July Recap

This is a massive post, so you’re going to want to open it in your browser. The whole thing won’t load in an email.

Busy month. First off, there’s a new 185 Miles South episode that came out yesterday. Check it out on apple podcasts, spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. We dug deep into the year 1983. I’ll probably do a post on that in the next few days.

The month of July was pretty epic. It started with a bang - MINDFORCE hitting the Che Cafe.

First a note on the Che. It’s such a crucial and important venue to the fabric of punk and hardcore in San Diego. Like many, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the place over the years, but it’s an institution and really the backbone of things here. It’s also a proving ground of sorts for bands, since it’s basically a room with a small stage and no pro sound. Your drummer hits soft? We can tell. Your singer takes themself too seriously and can’t take a heckle? 2 bad, so sad.

Also, it’s kind of a rites of passage for the real ones. Choosing to play the longest standing all ages venue, instead of a bar or a live nation venue, says a lot about a band. Every hardcore band should play the Che at least once - straight up.

We talked Big Boy’s last EP on the pod in the last couple months. It’s a contender for best HC EP of the year. They smashed live as well. Take Offense have been the reigning kings of the 619 for 10+ years now and they continue to show their dominance. Lastly, Mindforce is a special band that we’ve talked about a ton on the pod. One of the rare hardcore bands in the 2 Great LP’s Club and a killer live band to boot. Packed house on a Sunday night.

(Big Boy/Take Offense/Mindforce)

I’m a poser of many genres. Death Metal? I pretty much like the big early 90’s band’s first records. Black metal? Strictly Darkthrone LP’s 2-4, plus the Burzum LP where the dude is playing the Ricola horn. Dub Reggae? Scientist/Lee Perry/King Tubby. Powerviolence? Infest/Crossed Out/No Comment…and Bayonet. Sure, they’re friends…but I wouldn’t be friends with fools in shitty bands, would I?

Anyway, I made the trek out to Tower Bar to see them on a Thursday night. They brought the heat as always. Also caught Negative Blast, who also kick ass.

(Bayonet/Negative Blast)

Be sure to check out Bayonet on tour in August with LA shredders, Entry!

The next day, Stalag 13 and Dr. Know came down to San Diego to play the Casbah. Since I didn’t want to get chased off the beach when I go home to see my folks for Christmas, I had to roll out. For real though, Ron was singing for Stalag and that’s always special so I had to roll. They were awesome, as always, and everything about this show was undoubtably better than the flyer.

(Stalag 13/Dr. Know)

Episode 1, the Legend, Joe Rivas played in a band in the 1990’s called Burning Dog and they were doing a reunion on the 1st day of Nardfest. You know I was rolling up. Find a Way Records just released an LP that contains their 7” + demos & a big ass booklet HERE.

I’d never been to this venue before and it was a trip. Great catching up with friends, and seeing lots of bands handle bidness - including Section H8 & my fav 805 band, Downpresser. That was 4 shows in a week. Shout out Kevin.

(Burning Dog/Torena)

Stay Gold got back together and did a tour down the West Coast. They played the Che Cafe on a Wednesday night to a pretty solid turnout. Also caught Tuning, who put out Episode 1’s fav LP of 2021. Tuning was great. The drummer hits hard. Adrian and Matt Tyler are a killer 1-2 axe attack, and Jeremy has a great voice (albeit strange neck gator - don’t rob me, bro!)

It didn’t seem like Stay Gold’s heart was in it. Doing a full west coast tour after being broken up for 20 years has to be rough. Shit, I don’t even like to be away from home for the weekend anymore, let alone stuck in a van with anyone. I really don’t know how to sugar coat this, but I think I was as bored as they were. Hopefully they had fun at the other shows and got some satisfaction out of the comeback.

(Tuning/Stay Gold)

Finally caught Sweat who put out one of my favorite LP’s of last year. They came down and played the Che last September, but it was the same night as Iron Maiden. Doh! Anyway, they were great. The Adicts were sick of course. It’s epic seeing the love for these truly old school bands who are great at their craft. GBH has a great turnout at the House of Blues last month as well. Support the OG bands cuz you never know when it’s going to be their last run and they’re the foundation for this whole thing, even if the style isn’t your favorite.

(Sweat/The Adicts)

The week of hardcore wasn’t over. Violencia from Tijuana was playing a record release gig at The Tower Bar. We had a sick bonfire at the bay first, but made it to Tower just in time to catch Violencia. Their debut LP got high praise on 185, and they were crushing live as well. They’re touring the East Coast in August, so check them out.

