Powerviolence and Doom,Hxc: Salad Days Showcases DIY Punk,Hxc
HxC: Festival Season in PVD
Festival season is upon us. As soon as the weekend of the 4th passes there are shows all weekend, every weekend for the rest of the month. If you have time to get out to shows between the PVD Fringe Fest and the 48 Hour Film Festival, making it out to see Dropdead and B Dolan at The Met on Jul 11 should be at the top of your to-do list. PVD locals Dropdead have been in the punk hardcore scene since the ’90s. Their beat-down, crust-punk-influenced music has kept fans wanting more for 20 years.
If that style of punk isn’t what you are looking for, the guys at Firehouse 13 are having a weekend full of Oi! bands. The Oi! style of punk is mainly influenced by the 1970s UK bands, while interweaving punk and ska. Patriot and Yellow Stitches will start around 8:30pm on Jul 11, and if you’re trying to get some BBQ in before the show, Brass N Ammo are holding an outdoor chow-down at 6:30pm. If that isn’t enough, the annual Warped Tour and Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival take place the following weekends.
7/11: Firehouse 13 — Patriot, Yellow Stitches, The Usual Suspect, Iron Chin
7/11: The Met — B Dolan, Dropdead, Ask The Dead and More
7/13: DV8 — Knocked Loose, No Way Out, Degrader, Waste Of Life, Divided Life, Brittle Bones, Insidious, Suckerpunch
7/14: Xfinity Center — Warped Tour
7/25: Xfinity Center — Mayhem Festival
7/25: As220 — Rampant Decay, Deathface, Timecop Beach Party
7/28: As220 — Windhand, Pilgrim, Second Grave
HxC: Coming Out of Hibernation
With summer finally breaking through, bands have come out of hibernation and between now and August you can catch some of your favorites around PVD. The trending tours of old school punk bands is continuing this month, with the English street punk band GBH taking over The Met on June 17. With 30 years of punk under their belt, they’re a great start to an even better weekend. Only a couple days later, my personal favorite, Anti-Flag, will pass through on tour for their recently released album, American Spring. Check them out at Simon’s 677 on June 19.
That’s only the beginning. Between As220 and Firehouse 13 there will be something going on each night. And on the first Tuesday of each month until July 2, Firehouse 13 and Brass N Ammo teamed up to have a vinyl record exchange night where you can buy and sell your records. It wouldn’t be a Tuesday at Firehouse if there weren’t free tacos, so you can expect those as well! If that doesn’t have you looking forward to the rest of this summer, then I am sure Warped Tour and Providence’s Annual Foo Fest will. All the pop punk fans out there will be glad to know that our good friends Trophy Wives will be exposed to even more people on this year’s Warped Tour. You can catch them, Citizen, Hundredth, H20 and many more big names at this year’s tour, which comes to Mansfield on July 14.
Although there is some time between now and As220’s Foo Fest, which takes place on Aug 8, it’s hard not to look forward to this year’s amazing line-up and headliners. As220 is known for their creative and cultural support in PVD, and this DIY-supportive venue is hosting more than 20 bands for this year’s fest. Ranging from punk to folk, the all-day event has a little something for everyone. Between Fucking Invincible, V-sect and Gymshorts, plus the main headliners, Deerhoof, and the local headliners, The Low Anthem and Death Vessel, it might be hard not to stay all day so you won’t miss any of these amazing musicians.
This is just a sneak peek of all that is going on this summer in PVD. If you’re in town and looking for some punk or hardcore music, just check out these venues. With so much to look forward to, even making it out to just one event will be a treat!
June 6: As220; I Eat Rocks, Bad Motherfucker, The Famines, Mis(s)invader
June 7: Lupos; Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Ballyhoo!
June 8: Firehouse 13; Disrotted, Minimum Wage Assassins, Upheaval, Ratstab, David Carradine
June 14: Firehouse 13; Coliseum, Child Bite, Aneurysm, Cross-Armed Calculator
June 17: The Met; GBH, Total Chaos, The Down & Outs
June 19: Simons 677; Anti-Flag, The Homeless Gospel, After the Fall
HxC: Powerviolence and Doom
If you were one of the lucky ones to see Full of Hell and The Body last month in PVD, then you can agree that each time these guys make it to town they use every ounce of energy and passion they have. Full of Hell is a self-proclaimed grindcore powerviolence band with hardcore and punk influences. They use the special combination of hardcore, grind and noise to create their specific sound. Using guitar feedback and pedals they bend the original sound of their guitars and vocals to produce a heavier and more intense experience. Full of Hell drags you by the feet to stay on the same pulsating wavelength, giving you a full body experience of sound.
