There’s a new melodic punk/emo band emerging out of Cleveland called see you. Featuring Van DeFilippo (ex-Dead Leaves) and Justin Vaughn (Low Morale), this band’s got a fun style that compares to a younger The Get Up Kids, less sad Saves the Day, and even hint at some Strike Anywhere.
They recently dropped “Doom or Bloom” and I have to tell you all, this is great. The track was recorded with Dave Piatek (No Pressure, Light Years) and is streaming everywhere.
If someone were to ask me how old I was when I first got into Hot Water Music, I would tell you I have no idea because it feels like they have been with me for most of my life. The amount of times that band hits my ears is likely excessive, but if you are a fan, you totally understand why.
I was slightly thrown back when I learned earlier this year, they were playing Cleveland in celebration of being a band for 30 years. Three freaking decades of being one of the most prolific punk bands out there. Wild.
To make things even more amazing with their anniversary tour, they announced special guests Tim Barry and Quicksand would be playing Cleveland. There was no way in hell I was going to miss that. Thanks to an old pal, I even was able to snag a photo pass to make it even more memorable by capturing the night.
Seeing Hot Water Music, Quicksand, and Tim Barry on a Friday night in downtown Cleveland was the best way to start the weekend. Outside there were boomers rocking their Rolling Stones shirts a night early to the show they probably spent more than they should have and just tons of other people were enjoying their evening with food and music on Euclid and around E. 4th.
I can tell you through that they all missed out on the best time inside good ol’ House of Blues. The best part was that it was not overcrowded and there were people of all ages in attendance. Worst part was that there was one dude doing merch for all three bands – nice dude, but come on, nothing beats not waiting in line. Back in my day we cut people to get our merch because we had the cash ready… Ok, I am done being grandpa punk.
Tim Barry started the night off to a slew of adoring fans. Armed with his trusty guitar, he came out and did what he does best. I loved that he played “Dog Bumped” with fans singing along, but the best was “Fine Foods Market” when everyone shouting appropriately how fine they were. Storytelling folk punk rock doesn’t get much more entertaining than Barry. He had a great span of tracks from his solo career, but I personally would have loved to have heard more.
Did I wish I was seeing Avail? Well yes, but seeing Barry live is one of my favorite things as I adore this dude.
Now I have been a fan of Quicksand for a long time now, but never had the chance to see them play. Seeing them rip through songs like “Omission”, “Inversion” and “Brown Gargantuan” had me in pure awe. They sounded amazing and, for a brief moment while I was in the photo pit, I just stood there and stared almost forgetting what I was supposed to be doing there for the first three songs.
I love how happy Walter Schreifels and Sergio Vega were on stage. They were just getting into their songs and eating up the crowd’s reaction. They were certainly well-received by almost everyone there.
Walter, Alan, and Sergio had no problem delivering one hell of a set. I hope some of the younger generation at that venue who may had never heard of this post-hardcore band went home and did their homework. My only complaint is I wished they were able to play a proper set. I understand they were a special guest so their time was limited, but come on, it is freaking Quicksand. Hopefully they will come back again soon.
Chuck Ragan and the rest of Hot Water Music took stage just around 10p kicking things off with “Menace”, a new track off their latest release with Chris Cresswell helping with strong vocals.
I about lost my shit when they moved into “Remedy”, perhaps my all-time favorite Hot Water Music track. Once again, I may have froze in that photo pit for a moment as the 25-yeal-old me was freaking the hell out. Needless to say, I was loving every moment of that track.
One cool part of the night was when Ragan paused and offered thanks not only to his band and stagehands but also to the entire venue crediting it not possible to have lasted this long in the business without their help.
The band played “After the Impossible” after admitting they had not played it live yet. They all took a moment to look at one another and just tore into it. I am not sure about the rest of the folk in the house, but it sounded good.
A memorable part of the evening was when Ragan started talking about reaching out for help if you are in a dark place and admitted when he wrote the song he was about to play that he was in a very bad state of mind. He encouraged people to talk about it and not hold it in. Moments later he broke into “Drag My Boy” and I got chills.
I was thrilled they played “Trusty Chords” but it was their last song that just turned a great evening, into the perfect evening.
As they were thanking everyone for coming out, a stagehand ran out with a mic stand and picked up the mic that was on the ground. They broke into “Simple Song” with Tim Barry. I am fairly certain everyone in attendance sang along. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to hear Barry sing that Avail song. Looked like I got some of that wish that I wanted.
No lie, this was one of the best nights of music I have had in a while. Three of my favorite bands playing their hearts out. It does not get much better than that.
