Kevin Seconds at Best Friends Day with 7Seconds (more by Chris Boarts Larson)

Hi. My name is Kevin Seconds, I am 50 years old this year and I have been a touring and recording singer-songwriter/musician for over 30 years now.

If you're reading this and following this group, you probably know of me from my longtime punk rock band 7Seconds or one of my various solo or side projects and support (or have supported) me...

Since the age of 19, I have made my life all about writing, performing and recording music and traveling all over the world to share it with people. It hasn't been easy, it's rarely been glamorous and I can't even say that I've been all that successful with it in the grander scheme of rock & roll things, but it's really the only life I know and the life I want and need, in order for me to stand upright and be happy.

For the past 10 years or so, and besides the occasional 7Seconds gig, I have also spent a lot of time touring by myself, just me and my acoustic guitar. I've made a handful of CDs and records and have been lucky enough to have traveled all over Europe, Canada and the U.S., playing with the likes of Elliott Smith, John Doe, Jonathan Richman, Bob Mould, Exene Cervenka, Chuck Ragan, Evan Dando, Juliana Hatfield, Tim Barry and so many more great artists.

Unfortunately, and for whatever reason, I've never had my own van to take out on the road. I've driven my own cars, have ridden in other people's vans or have spent a fortune renting vehicles from greedy corporate entities who look at every turn to screw me for every last nickel and dime I have.

All of these means of transportation have enabled me to be on the road but I feel that I am now at a sort of 'crossroads' as to what I will do now to keep myself active and working as a touring singer-songwriter, musician and performer. At the moment, there is only one thing really keeping me from being on the road more often and that is the lack of a decent mode of transportation.

I made this Kickstarter project in the hopes of raising enough money to do 1 thing: buy a decent, well-maintained van.

I don't need anything brand new and it doesn't have to be super fancy but it does have to be in GREAT running condition and no older than 10 years old.

Oh, and it needs to get decent gas mileage too.

I am hoping to raise a total of $7000 within the next 30 days and I REALLY REALLY TRULY need your financial help and support....

Love & Thanks,
Kev Seconds

Contribute to Kevin Seconds' kickstarter page (which is already topping $1,100 after only a few hours). Those who pledge $5 will get a personal thank you note. Those who pledge $250 or more will get their own song named after them. View his video testimonial below.

Kevin has four upcoming dates, two solo, and two with 7 Seconds, both of which are at Riot Fests (Chicago and Philly). 7 Seconds just played Best Friends Day. All dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Kevin Seconds needs a new van"

We previously discussed Phily's Riot Fest East that will feature an appearance from the mighty Descendents and The Suicide Machines who they also play with in NYC. Riot Fest East, an offshoot of the Chicago festival, happens on September 24th.

The Chicago version of the festival, October 5-9, previously announced that Weezer, Social Distortion, Descendents, 7 Seconds, ALL (two different eras!), Helmet, and X (playing Los Angeles) were all on the lineup, but left one big announcement for today...

On Friday October 7, 2011 Danzig will headline Riot Fest and perform a career spanning show featuring sets of Danzig, Samhain and Misfits songs with none other than Doyle joining on guitar the Misfits set. We've waited years for this and we can't wait to see the inside of the Congress Theater turn into a churning sea of humanity.

Tickets for both Riot Fest Chicago and Riot Fest East are now on sale, and more band announcements are stil to come(!).

Tickets are now also on sale for the Descendents show at Roseland Ballroom that Suicide Machines and H20 are opening.

X are performing Los Angeles at both Riot Fests AND on two nights at Irving Plaza in NYC. Tickets are on sale for those shows too.

Riot Fest show flyers and some videos is below.

Continue reading "Riot Fest Chicago completes lineup with "Danzig Legacy"! Descendents East Coast shows on sale too"

photos by Konstantin Sergeyev

Stiff Little Fingers @ Gramercy

Stiff Little Fingers played two NYC shows last week, tagging Europa on June 2nd and Gramercy Theater on June 3rd as part of their tour surrounding their appearance at Punk Rock Bowling:

How do I even begin to describe the degree of epic-ness for an event like the 13th Annual Punk Rock Bowling Tournament and Music Festival in Downtown Las Vegas? A lineup of rare punk bands from around the world? Sure! It takes place during a three-day weekend? Yes'm! A party venue? You bet your ass!

More than 24 bands performed at the yearly festival put together by BYO Records over the course of this past Memorial Day weekend. Bands included local greats such as the Descendents, as well as the forefathers of punk, Cock Sparrer...

The official first event of the festival didn't kick off until Saturday night, instead of Friday like last year's, but most attendees had rolled in Friday night, as several club shows with bonus bands were going on throughout the weekend. Saturday's diverse lineup included the '80s hardcore sounds of the Grim, the vintage tones of Stiff Little Fingers, and the comrade-like beats of Dropkick Murphys.

