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!
You might think that punk rock is the only type of music that ever gets performed in Tompkins Square Park, and with one notable exception, you would be right!
Yesterday's punk rock show was called Puke Island Part 7. Catchy name, eh?
It was scheduled to start at 2:00pm, but yesterday was hot…
Hot.
…so I waited until later in the afternoon to show up.
Apparently, it was too hot for most other people too. This was the crowd when I arrived:
The crowd.
It was even too hot for crusties!
Only one crusty.
Maybe all the punks hitched a ride to Rockaway Beach?!
It's never too hot for the promoter though, East Village celebrity Chris Iconicide, seen here in the mosh pit, while the band Alien Species played:
Chris Iconicide and Alien Species.
Hot weather is perfect for the Coco Cherry Mango Rainbow Icy man though:
Coco Cherry Mango Rainbow Icy man.
As always, these shows are an opportunity for local underground newspapers to hawk their tchotchkes:
Underground newspaper tchotchke table.
I was melting by this point, so I bought some ice cream and went home!
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:
I passed through Tompkins Square Park this afternoon, and I happened upon what surely must have been the Halloween Eve Punk Rock Show:
Halloween Eve Punk Rock Show.
I took a wide-angle picture because these things usually have no attendees, but today's show looked pretty crowded!
When I got to the stage, this band was playing:
This band.
I don't know their name, but… if The Ramones and The Clash had a baby, and in another part of town, Television created a baby clone of itself, and those two babies grew up and had a baby, it would be this band!
When they finished, this guy started vociferating:
This guy.
I've seen this guy at these punk rock shows before — he says exactly the same thing every time! I decided to walk around a bit.
This band is called Transgender Jesus. Everyone with a smart phone took either their picture, or a selfie!
"Can I take a selfie with you?"
In case you were wondering, that's the woman's costume! The guy… not a costume.
It even has a air vent in back!
Air vent.
That's East Village celebrity Chris Flash on the left — The East Village "A" List was out in force!
Finally, the next band went on. Here's a video that I like to call Ring Around The Rosie:
Yesterday was the second day of the two-day punk rock concert in Tompkins Square Park.
I didn't get there until, oh, about 6:00pm! I don't know what I did all day — I took a nap at one point. East Villagers need their beauty rest!
Anyway, here are some video clips of what I saw. This is Nihilistics:
Generally, East Villagers don't dance — yesterday was an exception! The Deceivers brought people (executives, joggers, crusties) together in a way no other band ever has in the history of the East Village:
Next year, I think this should be held in September, after the New York University students are back. They would be dancing too!
Today was Day 1 of the punk rock concert in Tompkins Square Park that, as organizers of both events agree, has nothing to do with the Tompkins Square Park Sleep-Over occurring in the same place, at the same time!
They finally put up posters around the park:
Punk rock concert poster.
I was fashionably late to the concert, but it turns out the concert was fashionably late starting! When I arrived, the first group, Schizo, was playing:
After them was a band called Simon and the Bar Sinisters. They were so rockin', people started dancing!:
There were more bands after this one, but I left fashionably early, so I didn't see them.
A good time was had by all… in the East Village Today!
I was passing through Tompkins Square Park yesterday, when I happened upon this gathering:
A gathering in the park.
It turns out they had gathered for the "Memorial Day Punk Rock Extravaganza"!
This band was on stage when I arrived:
Punk rock band.
I don't know their name, but they were pretty good!
Of course, East Villagers don't dance:
East Villagers not dancing.
They finished shortly after I got there, and "Rev. Jen" went on to read a chapter from her new book:
Introducing: Rev. Jen.
It was good too!
When she finished, another band went on:
Another punk rock band.
The crowd was rocked off their feet:
Literally!
The extravaganza was organized by East Village celebrities Chris Flash and Zoe Hansen:
Chris Flash (holding microphone), and Zoe Hansen.
I had the idea, while I watched the show, that punk rock extravaganzas are very much like Historic Richmond Town, on Staten Island: the performers are good at what they do, and they serve a useful purpose, in reminding people of a time long past.
I say: Two, three, many Punk Rock Extravaganzas… in the East Village Today!
