I was walking across East 7th Street this past Wednesday evening, along the bottom of Tompkins Square Park, when suddenly my earballs were assaulted by what could only be described as "punk rock music".
As any East Villager would do, I went into the park to investigate. This story is the result of my investigation.
Upon entering the park, I beheld the audience.
Punk rock audience, beheld.
The band was not on a stage — it was as if they were part of the audience!
There was a banner hanging behind them that read "Goodnight… something".
Irene?
Moon?
There was another that read "Antifascist Action".
Ah ha!
This is a video of them playing:
Someone needs to tell the singer that the mic's not plugged in!
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!
One of the signs on the construction fence in Like Share Comment jumped out at me.
It was this:
Punks and Rogues Presents sign.
What's special about this sign is that, well, it exists! East Village punk rock shows never advertise. You either have to know someone involved, or pass by accidentally when they're playing. And when they do, it's usually only around the stage area!
Fun Fact: "No Future" (just above the word Brooklyn, in the sign) is from a song called God Save The Queen, by a punk rock band called The Sex Pistols. They were very popular in the East Village, back in the bad old days.
Next year will be the 40th anniversary of "No Future"! Still going strong!
As East Villagers know, musicians are notorious for starting late. If the announced time of a show is 8:00, you can be sure the band won't go on until almost 9:00 (except at Lincoln Center, or Carnegie Hall)!
So when this past weekend's Punk Jamboree started on time, the only people there were the organizer, the band, and some crusties!
This chap below, with the tattoo on his back…
…tried to get his fellow crusties to come dance, but they would have none of it:
"We're having none of it."
He was finally successful convincing a gent in a wheelchair, but it's hard to know how much input the fellow had in the matter!
Once in place, however, they all had a rollicking good time:
Keep on punking in the free world… in the East Village Today!
I was walking down Avenue B yesterday, when I saw this sign advertising a "Memorial Day Punk Show!!" (with two exclamation points!) in Tompkins Square Park:
Memorial Day Punk Show!!.
Aging East Villagers love punk shows!
Unfortunately, since it's Memorial Day, not too many people will there — most East Villagers go out of town for three-day weekends.
If you can't make it, post it on their Facebook page!
(For those of you too old to remember, the picture in the sign is of a character named Luther, from a 1970s movie called "The Warriors". Luther started some trouble, blamed someone else, and ran away!)