Also, they had their tour LP’s shipped out to Baltimore and they got jacked, so help them out with whatever you can by buying the digital album.

(Violencia)

Friday, July 28th saw High Vis play their 2nd West Coast show, and first San Diego gig at Soma. Is the owner still calling the fire marshal on rival gigs these days? Despite the club having a shite reputation amongst troo punx, High Vis had an amazing set and they’re one of the best bands going today.

Two more positive notes on this show:

1. Shoutout to 3 band shows. Fucking epic. Even when I was 17, I didn’t want to sit through 6-8 bands. 3 bands is a near perfect show. Opening band/Seinfeld episode/headlining band would be a perfect show.

2. Shoutout to High Vis for having hardcore bands on their shows. I came up in an era where the “post hardcore” bands were running from the genre, so it’s sick when “HC adjace” bands still embrace the core.

(High Vis)

I rolled up to OC early for day 2 of Indecision 30 so I’d have time to go to Radiation Records. I ran into Lance Wells and Bobby from Vegas. Lance helped me manifest a True Till Death 7”, and I presume maybe it was Bobby who telekinetically helped manifest a Powerhouse No Regrets test press. NEwayz, no merch money left for the show and luckily I don’t need beer money anymore.

I got there on time cuz Bayonet was the first band. I already chatted them in this post, so you know what they’re all about now. They brought the heat, like they always do. Next, it was Crashing Forward on the big stage, who just recently put out a single, and have an upcoming record on Indecision.

(Bayonet/Crashing Forward/Ursula)

Change is one of the best hardcore bands going. They set it off in the small room. Also, if Aram is reading this - respect.

Over My Dead Body handled bidness on the big stage, smashing through a short set of nothing but bangers. Stoked for Dan and the boys.

Ensign did a little surprise set on the front end of Undertow.

(Change/Over My Dead Body/Ensign)

Undertow killed it. Pettibone is such a great frontman. Suicide File is one of the best bands of the early 2000’s, and show no signs of age for a band whose last recording was 20 years ago. Finally, Unbroken headlined with an epic set that was filled with emotion.

(Undertow/Suicide File/Unbroken)

Bottom line, this show ruled. Hardcore always has been and always will be a youth movement. But at its core, it’s built brick by brick, band upon band, creating a lineage and a history that makes this thing special. It’s cliche to say, but it’s real, so I’ll say it - hardcore is more than music. Straight up. So while HC would be dead without the youth to fuel the scene, it would be rudderless without vets around to steer the thing in (generally) positive directions.

There’s something to be said about a night like this where it was mostly older people who had years of hardcore under their belt. Basically every person there has already solidified their reputation, whatever that may be. No nerds were looking to make a name for themselves by taking liberties against other folks, who were also there to rock out to the same bands. I didn’t see one needledick do that punching from stage bullshit.

I have massive respect for Dave Mandel, who has affected my life in hardcore more than any other person. He put out two In Control LP’s, three Retaliate LP’s, and even did two 7”s for my ridiculous Somali Pirates band. In Control and Retaliate have shaped who I am as a person, for better or worse, so who knows where I’d be if those projects never saw the light of day. Love you Dave! (and you too Itow!)

(My Indecision tattoo)

Speaking of Mandel, here’s a photo of Dan/Dave/myself from Sunday’s show at the Che:

Unbroken/Undertow at the Che Cafe was one of the worst kept secrets in the history of SDHC. It was finally announced the Friday before and sold out immediately.

I set up the podcast gear and we recorded an episode that THE REAL ONEZ will hear next Monday. Every band was killer - School Drugs being a stand out set for me from a band that I hadn’t seen before. Also, Abstain keeps sounding more and more savage so check ‘em out. Of course seeing legendary bands like Undertow and Unbroken in a small room is a special experience. Shoutout to the current Che crew who were all super rad!

(Crashing Forward/Abstain/No Plan/School Drugs)

(Deaf Club/Undertow/Unbroken)

Final note - here’s my fav moment of the weekend (not sure why there’s no sound):

I wanted Ryan to sing for my band In Control cuz he was a madman who moshed and dove for every band back when we were in our late teens. Here he is at 42. Still a wildman, and still my best friend. Love you brother - hardcore rules!