Originally from PVD but now residing in Portland, The Body is a two piece sludge-doom band described by fans as a notorious group with the ability to rearrange your organs with their heaviness. Their pounding doom version of metal creeps into your ears, leaving an unforgettable sound. You can catch these chilling, sound pulverizing bands at Machines with Magnets on Sun, May 17. Opening for these two powerhouse groups are Humanbeast, Clean and Suicide Slide.
May 6: Firehouse 13 — Capsize, Rarity, Great American Ghost, Rat Trap, Full Body Shot
May 16: As220 — Sweet Jesus, Caught In A Crowd, Death Injection, Some Nerve
May 17: Machines With Magnets — The Body, Full Of Hell, Humanbeast, Clean, Suicide Slide
May 23: Dusk — Fuming Mouth, Rat Trap, Deathstate, Monsignor Meth, Mass Graves
May 26: Simons 677 — D.R.I, Reason To Fight, On Your Deathbed
May 31: Psychic Readings — The Wrong, V-sect, Smile Bag, Wokling, Teen Death
HxC: Salad Days Showcases DIY Punk
As220 is holding a screening of the brand new DIY documentary Salad Days on April 10. The punk hardcore community holds Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Brains and many more in high regard and name them as influences in their music. Punk and DIY has always gone hand in hand, and these aforementioned bands put a stamp on what a group of people can accomplish without big record labels and managers. In the ’80s into the ’90s, punk and hardcore musicians booked their own shows, pressed their own vinyl and made statements without thought to the law or government. This documentary highlights the underground music scene in Washington DC that caused a whiplash of alternative music across the country.
Over the years there have been multiple documentaries trying to get across what exactly started this epidemic of hardcore and punk, but what makes Salad Days different is that the story is told by the scene’s originators. It includes interviews with Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, Alec MacKaye and many more. “Thirty years later, DC’s original DIY punk spirit serves as a reminder of the hopefulness of youth, the power of community and the strength of conviction,” says Scott Crawford, creator of Salad Days. Providence’s DIY community is alive and well and can be seen at venues across the city. AS220 prides itself on being a home for all artistic expression, making it the perfect place to view this influential documentary. Don’t miss out on this screening on April 10 at 8pm at the AS220 Main Stage.
April 4: As220 — Sete Star Sept, Lotus Fucker, Sadist, Clean
April 10: As220 (before Salad Days viewing) — Sweet Jesus, Big Mouth
April 11: Aurora Pvd — Inertia, Sunrot, 1 Local TBA
April 14: Deep Desert — Full Of Hell, The Body
April 17: As220 — Weak Teeth, Violent Sons, New Strange, Public Policy
April 25: Firehouse 13 — The Casualties, Burning Streets, The Alley Saints, Honest John, Devils Twins
HxC: March Is Roaring
The locals are taking over Providence this month; venues are set up with the best local punk and hardcore bands the city has to offer. Firehouse and the guys from Brass N Ammo are pulling together a killer lineup for a nice Wed night show on March 11 with the locals in Barber Cop and fan favorites from Boston, StreetSweeper and Creeps. The following Monday, March 16, Riotous Outburst Records is bringing the Swedish band Nightmare City to Firehouse with Psycho, Slutvomit from Seattle, and local grindcore band Power Whores. Providence locals Dropdead and Fucking Invincible will tear up As220 with V-sect and Wokling on March 25. These guys can put on a show, and it will sell out. Simons is bringing Boston hardcore veterans Bane and one of New York’s favorite hardcore bands, Backtrack, together on March 26 as the kickoff to Bane’s US tour. This season is sure to be full of crazy shows each weekend. If you can’t make it out to any of this month’s shows, April is just as jam packed with pounding music and shows you do not want to miss.
