photos by Deneka Peniston, words by BBG

Cro-Mags @ Bowery Ballroom

The venue was packed and it was a tattoo convention of NYC born and bred punks. You could tell the band was beloved by the hometown crowd and John Joseph's patter with the crowd was on cue. He got a message across (it's the food not the pharmaceuticals that can save us) along with some humor "you need to watch some soul train clips before you come back up here with that stuff" to one rhythmically challanged stage diver...

NYHC is a genre unto itself, with bands like Agnostic Front, Murphy's Law, Madball and of course the Cro-Mags doing the heavy lifting to get it where it is today, which is, I assure you from my travels abroad, very international and still growing. -[Punk Outlaw]

If, like me, you spent your July 4th weekend out of town and half-wishing you didn't miss the show, you're in luck: Cro-Mags will play a FREE show at House of Vans on July 29th and with Fucked Up! (thanks Sean). The Friday night date is one of the four unannounced House of Vans lineups. NO RSVP yet, but RSVP is still open for the next House of Vans event on July 14th with Superchunk, OFF! and Lemuria.

Meanwhile find Jon Joseph on one of his historic Rocks Off walking tours. He and Jake Szufnarowski (whose band 'Tragedy' is in residency at Brooklyn Bowl this month) take groups out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Fucked Up and Cro-Mags also both recently played Chaos in Tejas. Fucked Up was also just in NYC to play Terminal 5 and 285 Kent.

More pictures of Cro-Mags (none of the support) and a video from Bowery, below...

Continue reading "Cro-Mags played Bowery Ballroom (pics), playing free show at House of Vans with Fucked Up"

Cro-Mags at Terminal 5 (more by Meghan McInnis)

NYC hardcore legends the Cro-Mags will headline a show at Bowery Ballroom on July 1st. Tickets go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon, and general sale on Friday.

The uber-fit Cro-Mags frontman John Joseph also keeps busy in other ways. This Thursday, May 19th, you can catch him giving a nutrition demo along with a training session with celebrity trainer Clay Burwell at 6:30 at 276 Bowery (Nike Stadium). John also continues to teach people about life on the Lower East Side as a guide for Rocks Off Walking Tours.

In semi-related news, despite rumors to the contrary, tickets will be available at the door for the Black & Blue Bowl at Webster Hall on May 28th. The show features a return of Gorilla Biscuits alongside sets from Sick of It All, Agnostic Front and others.

"Rock N Roll has lived, breathed, evolved and injected itself into NewYork City - transforming itself, the city, the people and the very culture of America and the world along the way. Please allow us to show you the when, the how, the why, and the who.

A walk through Manhattan's East Village is a walk through Rock N Roll history. Boston can have their Freedom Trail and Philly can keep their Liberty Bell, nowhere has more history, culture and tradition than New York City and nowhere rocks nearly as hard. Since famed radio DJ Alan Freed coined the term Rock N Roll, New York has been its ground zero.

Sure, you could go to Cleveland and walk through a museum, or surf Wikipedia until you're blind....OR you could immerse yourself in the very streets and sights where ordinary men and women became immortal rock gods and the proverbial "shit went down." We're talking about a walking tour of the great Rock N Roll haunts of NYC, a one-of-a-kind pilgrimage through the East Village and Lower East Side. From the late 19th century Vaudeville and Yiddish Theaters of the Bowery to the Homesteading by the Beatniks in the 50s, the hippies and radicals of the 60s and the classic rock and punk rockers of the 70s, this is where rock transformed from music to religion.

The Rocks Off Rock N Roll Walking Tour will show you ALL OF IT and then some. See where Leadbelly spent the last few years of his life, Charlie Parker's historic home, the Fillmore East, CBGB, Max's Kansas City, The Electric Circus, The Palladium, The Ritz / Webster Hall, Irving Plaza, Tompkins Square Park, Madonna's first NYC apartment, and tons more! Be prepared to walk the streets that LEGENDS have walked, piss in urinals that Lou Reed pissed in, drink egg creams that the NY Dolls drank, shit where GG Allin shit (everywhere). See where everyone who was anyone partied, played, created, and inspired the whole wide world."

by BBG

The ST Army, 2010...

