Punk rock review by Jay Frost also some killer shows this week!

March 23, 2013: Urban Waste, The F.U.s, Dead Aces and Aggressive Response at Bogies by Jay Frost

            This evening metal and its various sub-genres took the night off as Bogies hosted and all-punk lineup featuring “dawn of hardcore” trailblazers Urban Waste (NYC) and The F.U.s (Boston) co-headlining, as well as support from locals Dead Aces and Aggressive Response. As Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue Productions prides itself in bringing a diverse range of talent to the Capital District, an old-school hardcore-punk show was not necessarily a deviation from the norm, but rather a pleasant surprise. Another unique feature of this event was that the front stage area closest to the bar was utilized as opposed to the larger stage area in the rear of the club. This made for a much more intimate, “reach out and touch you” atmosphere

            Kicking off the show was Aggressive Response, who made their first appearance in front of an audience tonight. An angry five-piece consisting of the guitar tandem of Kurt and Joey “Soft-Hands” Berben, bassist Welf, drummer Jared and vocalist Jay Krak, Aggressive Response played a style of hardcore-punk that had more in common with early Sheer Terror than Black Flag or the Circle Jerks. In fact, that was the only comparison I could draw as I watched them play, so I wasn’t surprised when they concluded with a cover of “Just Can’t Hate Enough” – and an excellent one at that! Aggressive Response has a six-song self-titled EP out now, so make sure you pick it up. Look for them on Facebook and BandCamp as well. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see what they can do in the back room next time.

            Up next were Dead Aces, a three-piece playing a more traditional style of punk rock that drew on influences like the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Rancid and The Descendants. No strangers to the local club circuit, Dead Aces have been playing out for some time and have at least one full-length recording under their belt. Featuring a dual-vocal assault from their guitarist Scotty Ace and bassist John Lee, Dead Aces may lean more toward the traditional three-chord punk, but with a ferocious delivery courtesy of the percussive assault of Ryan Downey. Dead Ace’s vocalists alternated between harmonious clean vocals and angry shouts, the latter of which brought to mind bands like Kid Dynamite, “Revenge”-era Cro-Mags and The Casualties. Likely one of the hardest-working bands in the local punk scene, it isn’t difficult to catch these guys out at any number of local venues. Keep your eyes open.

            After the locals tore up the stage, the audience was treated to the first of two raw, energetic, lightning-paced doses of old-school hardcore punk beginning with Boston’s The F.U.s. Reuniting in 2010 after nearly fifteen years of marginal-to-non- activity, several line-up changes and a brief tenure as heavy metal act Straw Dogs, The F.U.s played sixteen songs in a half an hour. Stylistically, the band played a stripped-down form of thrashy punk. Though contemporaneous with Gang Green and “Dirty Rotten LP”-era DRI, The F.U.s unfortunately never gained the notoriety of these others outside of the Northeast – which is surprising, considering the originality they inject into this sometimes static genre.

            Consisting of original vocalist original vocalist John Sox, Rockin’ Bob Cenci and Jonesey Stunt (son of former member Mick Stunt) on guitars, Richie Rich on bass and Bob Furapples behind the kit, the F.U.s played material from their entire back catalogue. Upon the conclusion of their eponymous song, Sox commented with a chuckle: “I bet you never thought you’d be smiling after getting flipped the bird.” To me, this summed up the atmosphere of the entire evening: venting frustration, having a good time and simply not giving a fuck about society, your troubles or what the next man, whether next to you or on stage has to say. The F.U.s impressed me so much that I picked up a copy of their 1982 debut “Kill for Christ” from Sox at the merch table on my way out. They are still on tour with Urban Waste, and will be in Wallingford, Connecticut April 13^th. If you’re in the area or you love old-school hardcore punk enough to travel, check them out.

            NYC’s Urban Waste continued the old-school savagery. Playing an hour long set, they managed to crank out enough material to fill two full-length grindcore albums (or four seven inches, more likely). Though only active in their original incarnation from 1982 to 1984, Urban Waste’s impact on the burgeoning New York punk scene – and what became NYHC years later – is so far-reaching that they have been cited as influential by the likes of Agnostic Front’s Roger Miret. Like the F.U.s, they had also gone through a number of line-up changes, with guitarist Johnny Waste the sole surviving member from the old days.

            The crowd had remained relatively tame most of the night on account of the small space up front, but this went out the door with Urban Waste’s set. Memorable moments were “Banana Nut-cake”, “Reject”, “Police Brutality” and their eponymous tune. Stylistically similar to the F.U.s, but unique in an Agnostic Front “Cause for Alarm” manner, Urban Waste is most certainly from New York. There is no denying this; their attitude, sound and stage presence qualified this. If you couldn’t make this show and travel’s convenient, make sure you catch them on tour – not just for the novelty or nostalgia of seeing such a seminal act resurrected, but for the sheer fun of it.