---Rich
Showing posts with label Punk Rock Picnic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Punk Rock Picnic. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Pics from the Punk Rock Picnic
Just wanted to do a quick post and let you guys know that I posted pics of the some of the bands from the Punk Rock Picnic on the Faster Than the World Facebook page. I didn't take that many pics, and they aren't the best, but check them out. While you're there, "Like" the damn page, will ya?
Friday, August 27, 2010
Ambergris "This Blows EP" (2010)
Track Listing:1. The Fall of False Kings
2. This Ends in a Hail of Bullets
3. Life
4. The Well Wisher
5. No One Cares About You
6. Undertow
7. One More Song
8. The Fox
I've been meaning to do a write up on this since the show on the 13th, but kept getting side tracked by one thing or another, so to say it's long overdue would be an understatement. However, I have an Ambergris related story that I want to share with you guys before I go into what I think about this EP.
When Mark and I went to see D.O.A. at the M Room, I noticed that a couple of the guys from Ambergris (Will, Art, and G) were at the show. Mark decided that we should go say hi to them, which I thought was strange since Mark is the one that tells me to not bother people because they know they are in a band and they know people like them and I don't need to be "That guy". Since he suggested that we talk to them, I assumed he had talked to them before. Keep in mind we both had a lot of PBR in our system, so this wasn't really well thought out. We walk up to them, Mark says something like "Hey, you guys are in Ambergris right?" and they say that they are. Mark then briefly says that we've seen them at shows and stuff, and the conversation just falls into an awkward silence. Keep in mind I've been standing there silently the entire time, to prevent from blurting out something drunk and not well thought out. Mark blames the PBR for what came out of his mouth next, but I'm not buying it. He looks right at them and says "This guy just started a blog, and he's going to review your cd". I'm standing there stunned and mortified and one of them (I believe it was G, correct me if I'm wrong) says "If we ever get it released". The only words I can form are "No, he means A Day Late and A Dollar Short" and I promptly proceeded to grab the sleeve of Mark's shirt and pull him away.
After that long rambling story, lets get into this record. All but one of these songs (The Fall of False Kings) was written and previously recorded for their album "A Whales Tale", which saw a limited release. Ambergris went back into the studio and re-recorded the tracks from that album because "the final mix wasn't up to snuff" (direct quote from Truman), and put seven of them on this EP, and will be releasing the others on another (according to Truman when I bought this). Just like "A Day Late and A Dollar Short", I've listened to this record constantly. I love it. I've literally texted Walt at least 3 times talking about how much it kicks ass. It kicks off with "The Fall of False Kings" and it's the perfect way to start. The whole EP is filled with great songs with a distinctly old school type feel. "Undertow" has a distinctly piratey feel. It's catchy and a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. "The Fox" is the perfect way to end the record. It's fast and aggressive with a wicked guitar line.
2010 Punk Rock Picnic
This is going to be a fairly long post. Tomorrow is the 2nd Annual Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Picnic at Emmaus Community Park. There was a write up about it in the Easton Express Times that I thought I would repost here for you guys to read.
Summer Hardcore Picnic in the Park returns to Emmaus
Friday, August 27, 2010
By ADAM RICHTER
The Express-Times
Andy Silfies didn't expect to have another picnic. He went to last year's Summer Hardcore Picnic in the Park to enjoy a one-time reunion of some of the Lehigh Valley's oldest punk bands, not thinking it could become anything like a tradition.
"It was going to be a once-and-done thing last year," Silfies says.
But something happened that the organizers didn't plan for. The Summertime Hardcore Picnic in the Park was a hit. The nine-hour festival took place Aug. 8, 2009, at Emmaus Community Park. Silfies, who was not one of the original organizers, estimates 150 to 200 people showed up.
"It was almost like a family thing," he says. "That's why I wanted to continue it."
Borough officials, who were hesitant at first, embraced the event, Silfies says. After the picnic, they put a DVD of the show in a time capsule, he says, and were happy to host the picnic another year.
Starting 12:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 bands will perform at the second annual Punk Rock Summer Picnic at Emmaus Community Park's Performing Arts Pavilion.
Admission for the all-ages picnic is the same as last year's: a nonperishable food donation for Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. In 2009, 700 pounds of food were donated, according to Ann McManus, the food bank's director.