Suicidal Tendencies are touring in October and November. And in what will undoubtedly be an absolute mosh-stravaganza, they'll play Terminal 5 in NYC with Cro-Mags NYC (yes, the John Joseph version) and Underdog on November 14th. Tickets go on sale Friday 9/24 at noon, but are on American Express presale Wednesday (9/22) at 11AM. For the curious, Suicidal Tendencies 2010 is:

Mike Muir - vocals (1981-present)
Mike Clark - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1987-present)
Dean Pleasants - lead guitar (1997-present)
Steve 'Thundercat' Brunner - bass (2002-present)
Eric Moore - drums (2008-present)

In related news, John Joseph of Cro-Mags has released his new book, Meat Is for Pussies: A How-To Guide for Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass, and Take Names. The book, a look into health and a meatless diet is on sale now. Order a copy.

All Suicidal dates, some great video of John Joseph training, and more below...

Continue reading "Suicidal Tendencies touring, playing NYC w/ 'Cro Mags NYC'"

by BBG

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

The 10 for 10 tour featured somewhat different bands on different legs of the tour, but NYC featured the following in set order: War of Ages, The Ghost Inside, Crime In Stereo, Trapped Under Ice, Death Before Dishonor, This Is Hell, Vision, Terror, Poison The Well, and Madball.

Pictures from the July 10th show continued below...

Continue reading "Madball, Poison the Well & other bands @ Terminal 5 in NYC (the 10 for 10 tour) - pics "

by BBG

Cro-Mags at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 (more by Tyler Nutter)

Cro-Mags (I guess they dropped the "Jam") will make their return to NYC on Dec 29th, almost exactly a year from one of the last times they played NYC. Tickets are on sale for the show at Santos which will feature RazorBlade HandGrenade "and more TBA".

Vocalist John Joseph is gearing up to release his second book, Meat is for Pussies, due soon via Punkhouse. In addition, look for John Joseph to become a reality TV star:

"Since the publication of Evolution, I've been getting some interesting offers for projects and have been able to develop some ideas. One of those ideas is a reality show where they place troubled kids in a house with me and I try and help them with the lessons I learned when I was in their shoes. A pretty big producer is involved so we'll see what happens." Joseph revealed. "Next week I will be speaking at a high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn to at risk kids who've been arrested and are in, or thinking about joining gangs. It's my way of paying forward the gifts I've received."

Continue reading "Cro-Mags schedule a show, John Joseph wrote another book "

John Joseph (Cro-Mags) @ FFF Fest (more by Tyler Nutter)

today in NYC
* Hanukkah stuff
* Cro-Mags @ Knitting Factory
* Andrew WK @ The Crazy Donkey
* Matisyahu & Assembly of Dust @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* The Gaslight Anthem & The Bouncing Souls @ Convention Hall in NJ
* Yo La Tengo, Metal Mountains & Todd Barry @ Maxwell's

You can also catch Andrew WK on New Years Eve at Santos Party House.

There aren't many more chances to go to Knitting Factory.

John Joseph's book is one of Thurston Moore's favorite things.

What else?

Thurston Moore @ ATP NY 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

1. Eight Miles High (Das Wilde Leben) - German movie about Uschi Obermaier, super 60s Rolling Stones groupie who was a commune radical in Berlin.

continued below...

Continue reading "Thurston Moore's top 10 things in 2008 "

photos by Tyler Nutter

"Cro-Mags (jam)" were great, and a huge hit, at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on Sunday, November 9th. They played to a massive, enthusiastic crowd. Who knew there were so many hardcore fans, in Texas, and in Texas and willing to to go see bands at an outdoor festival? I'm sure it helped that the bill also included Bad Brains, not to mention Bouncing Souls, Integrity, and DOA.

As previously posted, the difference between Cro-Mags and Cro-Mags (jam) is that the "jam" version is John Joseph with a mostly new Cro-Mags band that doesn't include Harley Flanagan or Parris Mayhew. And, as previously mentioned, the "jam" band at Fun Fun Fun Fest consisted of an impressive lineup of hardcore alumni. They were John Joseph, AJ from Leeway on guitar, Craig Setari of Sick of it All on bass, and Mackie Jayson (one of Cro-Mags' past drummers and a former member of a million other bands, and currently in Madball) on drums. Collectively they ripped through at least 14 songs that mostly came from the Cro-Mags' 1986 debut album The Age of Quarrel and also included a cover of Wire's "12xU". Lots of people were going nuts. Lots of people knew all the words. Lots of people were slam-dancing, and I think there were more (and more experienced) stage-divers than during any other band's set at the fest.

