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