Here are a few photos I was able to take. I love I get to do this. Enjoy.
This year absolutely flew by and here I am scrambling to toss something together to validate myself for poorly running my blog.
Clearly other objectives in life got in the way of how I wish I could maintain the site and keep it current, but here we are, so I guess I just do what I can, when I can.
I will say this past year has been a wild ride and I was able to really to enjoy it with friends and family, but something tells me that next year is going to be even better.
The absolute highlight of 2023 was covering the Punk in Drublic fest (thanks Vanessa!!!!) in Columbus, OH. If you missed that you can check it out HERE. To see so many of my favorite bands with some close pals of mine was just perfect.
I may not have reviewed a lot of bands this year, hell, I think I only did one looking back…but I did listen to tons of music and wanted to share a few that really caught my attention in 2023.
Enjoy.
BHP BEST OF 2023 LIST
Codefendants – This is Crime Wave
Easily one of the best releases this year. When I heard Fat Mike got The D.O.C. to drop some lines on one track I knew this was going to be something special.
Lucero – Should’ve Learned by Now
I love Lucero and everything they stand for and have to admit this took me a couple of listens to truly get into and I am glad I did because there are some gems on this one.
Heart Attack Man – Freak of Nature
I love this album. I really do not know what else to say here other than if you have not checked it out yet, you really should change that.
koyo – Would You Miss It?
This band won me over this year in the best way. Melodic emo hardcore. Does it get any better than this?
Militarie Gun – Life Under the Gun
Catchy as hell sums up this release. This has been a weekly listen since it dropped.
Sincere Engineer – Cheap Grills
File this one under “Deanna Belos makes me cry again with her poignant lyrics.” Dammit.
Bollweevils – Essential
Dr. Daryl Wilson is back with the gang and completely blew me away with this release. It sounded even better live at a local dive bar. That was a true treat.
Blink 182 – One More Time
I grew up in the 90s. Did you seriously not think this was going to land here at some point? Old punks are still cool, we just go to bed at a reasonable time.
Spanish Love Songs – No Joy
This band always stabs me in the feelings. This album was no exception.
Svalbard – The Weight of the Mask
I found this band a few years back as a suggestion to Holy Fawn and have loved them since. I was so stoked to see a new album drop by them this year and it simply rules.
Hot Mulligan – Why Would I Watch
Pop punk fun. Honestly, I did not think I was going to enjoy this one as much as I did.
Chayla Hope – Damn, Feelings
True Cleveland talent here. I will not be shocked when she grabs the attention of the world. Chayla can do no wrong.
Joey Valence & Brae – Punk Tactics
Just got into these guys a few weeks ago and adore their style that really reached back to the 90s. This release is pure fun and begs to be listened to on repeat.
Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here.
This was one of those releases I read a review on and knew I needed to stop what I was doing and check it out. It is wild.
Incendiary – Change the Way You Think About Pain
Meanest album of the year. I adore it and listen to it on my worst days.
MSPAINT – Post-American
Music-genre bending at its best. I certainly cannot tell you their style other than “all of the above.”
Flying Racoon Suit – Moonflower
Oh hi, this band takes almost all the sounds of music I adore, tosses it in a blender, purees it, and pours out one hell of a release. Do not let the band’s name fool you.
Kerosene Heights – Southeast of Somewhere
2023 was a pretty emo year for me and this band helped fuel that.
I want to thank all my friends out there for keeping me going. New and old, life rules when you are all around.
More importantly, shoutout to my amazing kids who continue to give me purpose in life and let me continue to be my goofy-ass self with zero apologies. I hope one day you come across this and are reminded of the joy you both bring me.
Happy New Year and thanks for reading. Let’s see if I can kickstart the blog in 2024. I think I am up for it.
This review may have taken a minute to complete, mostly because of life, but also because of the high I was on from such a killer weekend of music and friends.
When I think of the band NOFX, I have so many countless memories, like seriously, it is probably unhealthy how much this band means to me.
I recall the first time my friend Mike put on “Linoleum” for me when we were teens. I fell in love almost instantly with them and have not stopped listening since. I have all of their albums, tons of their 7″s, plenty of ticket stubs, and a slew of merch including a 90s red bucket hat that is bleached from the sun and doesn’t even fit on my fat head.
I first saw them in 1996 at Warped Tour in Cleveland that was under the Valley View bridge at Cloverleaf, a former racetrack turned flea market on a gravel lot. Two years later they played with Hi-Standard and the Bouncing Souls at the Agora where after the show they asked me to take them to the local nudie bars, but my pals with me were underage so they moved on to the next bunch of fans and off they went.
