Saturday CMJ Day Shows

CMJ Day #2: STRIFE!

Yesterday's CMJ festivities started with the press mixer at the Rivington Hotel. They had a 3-hour open bar and finger foods. Needless to say I left drunk and full. I was actually surprised by how few people I bumped into. I mean, the place was packed but very few of the NYC crowd was there. Anyway, it was a nice way to kick off the night.

After that I ran over to Webster Hall for the Orchard party. Surfer Blood and The Drums were playing upstairs but I just wasn't feeling it. Especially knowing that one of my all-time favorite hardcore bands was playing a free show at Mercury Lounge. All I could think about was how much I would hate myself if I didn't get in. So I had a couple of drinks and split.

I got to Mercury Lounge around 10:30 (I think) and had to wait a few minutes to get in but there wasn't a line. The joint was packed and Iron Age was just getting started when I got there. I've heard their albums and thought they were good but holy shit, they're fucking killer live. Next up was Disembodied and well, it's pretty generic hardcore - nothing special.

After Disembodied finished up the place kinda cleared out. I don't know why because Strife was due up next. I was so friggin' excited to see Strife. I think I may have seem them in the 90's but I can't say for sure. Those days are a blur now.

Strife took the stage and upon the first strike of a chord the crowd busted open and the middle of the room cleared out. The familiar circle of a mosh pit took shape, I can't say I've ever seen that at the Merc before. The crowd was a nice mix of hipsters, CMJ music nerds, beardo metal-heads and only a handful of hardcore goons. The pit was the fun kind where you don't have to worry about ending up in the hospital.

Rick, the vocalist, was pretty much on the floor in the pit the entire show. He's still got his trademark shaved head but nowadays he's sporting a monster beard to go with it. He was fucking shit up the whole time down there and passing the mic off to damn near everyone who wanted to get in on the action. It was an old-school hardcore show, the kind that simply don't exist anymore.

I was singing along to all the words that I could remember, which were fewer than I expected. Despite a busted knee I was right up front, standing around the edge of the pit, hoping someone wouldn't roll over my knee (almost happened - from Rick!).

I can't even express the sense of nostalgia that came over me. This was the type of show that made me love music and I felt like a fucking kid again. Sure, it's cliche but it's totally true. I miss these types of shows. Hell, every show used to be like this but that scene is dead now and these shows are gone.

But I digress - Strife fucking ruled! When I say one of the best shows I've been to in years I'm not exaggerating. Go see them tonight in Brooklyn at DBA, it's $10 and worth every penny. DBA is a DIY venue so it'll be pretty nutso.

Long live Strife!

***Sorry about the pic quality, didn't have time to edit.

CMJ Day #1: The Recap

I started out my CMJ with the Paper Garden day party at The Living Room. When I got there Kidstreet from Canada was just getting started. They're a cutesy brother-sister group (one sister, two brothers) that play what I have to call electro-pop. For some reason they reminded me of the Freelance Whales, not at all in sound but just about every other way possible. All the while I was enjoying the $3 Kronenberg specials and thinking about how awesome it is to drink at 4:30pm on a Tuesday.

Next up was Motel Motel who I've been trying to catch for over a year now. I like what I've heard online and had high hopes. Unfortunately I wasn't that into it. It's not that they're a bad band or anything, in fact musically I think they're pretty damn good. What through a bit were the vocals which seemed a little forced. The band plays a style that has a lot of country/roots influence but they just don't seem like the country/roots type. It was odd because on the surface they are in  fact a good band but I just wasn't connecting for some reason. In all fairness The Living Room is not the best venue, everything tends to be a bit muted in that joint.

I cut out after about four songs and headed over to LPR for the New Zealand showcase. Once again there was more free booze, this time it was 42Below vodka drinks. I ordered a few Red Bull & vodka, not my typical choice but I was dragging. The band playing when I walked in was Lawrence Arabia. I think I've seen these dudes before and wasn't totally impressed but they sounded much better this time around, although I did only hear two songs.

Next up was some girl grunge band called Street Chant. They toed the line between grungey-punk and pop-punk. I dug the sound for the most part but found their claim of being "the biggest rock band in New Zealand" a bit hard to believe. They were pretty good though and reminded me a bit of Incesticide-era Nirvana with some L7 of Babes In Toyland thrown in. As we were leaving some female fronted, funky, drum and bassy band started up. I was not paying much attention though but recall them reminding me a bit of Hank & Cupcakes but not nearly as good.

The next party was the Oh Canada showcase at Fontana's. They were giving away free Bloody Caesar's and $2 Labatt Blue. A Bloody Caesar is the Canadian version of a Bloody Mary, they're very proud of it and even gave it a shout out on stage. The thing is it's just a Bloody Mary with Clamato in it, which is how lots of people in the States make it (myself included). Way to be creative there, Canada. All this time I've been drinking your national drink thinking it was just a Bloody Mary. Silly Canadians.

The first band up was absolutely terrible, sorry. They played excessively poppy rock which came off as a bad Coldplay rip off. The thing is Canada is cranking out killer bands these days so why put a Canada showcase together and not get the absolute best in there. By the way, the band was called In-Flight Safety - even their name is bad. We split have way through their set and hopped on the J train back to Brooklyn.

We got off at the Lorimer stop and headed over to Don Pedro's to catch my cousin's band, The Sounds Of Kaleidoscope. They went on way late from what I can remember so it gave me too much time to suck down $1 Colt nips. By the time TSOK went on I was totally wasted. I recall chatting to the Shark? bros for awhile about who knows what. Sorry if I was being obnoxious in anyway, dudes. While I don't remember my retarded conversations I do recall the set from TSOK. As always they fucking destroyed, they're so damn good man. If you like big 90's style grungy-stonery rock n' roll then you gotta see them.

After the set it was time to throw in the towel. I was wasted. I drank my way through CMJ and despite being early I was done for. We went to Grand Morelos for some late night tortas (Tinga de pollo, of course) and then I headed home and passed out on the couch. Today we do it all over again.

Tonight: CMJ Day #1 w/ O'Death, Shark? + More

Force Field PR Knows How To Party (CMJ Showcases)

Lots of good bands playing Force Field showcases during CMJ.