Punk rock ‘n’ rollers Johnie 3 are about to explode - in more ways than one. Ed. note: This article first appeared in the Fall 2009 Youngstown Pulse. By B.J. LISKO Youngstown Pulse Magazine Editor YOUNGSTOWN – For two years I attempted to gather the gents from Youngstown punk rock staples Johnie 3 for an interview. It couldn’t be done sober. Not a chance. Anyone familiar with the band knows they operate under the influence – sometimes to better degrees of success than others – but always in spectacularly entertaining fashion. Alcohol and three chords are air for J3. There was a...
Ed. Note: This article first appeared in the Summer 2010 Youngstown Pulse. By B.J. LISKO Youngstown Pulse Magazine Editor If you are 30 years old or younger, you haven't seen as many local shows as Chris "Piggy" Williams. If you are 35 years old or younger, you still haven't seen as many shows as Piggy. I'd be willing to bet most anyone all the way up to the age of 50 hasn't seen as many Youngstown-area gigs as Piggy has. You really should know Piggy. If you don't, you should surely recognize him. And if you still don't, you're obviously about to. Piggy is the Pabst poster boy for a reaso...
Got the urge to mosh? This is the band to go see. These guys ooze classic punk rock, and there aren't too many bands these days that still do. Go out and see these guys, and go absolutely ballistic. 8/10 Now That's Class • Cleveland ...
This Michigan act plays a thrashy style of punk rock with spastic drums and wild screams. As the name implies, they have a pretty light-hearted sense of humor. Their show at Lakewood's Spitfire Saloon promises to be a booze-fueled rager. 8/12 Spitfire Saloon • Cleveland ...
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Watch the Throne” A collaboration the hip-hop world has been waiting for. The duo got all H.A.M. on us back in January with their first single, giving us a taste of what was to come. Expect music fans to love or hate this release, as the hype on this one is over the roof. Portugal. The Man, “In the Mountain, In the Cloud” “In the Mountain, In the Cloud” is the band’s debut full-length on major label Atlantic Records and once again does not disappoint. Indie darlings Portugal. The Man have once again assaulted our senses with their psychedelic jam-ban...
1.You grew up in Detroit MI, how did you get started playing music? I got started trying to make a drum out of an oatmeal cannister. Then I saw a neighbor kid's electric guitar and knew I had to have one, even before I heard it. I had to wait several years, but in the meantime, my mom brought home a used acoustic, which I beat into splinters eventually. My first electric came to me from K-Mart: a Tiesco Del Ray. 2. I know you have been in many bands through the years from 80’s punk band ANGRY RED PLANET to the rowdy bluegrass folk of THE SALT MINERS. Do you only play solo now? I l...
As one of his many side projects, The Dead Milkmen’s guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro, under the name Joe Jack Talcum, plays a toned-down style of music reminiscent of his early ’80s punk-rock days. This summer he’s touring with The Bassturd, with whom he recorded a split 7-inch. ...
Whiskey Daredevils have the sound of southern rockers and the attitude of punk rockers. So what does that make them? Southern punk rock? Country punkabilly? Rockasouthernpunk? Yeah, any of those will do. These guys ooze confidence, claiming to be the best country punkabilly band in the world. The world! They might be a little cocky, but they have the music to back it up. WD is in your face with a lot of things, but mostly WD is in your face with sound. They've toured the US and Europe, but know who their people are: Clevelanders. Songs like "Gary Sez Fuck Em," "On the Cuyahoga" and "Stories Ab...
How do you describe your style? I have always considered myself to have an alternative style. Tailored grunge, if you will. It’s kind of an oxymoron, I know. No saggy pants or baggy shirts for me, just a tailored look, yet still a little grungy, Akron-esque. What has had the strongest influence on you when it comes to fashion? Definitely the music I listen to. I know that sounds cliché, but looking back on my life, it seems to be very true. I went through the metal phase, punk-rock phase, even the post-grunge, torn bootcut jeans-graphic tee-and-bandana stage. Lately, it...
If you're looking for some local punk rock, look no further than the saucily name Ellen Degenerate. This Akron-based band's music is high-energy rock, perfect to head band and jump around to. Crazy bass lines overtake the songs and drumbeats go so fast at some points it feels like a steady buzz. Paradoxically, there's a cohesion in it's disjointedness that just works. Check out this reunion show in honor of local character Jake Digman's birthday. Weird Penis and First Offense open. Perhaps Jake will show his and be charged with his... ...