Just like everyone else out there who appreciates this punk rock foursome, I was legit bummed out when they announced NOFX was going on one last tour.
Of course they wanted to finish up touring in style:
40 Years, 40 Cities, 40 Songs
They announced their final tour would be presented by Fat Wreck Chords Punk In Drublic and that they would be bring plenty of supporting acts with them. I about fell out of my chair when I saw the Columbus lineup and knew I had to be there:
June 24th
Bad Cop Bad Cop Codefendants Adolescents Strung Out Less Than Jake Circle Jerks
June 25th
The Last Gang Mustard Plug Get Dead Suicide Machines The Bouncing Souls Descendents
The added bonus was two nights of NOFX playing five of their albums in their entirety in addition to an entire set.
The albums they picked for Columbus were:
Punk in Drublic Wolves in Wolves Clothing White Trash, Two Heebs, and a Bean So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes The Decline
It is worth noting that the band was actually supposed to play Self/Entitled originally, but Smelly learned the wrong album so they just decided to go with it.
There was no way I was missing this weekend, and I did not. I lucked out and was able to join some of my pals who opted out of camping in favor of an AirBnB and, at my age, I was totally ok with that. What was even cooler is that I secured a photo pass and came out of retirement in a sense to shoot the set. Saying I was stoked was an understatement.
Legend Valley is actually about 30 minutes east of Columbus and is a stage, some gravel, and a hill of grass. It is like a bare bones Blossom Music Center and I was completely fine with this. It reminded me of Cloverleaf, that flea market grounds I first saw NOFX at.
Each day for the first three hours, breweries from all over handed out “10” samples of their hoppy goodness. The quotes are because it was more like unlimited. I am not a drinker anymore so cannot tell you what was the best out of them all, but my pals all were feeling pretty good by late afternoon before even buying their first over-priced can of alcohol.
Aside from the brewery tents, there was merch galore by Fat Wreck, Smart Punk, and others. There were a few food trucks too closer to the stage. Punk Rock Saves Lives was doing their thing and Dylan Flynn from Pass the Bass had a tent where he was raising money for the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) by taking donations and selling merch.
As an added bonus, Jared Gaines was selling his punk inspired flash on prints, pins and shirts. He even drew up limited edition flash specifically for the Ohio Punk in Drublic show:
Come 2pm, the bands started playing every hour on the hour. They played mostly 30-minute sets each to give enough time for the next band to get set up and have sound check.
Bad Cop Bad Cop started the festival off. This all-female band played as if they were head-lining the weekend and people were just eating it up. Linh Le’s energy was indescribable during their set. It should be noted that throughout the entire weekend, she and Stacy Dee could be seen on the sides of the stage singing loud and proud. I loved seeing this support for the touring bands as well as just two women living the moment just like all of the other thousands of fans in attendance.
Codefendants were the one act I really wanted to see, and I am glad I was able to. This punk/rap hybrid may not have fit the bill compared to the other acts, but they delivered and were just amazing to watch. Dee from Bad Cop Bad Cop came out to sing her verses in “Disaster Scenes” which honestly I was hoping for. Sadly, The D.O.C. did not join them on stage during “Fast Ones,” but goddamn that song sounded amazing live. I was overly impressed with their set and have the feeling the won over a ton of new fans.
Seeing the Adolescents live just incredible. Tony Reflex rocked a large black mask that covered his face and he tore through their set as if it wasn’t even there. I think the one thing that hit me while watching them was knowing that Steve Soto passed just around this time of the year in 2018. Hearing “Welcome to Reality” and “Amoeba” was an added treat.
Strung Out was entertaining as hell and they flew though some great tracks without slowing down one bit. Opening up with “Too Close to See” just started off their set with plenty of momentum. I was stoked to hear “Daggers” as well as “Bring Out Your Dead.”
Less Than Jake never disappoints. I absolutely adore this band and I was not the only one. Everyone was having a good time to this band, singing along to tracks like “Lie to Me”, “Look What Happened”, and All My Best Friends are Metalheads.” I lost my mind and sang as loud as I could when they played “The Science of Selling Yourself Short.”
The Circle Jerks had a bit of a longer set as they were the last band prior to NOFX taking stage. Keith Morris took some of this time just to chat it up with the crowd. Some of me wishes they played more songs, but at least I can say I got to hear “Wild in the Streets” and the version “When the Shit Hits the Fan” which may have been the best thing to happen day one to this aging punk rocker.
