Best Certainly Awesome Thing That I'll Never Do Again

I think that I've resolved to attend fewer concerts in 2006 with an emphasis on seeing bands I've always really liked and taking it a little bit easier with trying to catch all the latest and hotest bands to be making their first appearances. (Easy for me to say until White Rose Movement or the Cinematics stop by.) First on my list of favorite bands I'm finally seeing in 2006: The Bad Brains at CBGBs. Who? The Bad Brains, you know, super-influential DC Rastafari hardcore punk pioneers? (If you need to know more, go and get your Wikipedia on.) The Bad Brains don't play much, so this was a serious event, I met kids at the show who had flown in from Indiana for it. It's worth pointing out that that night John Joseph, frontman of the Cro-Mags, would be handling the vocal duties for the band. Purists might say "Well, it's not the Bad Brains if HR [the band's original frontman] isn't singing" but the word is HR is totally off his game and that John Joseph is the man who best approximates HR in his prime. At least that's what the grown up lady architect standing next to me said. It's worth noting that, as the Bad Brains first got together in 1977, the night's audience was a true all-ages show. (Lady Architect said it was the first time she'd seen the Bad Brains in 22 years.)

Anyway, I got to the show around 9:30. As it was CBGBs, there were lots of opening bands. There was still plenty of space at the front of the club, so I staked out a space right against the wall. Looking at this picture one is tempted to think: "Wow, I bet Brigham has got some awesome pictures of the Bad Brains coming up because he was so close to the stage." Wrong. Kids, this was a hardcore show. And not some hipster approximation of a hardcore show, but the real bone-crushing deal. By the time the second to last band was going to play (They were called Leeway, and they were also famous in their own way) the floor was packed, and I had hoped that a packed floor would impede moshing.


Oh was I wrong. I think my nose is broken, but I'm not sure. If it isn't broken, then my nose is indestructible.

Because the internet is magic, it turns out that there's a video of Leeway's entire set up at youtube. I strongly encourage you to click on this picture here and to watch the beginning of the concert. There's a long Morricone introduction where nothing is happening, but then the world explodes and everyone dies. After that, the only beings remaining are the vampires and zombies that tore apart CBGBs for the rest of the night. Most importantly, remember that I'm standing on the far left side of the screen and everytime someone leaps in that direction, they're leaping into me. You really, really should watch the first few minutes of this video.


By the third song I headed for cover near the bar, but that wasn't too safe either. The club was pure chaos and certain marauders nearly invading the sound booth. It was the punk rock equivalent of Fallujah in there. I wisely kept my camera put away most of the time, but snapped this picture of Leeway in action.


The thing is, despite the constant threat of certain death, Leeway was really, really good. Musically. Oh, and if you watch the whole video of them playing (there's no need to, really) you may see a guy in a red shirt run onstage, pick up Leeway's singer, and jump into the crowd with him.

A bit after 11 the Bad Brains were finally ready to go and, even with a white man for a singer, they were brilliant. I didn't see much of them, though . . .


But they sounded so GOOD. Were I not constantly trying not to die I might have even closed my eyes and nodded my head to how great they sounded as if I were vibing on some great jazz.


I moved farther and farther towards the back of the club, and after the band played Reignition, I felt I had had my fill and was ready to split. Little did I know that my split impulse was actually invisible hands drawing me towards the parking lot wreckage that I posted about Saturday night.


Conclusion: It was an awesome once in a lifetime night. Not that it was an opportunity that would only come my way once during my living years, but that I will never, ever put myself in such a situation again. I'm foolish, but not stupid.

Update
Here is a great set of Bad Brains pictures on Flickr.
And this dude does a much more legit job of covering the show and it turns out it wasn't just me, the inexperienced guy taking in his first real hardcore show and not being ready for the intensity, it was an especially crazy night.