directly behind me trying their best to shield me. I snapped what I could before fleeing to the safety of the side of the stage. The band played lots of old material including “Young Until I Die” which is quite fitting because this band who is about to celebrate their 30th anniversary seems to be living up to that statement because they still play like they are teenagers. The amount of energy and enthusiasm the band plays with is incredible for guys in their mid 40’s and would be for even a band of teenagers.

7 Seconds

7 Seconds

7 Seconds

The crowd continued to go nuts as the band delivered classic after classic as well as sprinkling in some newer numbers which sounded as good as the older stuff and fit right in. Kevin told stories and talked to the crowd a lot between each song and the temperature in the club seemed to raise about ten more degrees by about the middle of their set and the entire place was sweaty. There was fists pumping, legions of fans singing along and slam dancing like crazy. I have never seen a bad 7 Seconds show and this was no exception, in fact they seem to get better with age!

7 Seconds

7 Seconds

7 Seconds

When they closed the show with “99 Red Baloons” the place went nuts, everyone was singing along. The band was finished and I heard Steve say “damn that was fun” as he was walking of the stage. That statement I believe is a testament to why the band is such a great live act still after three decades, it is because they really enjoy playing up on stage for people and like what they do, they just aren’t going through the motions for a paycheck.

Another day, another Riot Fest show on the books, and another really great evening that left people wanting more.