NOFX took the stage and Fat Mike admitted he was slightly under the weather and on some antibiotics but did not let that slow him down at all. I have to admit, they did it right by not playing the albums they planned to cover from start to finish. By mixing up the tracks from Punk in Drublic as well as Wolves in Wolves Clothing, this was more than night one of their last show, it was a straight up blowout.
They played so many great songs, but I was most stoked to hear “Theme from a NOFX Album”, “Don’t Call Me White” and obviously “Linoleum.” Hearing “Doornails” with Lee playing acoustic guitar was incredibly poignant. I was with my pals for most of the set and can honestly say I was in the best company possible. They took one break, caused many laughs, and did exactly what they said they were going to do by playing 40 songs.
Having made it to the end of the night, we opted to skip the Melvinator after show DJ set in lieu of heading back to the house we were staying at, but we screwed up and sat in a van in a field for likely the entire performance. At least there was A/C in there… I am kicking myself for missing that one as I heard it was a good time.
Day one was just what I was hoping for. I got to see tons of bands I appreciate and did so with pals I have known for almost 20 years. The crowd was awesome all around too and everyone really seemed to be enjoying themselves. I had thought I would see more drunken debauchery around the grounds, but maybe I was not looking hard enough. I also learned that a certain minivan had a kick to it and may have done an accidental burnout in front of a cop on the way out…
Day two came up quick and literally flew by. My pals went for the beer tents as soon as we arrived and I went for the merch booths and stood my ground preparing to take more shots of the bands.
I just have to add that out of all the shows I have shot in my life, this was the first show/fest that I buddied up with other photographers. If you guys are reading this, thanks for being rad and I enjoyed covering this weekend with y’all.
Ok, back to what most of you likely care about…
The Last Gang stsrted off the second day and completely won me over. I admit I sat on this ska punk band for years now, and that ended on a Sunday afternoon in Columbus. Brenna Red and crew played hard and promised the crowd they would come out and sign things after the set. I can confirm they did this for some super excited fans. Their set was just awesome and almost matched that Bad Cop Bad Cop-day-getting-started kind of energy. Their cover of “Guns of Brixton” was well received by many in the crowd as well as some of their originals like “Gimme Action” and “Noise Noise Noise.”
Mustard Plug literally pulled in a good crowd and as soon as ” Not Enough” started, the place went crazy. I am not sure security was ready for that one so early in the day. The energy these guys had was just outstanding and you could tell they were enjoying the response from the crowd. At one point they played their version of “Waiting Room,” and naturally everyone sing along. Their set was from start to finish just perfect and hearing “Aye Aye Aye” as well as “On and On” just ruled.
Get Dead was another band I was really excited to see. They played a great set full of old and new tracks including “Hard Times” and “Stickup.” Seeing them pull off “Abscessed” was just incredible. I loved that they also played “Fuck You” and I was not the only one as everyone joined in on singing duties.
The Suicide Machines had the place going crazy the moment they tore into “Islands.” Jason Navarro admitted he too was partaking in the fun and was feeling good. I swear, he spent more time against the crowd letting them take turns singing than on stage. Aside from a slew of tracks, “Break the Glass” and “New Girl” were sung loud and proudly by yours truly, along with thousands of other fans. I loved the moment when he gave a shoutout to my dudes in the Toledo punk band, Shitty Neighbors.
The Bouncing Souls certainly had plenty of fans and one of them even had a gift for them. It was a small toilet with “TOILET SONG” written on it. It made its way to the stage and Bryan was happy to hold it up, but the band admitted it was not on their set. No one really cared because they played plenty of old and new tracks for all to suck in. “The Gold Song”, “Sing Along Forever” and “Hopeless Romantic” were the tracks I enjoyed the most. I honestly wish they took the stage longer and I know I was not the only one.
The one band I was most stoked to see play was the Descendents and they sounded perfect. They nailed every song and played a hell of a set. I loved hearing “Everything Sux”, “Silly Girl”, “Clean Sheets”, “.Merican”….I should stop here right? No way, not this time. They also played “I Don’t Want to Grow Up”, “I’m the One”, “Bikage” and even “Weinerschnitzel.” It was just freaking perfect.