John Joseph was on a roll with his between-song banter as well. He gave shout-outs to lots of other bands on the bill including Walter and Sammie of Rival Schools, and, of course, Bad Brains who John was also later seen watching from the stage. John also spoke about the government, about living with Ian Mackaye and Henry Rollins after he went AWOL from the military, asked what happened to punk and hardcore meaning something, said 9/11 was an inside job, and found it symbolic that the stage was clearly facing the lit-up Texas State Capitol building that happens to be located in Austin.

More pictures, the setlist, and some videos below...

Continue reading "Cro-Mags (Jam) @ Fun Fun Fun Fest, Austin - pics & setlist"

Photos by Edwina Hay

DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - No Epiphany (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - Twice Born (MP3)

In order to capture as much of the 12 hour show that the band Fucked Up played at the Rogan Store on the Bowery near where CBGB used to be yesterday (10/14), we set up photographic shifts. Ryan was 4-6, Chris was 6-8, Edwina was 8-midnight and Tim was midnight until 2am. We failed at getting anyone there from 2-4 in the afternoon when it started. We also ended up with overlap because naturally, people stayed longer than their alotted time period, especially Ryan who was there for 8 hours. That's Jon Josef of Cro-Mags and Cro-Mags (jam) fame above in the red t-shirt (not the first time a hardcore/punk legend has joined FU on stage). The rest of Edwina's pics are below...

Continue reading "Fucked Up & friends @ the Rogan Store - the final set of pics"

Photos by Ryan Muir

Ryan's official shift at the 12-hour Fucked Up show was really only 4-6, but he got there a little late and stayed much longer. John Joseph did two Cro-Mags songs with Fucked Up ("Malfunction" and "Life of My Own"). Tim Harrington sang "Over the Edge" by Underdog, "Victim in Pain" by Agnostic Front, and then moshed while someone grabbed the mic and sang Agnostic Front's "Last Warning" F'd Up played "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones twice. First with Moby singing and then later with Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend singing. Moby also did "12XU" by Minor Threat and "Nervous Breakdown" by Black Flag. Ezra also sang "Parents" by the Descendents and a Blitz song. J. Mascis did "Chunks" by Last Rites (a song D Jr often covers) with them while Matador's Gerard was on guitar and then J. played drums while Fucked Up played "I Saw It" by Deep Wound. Fucked Up of course played lots of hardcore and punk covers on their own too, and even some originals. Pictures of it all below...

Continue reading "Fucked Up, Moby, Vivian Girls, John Joseph, Matt Sweeney, J Mascis & frends @ the Rogan Store (4:30-12:30) - pics"

Bloodclot @ Studio B, April 5, 2008 (Destroy Babylon)

Tickets for the five NYC Rancid shows go on sale Saturday @ 10am....

Rancid
AUGUST 13th with Sick Of It All & Bloodclot
AUGUST 14th with Theo and the Skyscrapers & Westbound Train
AUGUST 15th with Capital Radio And Big D & The Kids Table
AUGUST 16th with Murphy's Law & Shiragirl
AUGUST 17th with Madball & Bomb the Music Industry

Continue reading "RANCID - openers & TICKETS +++ Black n Blue Bowl footage"

by Black Bubblegum

The brothers Koller (aka Sick Of It All) won't be there, but the brothers Miret (Roger Miret, Agnostic Front) & Cricien (Freddy Cricien, Madball) will..... and by there I mean the Black & Blue Bowl 2008. This year's festival (FKA the Superbowl Of Hardcore) will take place at Studio B (same as last year) and will feature, in addition to NYHC legends and headliners Agnostic Front & Madball, LA's Terror, a reunited Breakdown, Fahrenheit 451, Backfire, Setback and many others.... Tickets are on sale here.

So just because the Koller brothers won't be there, don't mean they slackin on they pimpin.... au contraire! The boys will be preparing for a two month European tour with Wisdom In Chains, but not before showing the east coast some love... including this Saturday night (Feb 9) at the Highline Ballroom (tickets are still available) with Black & Blue Bowl participants Death Before Dishonor & Bloodclot (featuring John Joseph of the Cro-Mags, who just released his memoirs). SBOH flyer, and all dates, below....

Continue reading "Sick of It All, Agnostic Front, Black n Blue Ball, Tour Dates"