Halloween Hardcore Show!

This Halloween Evening my band Disowned played at the Boing! Collective, which is a local anarchist squat and community center focusing on impact free living. We played with a bunch of other local hardcore bands - Active Agressor, Ritual Fuck, Olivia Neutron Bomb, and Drugshit - along with two touring bands from the East Coast - Product of Waste and Bear Trap. I think out of all of the bands we were the only one not classified as 'Straightedge Hardcore' - which is most likely because I am the only one in the band not a vegan, straightedger, or combination of the two. Go drug use and drinking! (That's why I have a shit eating grin on my face.)

Our band from left to right - Choi, Chris, Michael, and Owen. Not pictured, Chuck.

Pictured, Chuck.

This is me shredding on the bass, looking professional and serious. I went as a crust punk for Halloween, which consisted of not showering or brushing my teeth for a couple of days, not washing my clothes, having badly done facial tattoos, and the obligatory Nausea patch on a hat - because all crusties love Nausea - with a bullet and rope belts. All of this was strictly a DIY found item and poorly done affair, making it extra crusty.

From left to right, Maia, Owen, and Choi - who went as a woman for Halloween. The entire show people were like, "Who is that cute asian girl? It's good to see more women coming to hardcore shows." People kept trying to talk him up only to realize it was Choi.

This is Active Agressor, fronted by the only female in the room. They kicked a lot of ass and had a really good set. Michael (our drummer) played bass for them in total drag, and to his credit, did a floor slide in heels and fishnets.

Cross-dressing was a popular costume, and people kept trying to talk up Michael only to realize it was a 6'3" white guy and not some random tranny who came to the show.

Product of Waste was somewhere between Rage Against the Machine style vocals with lots of rapping and break downs, with Napalm Death speed and dissonance. The vocalist and I had an interesting talk about Eastcoast vs. Westcoast lifestyles after the set, and as intelligent as he was, he had a hilarious Rhode Island accent that I couldn't get past.

Bear Trap's set was quite an experience - lots of nudity, vulgarity, and violence. The lead singer was nude most of the show and was dry humping everything.

The room was crammed full of sweaty people who hadn't showered in weeks, and it smelled like a dumpster crammed full of butts left out in the sun.

A lot of people got socked in the face, their toes busted, and kicked in the testicles. I had sequestered myself on a sturdy shelf high above the chaos, but it was quite intense and a lot of fun to watch.