March 7: The Funky Jungle — Nuclear Age, Spirits, Ugly, Cross-Armed Calculator March 11: Firehouse 13 — Barge/Holy Land, StreetSweeper, Rat Trap, Barber Cop, Creeps
March 16: Firehouse 13 — Psycho, Slutvomit, Nightmare City, Power Whores
March 25: As220 — Dropdead, Fucking Invincible, V-Sect, Wokling
March 26: Simons 677 — Bane, Backtrack, Malfunction, Reason to Fight, Lines Drawn
March 28: The Funky Jungle — Night Birds, No Problem, Beartrap, Wokling
March 31: The Met — New Found Glory, Turnstile, This Wild Life, Turnover
HxC: Weak Teeth’s Latest Grabs You by the Neck Providence locals Weak Teeth are back with the follow-up to their 2012 EP What A Plague You Are. Sticking to their punk sound and self-proclaimed emo vocals, So You’ve Ruined Your Life applies the same formula that the band has always delivered. The frantic guitar patterns and harsh vocals grab you by the neck and scream in your face saying, “Listen to what we have to say.” The first song on the album “If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Kill Yourself,” starts off strong with a quick guitar riff. After about a measure, the rest of the band kicks in with an electrifying and melodic sound that could be compared to Verse. This album carries a political tone through each of the 13 tracks. Commenting on both society and the government, Weak Teeth express their rage. Slamming from the first track to the second, not a beat is missed. “Life Is Bullshit, Miroki” keeps a constant pace of d-beats and harsh guitars with vocals to match until about the last 30 seconds. That’s when the song’s pace drops and a calm guitar leads into a crushing breakdown that gradually gets slower to end the song in an epic way. The album carries titles that compel you to listen, including “Dumb Fuckin’ White Man.” One of the slower, more melodic songs on the album gives you a chance to listen to the anger- and passion-fueled vocals. In this politically charged song, Weak Teeth are not afraid to speak the truth. “You fucking bigot, you fucking clone, recant your slander in normative roles … emotionally repressed bullshit supremacist … you’re victims no more, contrary to your thinking.” The power in the vocals are released in the lyrics, giving the band an outlet to express how they feel about equality. Released with Riotous Outburst Records, Tor Johnson Records and Fist in the Air Records, Weak Teeth take out their frustrations and take a step in the right direction for social and political change. weakteeth.bandcamp.com/album/so-youve-ruined-your-life-2
Feb 7: The Funky Jungle — Mis(s)invader, Watermelon, Invisible Robot Hands, Hurricane Chaser
Feb 10: The Funky Jungle — Cold Blue Mountain, Spitting Black, Witch King
Feb 20: The Funky Jungle — Barber Cop, Necklacing, Feedback Psychosis, Meatbag
Feb 22: Simons 677 — All Out War, Xibalba, Rude Awakening, Absolute Suffering, Shrink
Feb 25: As220 — Intercourse, Throne Of Saturn, Radio Carbon, Cross-Armed Calculator
HxC: Punk Storms into 2015
The hardcore punk scene hit Providence hard in 2014 and continues to defy the norm in 2015. New punk band Angel Du$t (members from Trapped Under Ice) recently tore up The Black Box at As220 and kicked off what will be a killer year for the Providence scene. The Funky Jungle and Riotous Outburst Records plan to bring together some of the most interesting punk and hardcore acts that few have heard of.
Riotous Outburst Records helped locals Weak Teeth put out their new record So You’ve Ruined Your Life back in November. Weak Teeth creates the perfect combination of thrashy screamo vocals and punk hardcore riffs, all while trying to express their rage over today’s world. Ending their mini tour here in Providence, Weak Teeth will showcase some of their newest work alongside Ordinary Lives, Rampant Decay, and Paper Skeletons at Psychic Readings above As220 on Jan 19. On Jan 20, Providence favorites Fucking Invincible will join Genocide Pact from DC at the Funky Jungle along with new and local grind punk band V-sect, and the killer three-piece Fuming Mouth. January is just the beginning for the unreal line-up of crazy and intense acts that will be taking down the city over the next year. February has something special for all the new hardcore fans out there — keep your eyes peeled.
Jan 16: The Funky Jungle (ask a punk) — Cuban Rebel Girls, OD, New Reality, Feedback Psychosis
Jan 18: The Funky Jungle (ask a punk) — Compassion Fatigue, Laughing Stock, I Eat Rocks Jan 19: Psychic Readings — Weak Teeth (Record Release), Ordinary Lives, Rampant Decay, Paper Skeletons
Jan 20: The Funky Jungle (ask a punk) — Fucking Invincible, Genocide Pact, Fuming Mouth, V-sect
HxC: Madball and Agnostic Front Celebrate Christmas Early in PVD
If you’re a fan of punk and hardcore, then Madball and Agnostic Front are two bands you have definitely heard about. And both bands are bringing an early Christmas present to Providence this December. Madball is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album Set It Off. This album is one of the most influential for the New York hardcore scene to-date because it captures the true sound of what New York hardcore is all about – fast-paced thrashy hardcore with the means to get a message out.