Stiff Little Fingers played most of their classics--"Wasted Life," "Barbwire Love," "Suspect Device," even their highly gratifying cover of the Specials "It Doesn't Make it Alright."-[OC Weekly]

Stiff Little Fingers, which features original members Jake Burns and Ali McMordie (in addition to Steve Grantley and Ian McCallum), are currently working on new material for a forthcoming LP and have three songs in the pipeline, all of which they have been known to play live: "Liars Club, "One Man Island" and "Full Steam Backwards". No word on when that album will be recorded/released as of now. Pictures from their NYC show at Gramercy Theatre with Kraut are in this post.

Descendents, who returned at Fun Fun Fun Fest in 2010, have since also played some Australia, European and California shows in addition to Punk Rock Bowling. Their upcoming reunion shows include NXNE (with Fucked Up and Off!) in Toronto, D-Tox Rock Fest (also in Canada), and Riot Fest in Chicago.

More pictures of the Stiff Little Fingers Gramercy show, video of one awkward moment, and videos of Descendents in Las Vegas too, below...

Continue reading "Stiff Little Fingers played Punk Rock Bowling (with Descendents), Europa & Gramercy Theater (pics & video)"

photos by Katie Hovland

Bouncing Souls @ Riot Fest 2010

The Bouncing Souls have announced their 2010 iteration of Home for the Holidays, now in its fourth year and featuring as many nights of shows at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Tickets are on sale for all four shows: 12/26, 12/27, 12/28, 12/29. Each night will have a different set of support, as 12/26 will get Strike Anywhere, Adrenaline OD, & The Great Explainer, 12/27 gets Fake Problems, Lemuria, & The Swellers, 12/28 gets Leftover Crack, The Menzingers, & Top Soil, and the final night (12/29) gets H20, Yuppicide and Dirty Tactics.

H20, on board for the 12/29 date at The Stone Pony, will also hit Highline Ballroom the next night (12/30) with Trapped Under Ice and Wisdom In Chains. The show is part of a short stint of confirmed dates for H20 (12/27 - 12/30) with more to be announced (12/2 - 12/5). Tickets are on sale to the all-ages, no barricade NYC show. Plus, the band is giving the audience the opportunity to pick the songs for the set from over 60+ choices including covers by Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and others.

Leftover Crack has a headlining show in NYC too, as the band will play Music Hall of Wiliiamsburg on 12/26. Tickets are on sale. Leftover Crack related project Star Fucking Hipsters will play NYC a month prior, hitting Knitting Factory on 11/28. Tickets for that are also on sale.

The Bouncing Souls played Riot Fest in Chicago (October 6th - 10th) alongside bands like Bad Religion, Cap'n Jazz, Circle Jerks, Off With Their Heads, and Propagandhi. Belated pictures from that show, as well as Bouncing Souls and H20 dates, are below.

Continue reading "Bouncing Souls Holiday Shows & other Leftover Crack & H2O dates ++ pics from Riot Fest "

by BBG

Tesco Vee's Hate Police have scheduled a FREE NYC show at Generation Records on August 28th in conjunction with the release of his new and essential book TOUCH AND GO: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83 out now via Bazillion Points. The show, which kicks off at 1PM, will be followed by a book-signing one hour later. Tony Rettman, author of Why Be Something That You're Not?, a look into early 80s Detroit hardcore, will also be there.

Later on that evening, Tesco Vee will team up With Negative Approach, Pissed Jeans, Mind Eraser, and others at Santos Party House for a release party for both books. Tickets are on sale.

Tesco Vee and Negative Approach will also be appearing at Chicago's Riot Fest taking place from Oct 6 - 10th in Chicago across six venues. Tickets for the festival, which features appearances from Bad Religion, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Articles of Faith, Cap'N Jazz, Snapcase, Corrosion of Conformity and many more. Tickets are currently on sale. Full lineup and flyer and tour dates below.

Continue reading "Tesco Vee adds a free show, Negative Approach, Riot Fest"

Joe Jack Talcum

Dead Milkmen guitarist Joe Jack Talcum sets off today (9/1) on a two week solo tour. The tour visits NYC this Friday, September 4th for a show at Cake Shop with Samuel Locke-Ward vs. Darren Brown and The Bassturd.

On September 2nd, Joe shares a bill with another punk rocker turned solo artist, Kevin Seconds, at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ (tix). That show is just one date on Kevin's own tour that he's been on since his band 7 Seconds played a couple of shows with the Bouncing Souls at Webster Hall and The Troc. Kevin plays Union Hall in Brooklyn on September 3rd (tix).

Speaking of The Troc, Joe Talcum will also be playing with the Dead Milkmen this fall for a limited set of shows. They play two nights at Riot Fest in Chicago on October 9th and 10th, and then a special hometown show at The Troc in Philly on October 31st. Tickets for the Halloween gig are on sale now.

Speaking of Riot Fest, 7 Seconds (and some other bands) have been added to the previously announced bill (which already included Dead Milkmen). Full lineup and schedule HERE.

Dead Milkmen played Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin in 2008. 7 Seconds are playing that fest in 2009.

Videos of Joe Jack with the Brooklyn What at Fontana's earlier this year, with all of his tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Dead Milkmen playing Philly on Halloween, Joe Jack Talcum touring, playing Asbury Lanes (w/ Kevin Seconds), Cake Shop"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Cock Sparrer - "Spirit of '76" (MP3)

First of all, Riot Fest Chicago is not a celebration commemorating the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. There are no cops in attendance (unsympathetic ones anyway), and no one is there to "set the record straight".

