Well, this december started off great as some people may say. I certainly can say so.
The day was December 2nd and 3 days later I was going to go see and hang out with some of my best friends in the world in two days time. They play for this band KDC which is fucking tight, and they are (were) on tour with this other rad-as-fuck band called Hollow Earth. I was really bummed out because most of the times they come to Mass to play (that is KDC), we help them with the show, and play the show. This time it wasn't happening. But then that day, the 2nd I was talking with Casper on the phone (for the record, he sings for KDC) and I was commenting him how funny it would be that if during their show my band would just punk rock it out and crash the show and play a set. That's when he told me that the promoter for the show needed a band, because one had dropped. As I hear this words I was like damn, give me the contact, and I'll talk to you later. So i did a bunch of calls and stuff, and I pulled off the impossible, we managed to get on the show.
One thing I am not telling you completely is the fact that at all this, the show wasn't on the 5th (see above "3 days later"), but the 4th which would have meant "2 days later"... anyway it all worked out and it was fun as fuck.
So that was cool and I got to hang out with the KDC dudes and extra day because they came to my house the night before since they didn't have a place to stay in Vermont. One thing I really have to bring up in this, because it is still in my mind since the moment it happened... the band Hollow Earth. Holy motherfuckin' fuck. They played literally the tightest set I have ever seen a musician play. Let alone for hardcore bands. It was so intense and perfect that all I could do literally was to put my hand in my mouth (this really happened!) and at a point I just laughed.
I had seen them play the most recently at the Trial show at Anchor's Up in Haverill, and I thought they ruled, but I was like, "they are pretty cool". This was different. And since then I love listening to their new record. Unfortunately, I didn't have any money for the record, so I just listen to it on the bandcamp. A lot.
Then Saturday came and one of my best friends in the whole world came for just one day. The great Willo C. and co-host of this blog that no one ever reads. That is because we never ever really write anymore, but not after this.
He came and we went to the good old Cambridge to go see Breakdown that were playing at America's Hardcore Fest. Honestly, didn't really care about it until I heard Breakdown was playing. Not in a bad way, I must say, but in the matter that I have been really out of touch with the current hardcore bands and stuff, so I didn't know many if most of the bands playing. On the way there we stopped at Bodega, because he had some stuff he ordered online and was going to pick up from the store, because it was easier to get that in person than in the mail. So after that we headed out to the Middle East to see the rest of the matineé show there before heading to the night show, the one Breakdown was headlining.
Since we stopped at Bodega we lost a little amount of time... I'd say about an hour tops... and we were able to see the last three bands. Which was awesome because Rotting Out was headlining that show and they were awesome, and I really love that band. There we met up with out good and great friend and former bandmate of mine, Baldy. (I forgot to say he was at the KDC show, too!)
So that show ended and we hung out for a while, before going to the Hardcore Stadium (a.k.a. Cambridge Elks) and had a good Hardcore, Good Friends, Good Times time...
That show was a lot of bands I have never ever heard off, and Breakdown. There were a few bands there out of tune, but the ones that I liked the most were Sweet Jesus, which was like a youth crew band meets Give (which played the previous night's show with Supertouch and I didn't know it and was mad). This band from the UK called Shrapnel, which were like the Breakdown '87 demo, and this band from California that were a more youth crew version of 98 Mute called Fury. I liked Fury, like I just said, reminded me of 98 Mute and Hands Tied/Chorus Of Dissaproval mix somewhere there, and obviously the reason I went there, Breakdown.
I have to admit. Even though I wasn't there for all the bands, this show got me hooked back again on hardcore and got me psyched about the current state of hardcore.
When we got home that night, we ordered some Fat Cows from Suppa's in Lowell. It was awesome, but then we went to bed, because Willo had to go the next day back to NYC, and I had to work at The Farm Market @ Mill No. 5. What a long name for the should-be-called "Lowell Winter Farmer's Market"... eh... it's not really that much longer.
Anyway, a week after this, which happend to be this weekend that just went by, Friday night Boston Strangler played in Lowell with Oblivionation. That show was sick, and I saw a shit ton of awesome people. Boston Strangler is an awesome band, so is Waste Management, and Oblivionation is rad as fuck, too. The bummer is that the venue, which is this awesome and huge basement in Downtown Lowell, is not doing any more shows, even though this one was the second show ever at that place. Which sucks, but hey! it's all cool. Hopefully a couple of things I heard that may happen in Lowell happen, and things will be awesome.
Links of bands to check out!
KDC
Hollow Earth
Sweet Jesus