“Everybody has their own style in this band and when it came together it made its own sound.” —Aaron Novak The thing with punk rock is that many bands attempt to pull off something original but instead sound like a carbon copy of what we’ve heard before. The success of the DIY scene in recent years has been a breath of fresh air — and a melting pot for some truly great acts. Worship This! have only been together for six months, but already sounds like they’ve been around far longer. Comprised of Aaron Novak (vocals, guitar), Jeremy Provchy (vocals, guitar), Josh Taylor (bass, s...
A night of Akron punk rock is in the cards: The dudes of Don Austin will join the ranks of legendary punkers Zero Defects for a show that already has “epic” written all over it. Openers Weird Penis will only add to the awesomeness. MORE INFO HERE...
The Goddamn Gallows are currently ravaging the states with their unique sound of furious, twanged-out, punk rock gutterbilly. Watch for them on corners, clubs and city jails in your town. On this dark evening you can catch them at Annabells! Misery Jackals and The Most Beautiful Losers open this beer swilling show. MORE INFO HERE...
On a cold, dark and violent night in Lansing, Mich., three young men met each other in a face-scarring fight with a group of gangbangers at a notorious East Lansing flophouse. From the blood of that sinister evening rose the band that would become The Goddamn Gallows. Currently ravaging the country with their uniquely furious, twanged-out, punk-rock gutterbilly, The Goddamn Gallows weave and twist across the highways like a pack of demented, nomadic, musical serial killers. Watch for them on corners, clubs and city jails in your town — or, if you’re feeling daring, head to Annabell’s ...
Pinup girl and punk rock, hillbilly, blues-belting anarchist, Candy Kane will hit the Beachland with a blend of traditional and eclectic. Kane cut her musical teeth in the early ’80s onstage with Social Distortion, Dwight Yoakum, Dave Alvin, The Blasters, X, Fear and Los Lobos, to name just a few. MORE INFO HERE...
Mike Watt is simply the living embodiment of the punk rock spirit. As a founding member of the highly influential Minutemen he created one of the most important bodies of work in the American underground. Watt has always stayed true to the D.I.Y. ethos that originally inspired him, emerging as one of the most highly respected figures in contemporary music. You can catch him at The Grog Shop! MORE INFO HERE!...
Nineteen eighty-one was a seminal year for hardcore music, a subgenre of punk that would go on to birth Rancid, Fugazi, Bad Religion, Black Flag and Sick of It All. D.O.A. released “Hardcore ’81”, giving a name to the movement — and a group of kids from Akron started making noise together under the name Zero Defex, often spelled 0DFx. For two years, 0DFx tore up the hardcore scene. Tommy Strange (guitar), Jimi Imij (vocals), Mickey “X-Nelson” Nelson (drums), Brad “No-Sweat” Warner (bass) blew the idea of what rock is right out of the water. Strange had previously been in Bur...
The Gingerdead Men and DeathCrawl are teaming up to play a double billing at The Matinee (originally booked at Annabell’s Bar & Lounge...scheduling conflict) on March 12. Both bands will perform shows separately and then combine forces to form a dysfunctional cover machine of The Gingerdead Men’s grimy metal punk-rock and Deathcrawl’s down-tempo metal. This free show (seriously, free) starts at 10. Free snacks and massive face-splintering volume make this the place to be. (The Gingerdead Men prides itself on not yet having a show that hasn’t inspired a mosh pit.)...
The Spitwads are from Akron's deepest darkest punk rock bowels. They play songs about porn stars and masturbation, wear stinky leather jackets, converse shoes and consume enough cheap beer to put down a large horse. They will be in full-on pop-punk debauchery mode at Ronali's The Rock in Massillon on Friday March 4th. You may need to wear a raincoat. The Said So, The Dead Records (from Ft Wayne IN) and The Most Beautiful Losers will also be there swilling beer and delivering fine rock treats for you kiddies....
Hailing from Albany New York, The Black Tie Operation will be rocking hard and fast at Annabells in Akron on Tues Mar 1st!...