Agnostic Front is playing only a week after Madball with some of the rawest hardcore bands around: Revenge, Reason To Fight and The Struggle. Agnostic Front has been saying F- you to the government since ‘83 and with more than 10 albums out, they have always stuck to what true hardcore punk is. Their punk influence and anti-government mentality has drawn in the fans for more than 20 years.
December 5: The Funky Jungle (Ask a punk) – Fucking Invinsible, Dronez, Ratstab, V-Sect
December 7: Simons 677 – Madball, Turnstile, Death Before Dishonor, Take Offense, Downpresser
December 17: Simons 677 – Agnostic Front, Revenge, Reason To Fight, The Struggle
December 18: The Funky Jungle (Ask a punk) – Beartrap, Holders Scar, Wriggle, Violent Sons
HxC: The Fall-fest Is Coming
The Providence hardcore scene is back and in full swing in November when the guys from The Funky Jungle, Firehouse 13 and AS220 get together with Riotous Outburst Records to host their 3rd annual Fall-fest. This four-day fest, taking place November 12 through 15, is bringing bands from Boston, Philly, Japan and even Spain to get together and celebrate what they do best. Ranging from punk hardcore to grindcore and face melting powerviolence, these bands know how to put on a show. The newest local powerviolence band, Power Whores, will play alongside two other locals on the second day of the fest at As220.
The fest leads up to the sick legends of hardcore coming to Providence in early December to celebrate 20 years of “Set It Off.” Madball will be joined by Turnstile, Death Before Dishonor, Take Offense and Downpresser at Simons 677 on December 7. This is a show to mark on your calenders. Providence is pulling together some of the best lineups for the upcoming holiday season, and tickets to these shows could sell out fast. Don’t forget to pick up tickets and support the locals!
Nov. 12: The Funky Jungle — InCircles, Bible Fiction, Child Ride, Bad Motherfucker
Nov. 13: As220 — Backstabbers INC, I Am Become Death, Ask The Dead, David Carridine, Power Whores
Nov. 14: Firehouse 13 — Notox, Budd Dwyer, Pink Mass, Intheshit, Intercourse, Radio Carbon, Mama Ladilla
Nov. 15: Firehouse 13 — Disaster Strikes, Ratstab, Dutchguts, New Turks, Drones for Queens, Set, Socialized Death Sentence
Nov. 21: As220 — Dead Empire, Terror Eyes, Pink Eye, TBA
Nov. 24: Firehouse 13 — Homewrecker, Pharaoh, Fuming Mouth, Power Whores, Hospital Bomber, Gator King
HxC: Midwest Blood on the East Coast The streets of Providence will run red with Midwest Blood as Expire take over Firehouse 13 on Sunday, October 5. The last time they played Providence was over two years ago, so this is long overdue. With the release of their second full-length studio album, Pretty Low, in June, the band has been touring nonstop.
Currently in Canada with the guys in Every Time I Die and Counterparts, the band has gotten more exposure than ever. Touring with different genres for the first time allows the band to show new fans what hardcore is all about. And if any band knows how to put on a hardcore show, it’s Expire. Kids pile up during each and every song, and throw down for every bass pounding breakdown.
Moving around the East Coast for a short tour with Rude Awakening, Caught In A Crowd, Test of Time, and the locals in Waste of Life, they have yet another opportunity to play with some of the biggest hardcore bands today.
Rude Awakening is sure to bring a crazy following to Firehouse since this is the first time they have played Providence since the drop of their new album, Collateral Damage, a few months ago. Because their hometown is only a short distance away, everyone will come out for this epic line-up.
Caught In A Crowd and Test of Time never disappoint the Providence scene and are sure to play sick sets, as always.
Another band not to miss out on is Waste of Life; these Providence locals are blowing up. Playing with Expire last month in Maine, the band gave it their all and the crowd couldn’t sit still. Everyone was on their feet and showing love to this Rhode Island hardcore band. Being in their hometown, the show should be full of fans from all over RI, Conn. and Mass.
Be sure to grab your tickets early; this show could sell out.
Coming Up: October 11, Firehouse 13, Agent Orange, The Architecs, Held Hostage, The Evil Streaks, Honest John
October 18, The Met, Transit, Such Gold, Friendly Driver, New City Ghost
October 22, The Funky Jungle, Yautja, Beartrap, TBA