If It's Memorial Day, This Must Be A Punk Rock Concert – Part 1

I was walking up Avenue B yesterday, when I saw this sign taped to a lamppost, at East 7th Street:

Take the city back.

Take the city back? Take it back where? Hasn't it always been here?

There was also this sign, outside the beloved Vazac's:

Torn sign.

It looks like someone took a disliking to this sign.

This concert was to commemorate a riot that occurred around Tompkins Square Park, Memorial Day weekend, 1991. (Even East Villagers need a reason to grill!)

When I got to the park, the first band, Karnage, was already playing. There was someone on stage dressed as a super hero — Wonder Man, Flash, I don't know. I thought he was part of the band, so I didn't hurry to video tape him, but it turns out he wasn't!

This is Karnage, without Wonder Man:


The ever-present swag table was present:

Present!

There were not a lot of people, but it is Memorial Day weekend. East Villagers are notoriously late anyway.

I couldn't stay either. I had to go to Metro Bikes, on East 14th Street, to buy a new wheel for my bike. (You can read about that here.)

When I got back, the band Universal Truth Machine was finishing up:


After them came Sewage:


After Sewage, this woman got onto the stage, who had been going up onto the stage during each band's set. It seemed like she was going to speak, but then she didn't:


After that incident came Coach + Commando:


It was getting late, and I had a date at home with some tacos, so I wasn't able to see the last two bands: The Nihilistics and The Undead.

Here is a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Undead though:

Mr. and Mrs. Undead.

The organizers should put on the good bands first, and the… less-good bands after. That way, people could come see the good bands in the afternoon, and then go home and eat!

Continued…

#eastvillage #7thstreet #avenueb #chrisflash #coachandcommando #karnage #memorialdayweekend #punkrock #punkrockshow #sewage #signs #tompkinssquarepark #universaltruthmachine #vazacs

Another Memorial Day, Another Punk Rock Show

I was walking through Tompkins Square Park Saturday afternoon, when I saw what could only described as some kind of Memorial Day punk rock show or another.

These shows are how East Village punks honor the soldiers who died to keep these shows free!

As usual, I saw no signs announcing this show, and the crowd was pretty small:

Small crowd.

I think these guys are called The Omega Men — correct me if I'm wrong!

The Omega Men (maybe).

The guy on the left looks like a basketball player!

These guys are definitely called Sewage, I'm pretty sure of that.

Most likely Sewage.

The chances that these guys are Coach And Commando are pretty high:

p < .05 Coach and Commando.

Do you know what was really strange about this year's punk rock show? There were no uniformed police officers present — they've always been there in the past to join in the festivities!

This year, they were replaced by undercover cops, taking pictures no less!

Undercover.

These guys are either undercover cops or Australian tourists!

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

Hey look, it's beret guy!

East Village celebrity and concert organizer Chris Flash was at The Shadow's swag table with his girlfriend (they're inseparable!):

The Shadow swag table.

Here is a close-up of Shadow swag. Tips please!

Close-up.

The Undead's swag table, with John-Boy Walton photo-bombing:

Undead swag.

I left the park at Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, where almost immediately, I saw this sign, announcing the show:

Sign announcing show.

This is where I got the names of the bands — you didn't think I knew these things?!

Finally, no story about a punk rock show in the East Village would be complete without a video of dancing crusties:


#eastvillage #beretguy #chrisflash #coachandcommando #crusties #memorialdayweekend #photographers #punkrockshow #sewage #omegamen #photobomb #theshadow #tompkinssquarepark #undercovercops