So something happened to me before NOFX took stage that sadly I will never forget. I was catching up with one of the other photographers up my the merch tents and an inebriated, young man approached us and spotted our VIP tags and cameras. He asked us if we could get him backstage to which we explained to him this VIP was not really all access, but more of an opportunity to use a bathroom with AC. He put his hand on my shoulder and asked me if I could help him grant his dying wish. I told him it really depended on the ask and he told me he had cancer and wanted me to get his bracelet to Fat Mike in hopes Fat Mike would yell at him. I told him I was not sure I could commit to that and encouraged him to try and just get close and give it his all. I am not sure the truth behind the interaction, but I really hope the best for that young man.
NOFX took the stage likely for the last time in Ohio before the sunset. Just before this happened, the band, along with many performers over the weekend took a moment to do a celebratory shot behind Smelly’s drumkit. It was seriously bittersweet to see this moment. They came out son after just as they did 24 hours ago dancing to the “Time Warp Dance.”
Once again, they blasted through songs off the albums they promised to play in their entirety: So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes and White Trash, Two H–bs, and a Bean and well as tossed in some others including their cover of Rancid’s “Radio” and even “Can’t Get the Stink Out.”
I enjoyed their second set slightly more than the previous night’s. Mostly this was due in part to finally seeing NOFX play “The Decline.” For years when I would see them play shows since the song came out, they would tease it, but they never committed. I was happy and sad as they played this punk rock opus. In fact, at the very end, I was overcome with emotions, and I know I was not the only one. If this band never plays Ohio again, at least the last song I got to hear was the one I have been hoping they would play for me for years.
For two nights, NOFX played my favorite albums in their catalog and more. I was in great company and could not have had a better time. They brought on so much talent with them to make the festival even more special. I left that Sunday night on a high I have not felt in a long time. It was an incredible sendoff for a band I have been listening to for 30+ years.
As my friends and I left, I could not help but to think to myself how lucky I was to have been able to make this one. Fatherhood has changed life for me over the years in the best ways, and I was not sure I was going to be able to make this one work let alone cover it, but there I was, leaving Legend Valley with my pals about to do one more burnout in the mini-van just to get some last laughs by everyone with me.
Sometimes a band from your past does the ultimate awesome and puts out new material 14 years after their last release. Chicago’s Bollweevils surprised many, including myself, and dropped an incredible album called Essential on the possible world-famous Red Scare Industires records.
The album title is a strong nod to the actual professions of the members of the band. No lie, aside from Dr. Daryl Wilson (yes, a real doctor who saves lives), there are first responders and educators who make up the Bollweevils.
This band has always resonated with me well because they had a few albums on Dr. Strange Records back in the 90s which I listened to frequently. They called quits in 1996 and came back into the scene around 2006 when they played Riot Fest but kept a low profile and clearly took the time they needed to get back at it without missing a beat.
“Predisposition” kicked things out as if the band never stopped. What a powerhouse of an opener. Wilson and crew sound better than ever and I hate to say this, but I was pleasantly surprised about this. Like I should have even carried that thought.
Following up was “Galt’s Gulch”, a well put together track similarities gravitating towards an Ayn Rand novel. The fact they repeat “who’s John Galt”, which in the novel was about the sad current state of affairs much like today. “Atlas Shrugged” is the book I speak of, and if you ever read it, you’ll understand more.
One of my favorites on this album was “The Cutting Solution”. This track was well supplied with some insane drumming that just kept the energy high. Wilson’s singing was just so on point here.
“Theme” was just that. If the Bollweevils had their own show like the Aquabats do, this would certainly be the song that played at the start. Certainly, this a tongue and cheek track, but goddamn this was so fun.
Then there was “Bottomless Pit”, another banger. The entire band came together so well on this one. Fast and to the point, it was exactly what I would expect from these guys.
The track that just won me over was “Resistance.” In true punk fashion, this track had me wanting to memorize the lyrics so I could play it over and over while singing along. Loved the breakdown as well as the group vocals. It was not a complicated song yet got the job done.
“Liniment and Tonic” should be the old punker anthem moving forward. All the old punkers who are reading this with their arms crossed in the back, this one is for you. Enjoy.
The Bollweevils are timeless in my book. They have definitely put in their time years ago and Essentials has no indication of a break ever with their sound. They are still energetic and catchy as ever. Fair warning though, this album clocks in at just over 22 minutes. I assure you there is no lull in this release and there are plenty of playback opportunities.
As I find myself closer to 50 these days (punk is dad), it is beyond refreshing to hear a band from your teenage years still killing it. In a day and age when most punk rock does not even rest on the edge of the genre, it’s the punk rock veterans who continue to remind me why I adore this kind of music.
Available on CD and LP, the album is out there for you to obsess over. Do not sit on this one. Trust me.
