words & photos by Shanda Boyett

"The @famousclass party was crazed. Amaxing sendoff to the 1 and only Ariel Panero. RIP homie." - markodude

"Tonight was amazing, Thank you to all the bands & @DeathbyAudio Ariel we miss you like crazy" - Famousclass

The Famous Class party at Death by Audio on Friday night (2/4) took its mission of celebrating the life of Ariel Panero seriously. Cyrus Lubin from Famous Class put together an amazing lineup for Day 1 that culminated in a sold-out, joyful mosh-ilicious event headlined by the boisterous Snakes Say Hiss. Also on the bill were Darlings, Grooms, Class Actress, and Tony Castles.

Ariel's name and birth and death date were spray painted on the wall behind the stage. Grooms played almost all new songs, save one oldie that was Ariel's favorite. Tony Castles also played a lot of their new tunes, sounding really tight.

There was a noticeable buildup to the Snakes Say Hiss set, with the crowd ready to live it up in a wild, human bumper car frenzy that sent more than a few people crashing into walls and dodging beer confetti.

It was beautiful in the way that an epic night always is - an organic outgrowth that can be neither planned nor tamed.

Rubin commented early in the evening that he thought it might be a rager, but I think for him, more than anyone else, it was about Ariel.

"Last year he began working with me at Famous Class, helping us take some big steps forward," he says on the Famous Class web site. "It breaks my heart that he isn't going to see the results of everything we worked on together."

Day 2 (Saturday) of the memorial featured Skeletons (string quartet), Sisters, Regal Degal, Tough Knuckles Band and Hubble. Proceeds from show helped raise money for for the release of the new Tough Knuckles album. Those who paid $15 at the door will get a limited edition copy of the LP on white vinyl.

A selection of pictures from Friday's show continues below...

Continue reading "Ariel Panero was remembered @ Death by Audio (pics)"

Famous Class Records, a label that Ariel Panero used to co-run, and the one his band Tough Knuckles was signed to, put together the shows happening tonight (2/4) and Saturday (2/5) at Death By Audio - both with killer lineups to help raise money to get the Tough Knuckles record released... though just in a small way. They've "decided to do limited run of 350 albums on white vinyl. Basically the show is 2 nights featuring all the bands that Ariel helped out and loved and there's gonna be a sliding scale at the door, $8 to get in or $15 and we'll mail you a limited edition copy of the record when its printed at the end of the month." Check out the poster and lineups below...

Continue reading "shows in memory of Ariel Panero in Brooklyn (tonight & Sat)"

NYC show promoter, Grooms band manger and Tough Knuckles band member Ariel Panero passed away suddenly this week. The music community and especially the NYC (I almost wrote Brooklyn) DIY community is mourning the loss of the man who helped found both Less Artists More Condos and Under 100. The Village Voice (who as they point out have had their share of interaction with him) have a really nice writeup about him, and it in they posted a video which is the last piece of music Ariel ever recorded. Listen to it below....

Continue reading "the last song Ariel Panero ever recorded (RIP Ariel)"