In 2005 Mike Petryshyn started Riot Fest... With one eye on the legendary Chicago punk scene and the other on the bands that inspire them, he started building the festival, with an ambitious multiple show/venue format despite his inexperience. He put special emphasis on reuniting influential punk and underground bands who hadn't shared the stage in years and Chicago's rich punk history has always been a huge part of the Riot Fest roster, this year 11 bands from the area are confirmed so far.

Year five of Riot Fest in Chicago is systems-go from Oct 7th-12th and with an enviable punk rock lineup of Butthole Surfers, Naked Raygun, Cock Sparrer, Dead Milkmen, Murder City Devils, NOFX, 88 Fingers Louie, Screeching Weasel, Pegboy, Off With Their Heads, and many many more. Full lineup and flyer (with New Bomb Turks not listed) is below.

Besides the obvious awesomeness of Naked Raygun, who played their first reunion gig at Riot Fest in 2006 (and who are playing NYC soon, tickets on sale), and a few key others, one exciting band on the lineup is the UK's Oi! pioneers Cock Sparrer:

Cock Sparrer (initially Cock Sparrow) are a punk rock band formed in 1974 in the East End of London, England. Although they never enjoyed much commercial success, the band is considered one of the most influential streetpunk bands in history, helping pave the way for the late-1970s punk scene and the Oi! subgenre. Their style was influenced by pub rock, glam rock and raw 1960s beat music as delivered by bands like The Small Faces and The Who. Their lyrics mostly dealt with topics related to the daily lives of working class people.

Cock Sparrer recently played Chaos in Tejas. Riot Fest and a two night stand at The Great American Music Hall in San Fran are currently the only US dates that the band has lined up for the future (dates below).

Cock Sparrer just released their first album in 10 years, Here We Stand, which washed up on US shores last month via Pirates Press. The 14 track LP was recorded by Pat Collier (The Vibrators) and mixed by Lars Fredriksen (Rancid) and includes "Spirit of '76" which is downloadable above.

Meanwhile, Riot Fest is also spreading it's wings out west to bring Los Angeles it's own taste from November 12-14. Lineups are to be announced, but look for those bands at the participating stages of The Palladium, The Wiltern, Key Club and The Roxy. More details are to come.

Continue reading "Riot Fest Chicago - 2009 lineup (Cock Sparrer, Dead Milkmen, Butthole Surfers, Naked Raygun, Murder City Devils & more) "

by Black Bubblegum

Dillinger Four and Municipal Waste have teamed up for a one off show at Danbro Studios in Brooklyn on Oct 14th with The Measure and The Ergs. Tickets are on sale online and at Academy Records in Williamsburg. The show is a record release party, celebrating the release of the long delayed Civil War by Dillinger Four on Fat Wreck Chords (Fat Mike of NOFX's label).

Municipal Waste will hit the road for a mini-tour with The Casualties leading up to the Brooklyn show, including a date with Caustic Christ in Pittsburgh and appearances at two noteable punk festivals.

The first, Riot Fest in Chicago, is headlined by the reuniting All, and also features The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, TSOL, DOA, Jay Reatard, Bouncing Souls, Paint It Black, and many many others. The second, and much larger The Fest 7 in Gainesville, will feature eight stages over three days and will include over 250 bands including Coalesce, Young Widows, The Holy Mountain, Valient Thorr, Ampere, Capsule, and the final show by New Mexican Disaster Squad.

Following Brooklyn, Municpal Waste will play a few more shows including one with Lamb Of God, and an appearance at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin (they replaced Flipper) followed by a UK tour in December with the mighty Iron Lung.

After The Casualties split away from Municipal Waste, they'll team up with Caustic Christ, Absurd System & Guilt Trip to play the Knitting Factory on Oct 17th. Tickets are on sale.

NOFX have scheduled a three shows in the tri-state... at Irving Plaza on Oct 15th & Oct 16th (both sold out) and Starland Ballroom on Oct 17th (tickets here). Dillinger Four opens all three shows.

All Municipal Waste and DF dates below....

Continue reading "Municipal Waste tour dates, the new Dillinger Four record, Riot Fest, The Fest 7, NOFX & the Casualties"

by Black Bubblegum

All? Yes, ALL.... of the second incarnation (with Scott Reynolds on vox, the first had Dave Smalley of Dag Nasty) of the classic Descendents offshoot have reunited and will serve as the headliners for this year's Riot Fest in Chicago on Oct 10 - 12.

Scott Reynolds (vocals) Sez:

"Stephen is going to jump a motorcycle over 10 flaming school buses, then save all the children inside them before they burn up! Bill is going to levitate, then disappear, then reappear on Karl's shoulders who will be riding a unicycle on a tightrope made from dental floss suspended 100 ft. above the stage. And I'm going to give one lucky audience member a makeover that will take 10 years off his/her appearance! So we better start practicing!! Everybody should come because it's going to rock sooo hard."

Tickets for All's performance, Oct 12, will go on sale here on Thursday April 24th at 8AM.