After the 2009 picnic, Silfies says, it made sense to try to repeat the success.
"Everybody had such a good time that everyone wanted to have it happen again this year," Silfies says.
He didn't have much trouble finding acts. Within hours of getting the message out that he would put on another punk picnic in 2010, Silfies had bands volunteering to perform.
"I put something out there on Facebook and the bands did the work for me," he says.
In some cases, Silfies reached out to bands he wanted to play. Cody Short, a drummer with the band Walter Krug, says Silfies approached them about performing Saturday.
Short was only too happy to get Walter Krug together again. The group, which includes Short's brother, Jesse, was most active in the mid- to late 1990s, Cody Short says.
Walter Krug plays fast, lighthearted songs like "The Ballad of Luke," a song about Luke Skywalker that's as much a ballad as "Anarchy in the U.K."
Short, of Philadelphia, says Saturday's show will be his band's first in quite some time. Their last show was two months ago; before that, about five years, Short estimates. Though Short doesn't live in the Lehigh Valley anymore, he's eager to play in the band again.
"I really like playing with these guys," he says.
Other bands are comparatively new to the punk scene. Bad American just put out their first album, a 7-inch self-titled EP. But singer Ray Gurz, of Emmaus, has been a part of the Lehigh Valley punk scene for years as a member of Tile, Carpenter Ant and other bands. Bad American has a sound like the hardcore punk bands Black Flag or Fang, Gurz says.
"We did have a really good following," Gurz says of Carpenter Ant.
Gurz has been around long enough to see how interest in the local music scene ebbs and flows.
"It's hot for a while and then there'll be a five-year lull" before some new kids start running things again, he says.
Gurz is hopeful Saturday's picnic will help get more people involved. The 2009 concert had a stronger showing than he expected, he says.
"Surprisingly it was a very good turnout," Gurz says.
Silfies says he tried to get more than just hardcore punk bands into the lineup so people get a little variety. People including Silfies.
"If I have to listen to nine hours of punk, I might jump off a cliff," he says.
Silfies moved the date from early August to the end of the month so the event wouldn't interfere with vacations. It also marks the end of summer, he says.
Some of the bands might not slow down their sound but Silfies says the dynamic has changed now that many of the performers are older.
"There's a lot more tired people on stage after 10 minutes," he says.
Adam Richter can be reached at 610-258-7171 or arichter@express-times.com. Talk about entertainment at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.
Also, here's the lineup for tomorrow.battering ram 1-130
damn dirty apes 145-215
beings 230-300
florence and libby 315-345
bad american 4-430
dead end drive 445-515
slamhounds 530-600
break for some punk rock kareoke- 6-630
track nines 9formerly black 5's, and the lofis) 630-7
ambergris 715-745
walter krug 8-830
cleanup 830-9
I recommend coming to see as much as you can. It's free for fucks sake, all you're asked to bring is a non-perishable food donation for the Second Harvest Food Bank. It's going to be a good time. Here's the Facebook link if you want it.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Bad American - Bad American 7 Inch (2010)
Track Listing:
1. Doozer
2. Brain Dead
3. No One Is Safe
4. Rodent
5. Crossover
6. Snake Doctor
7. Lurker
8. Combat
I know that when I posted the interview with Ray, I said that I was going to post my review of Bad American's debut 7 inch this past weekend. I truly had every intention of doing it, I just didn't realize how hectic my weekend was going to be. I obviously didn't have a chance to do it, so I'm doing it now.
Since Bad American sent me the mediafire link to the 7 inch, I've listened to it at least 20 times. It was something I was eager to listen to because of how much I enjoy them live, and I was completely blown away. Musically every song is tight and aggressive. Ray delivers the lyrics with a ferocity reminiscent of early Poison Idea. From start to finish, it's a great fucking record. The production quality is amazing. The only bad thing I can say about this record is that it's only 8 minutes long. I want more! It's impossible for me to tell you which song I like the best, because they are all well written. Seriously do yourself a favor and click on the link and download this to listen to. Then after you listen to it, go over to bigcartel and buy the damn thing.
Make sure to check out Bad American at the 2nd Annual Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Picnic this Saturday, and also check out their Myspace and their Facebook. If you're into skateboarding, check out Ray's company, Lost Soul Skateboards
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