LONG ISLAND FEST 2010....Part ONE

While many were catching TSUNAMI FEST, as well as SICK OF IT ALL(6/10) in Manhattan The Long Island Fest was an event which I spent 2 of the 3 days stage managing out in Garden City where shows have been happening by a young promoter named Jake Zimmerman and his right hand man from Wolverine, Steve Huey. The kids on the island have such a beautiful thing going on so I do what I can to not only be around and catch shows, but I do what I can to participate and look out. This is where I want to be in this music and lifestyle. Lookin out and being there for this younger generation which will carry our thing into the future. It's easy for me since I've been laying low out here. It's a local happening, a real scene in definition, so it's interesting to see after being a part of this lifestyle almost since it started.

36 bands over the 2-day period...this was what I tried to manage, with a really small pa and so much going on.Thank God for backlines. A total of over 46 bands over the whole 3 days. There was an opening show on Thursday with headliners SHAI HALUD and SCRAPS & HEART ATTACKS, but I just stopped by to chill. I was just getting over a bad chest infection from Tacoma, Washington at RAIN FEST and I still looked like hell...

Friday had a strong turnout regardless of the fact that Sick of it All was playing to a packed house in Manhattan. Of course SOIA always draws big and does great shows, but these kids out on the island support their scene just like the good old days, and you've gotta love it. It was a little slow going on Friday, but by the end of the night the turnout was strong. Wolverine was the stand out out of the first 6 bands, and not because me and Huey became fast friends...he's got that attitude to front his band and lead them forward. They've got a strong following locally and they are tight for a group who coming into their own. Some more time, and once they get a release out they'll have a real chance of being a solid band.

The top 5....The Carrier, Tiger's Jaw, Incendiary, Cruel Hand, and With Honor...I did'nt get to see much of The Carrier and Tiger's Jaw, but the audience went off for all the bands singing along and danced the whole time.

INCENDIARY are what's up on Long Island at the moment...strong and tight. I caught them at the BnB Bowl for a bit, but I had a much better look this time around. I don't need to prop them up because they do it themselves.

I got to see CRUEL HAND's set almost completely after doing what I needed to do for the night keeping the show going, and these cat's from Maine were the band who stood out the most for me. With a full-length coming out on Bridge9 soon and a ton of fucking drive and energy. I spent a good amount of time talking with Chris throughout the show and he's truly capable as a frontman and a very easy going youngblood without that ego constriction that gets in the way of some personalities. They were the one band I could'nt say no to when the kids asked for one more song....hahaha, it put me on the spot so how could I be a dick and say no regardless to how late it was getting....especially for a band that shows such respect, and I even heard they do a cover of Unexpected.....I would have to be an asshole to have pulled them.

WITH HONOR closed the night real strong, and then one of members proposed to his girl towards the end of the set... first time I ever saw that happen in all my years, but since I'm an incurable romantic I do say it was something real cute too see. Something the couple will remember and the audience loved it.

WE had 2 fights through the night over bullshit I don't like to see, which had to do with younger cats fighting after girls getting hit and spit on. The first fight had to do with the usual dance-pit rambunctiousness with a small girl getting smacked, and I went out of my way to do a bit of scolding. The second was between band sets with a younger woman getting spit on, vice versa, and two guys scrappin. No one was beaten up in both scraps. I again made my point known and actually had them all apologize to each other at the end of the night. We have'nt had much violence happening for some time now, and I wanted to make a point with this younger scene that they need to try and be better than that. Especially when it comes to hitting on girls...I can't stand that shit. It may seem corny to some, but if you're gonna talk about unity and community in such a youthful scene then act like it... don't just talk it then not follow through and be a hypocrite...work it out.

The Black and Blue security which was on hand of course handled it all smoothly. The two situations were really not too dramatic, but with such a good energy going on there's really no need for that. Go on the dancefloor and do your thing, but if you're smacking on girls I can promise you ain't gonna get a girl to hang with you that way.

The usual tally and scorecard aftershow... a handful sprained ankles, half a hairlip, some blackeyes... all from going off for bands...not a bad night at all with just a little bit of dramarama....a good time for this young scene to start the summer with one more day/night to go...I'm having a lotta fun.