Family Affair

"He wasn't going anywhere, man," recalls Coipel of his grandpa's position near the stage. "When we used to play the Square, sometimes there'd be mosh pits and he'd sit right there. People would just go around him." As it turns out, the mosh action for Against All Authority was minimal, so Valdez was able to keep his prized seat without injury.

In fact, perhaps the biggest hazard Valdez faces comes from Coipel. Unable to speak more than a few words of English, the Havana-born Valdez has been the butt of more than a few jokes by his mischievous, skirt-wearing grandson. At one show, Mr. Valdez was dragged up on stage only to have audience members applaud the size of his penis. And during the interview for this story, with Mr. Valdez looking on expectantly, Coipel relates that his grandfather wants to jump in bed. With me. "Since he doesn't know the language, a lot of times we fuck with him and say things that he has no clue," Coipel later confesses.

Even so, the bond between Coipel and his grandfather is touching. "He says that he sees me as his grandson, his son, and the biggest part of his life," translates Coipel. "And also that he wants to grab [nearby friend] Karen's tits." Valdez, unaware of what Coipel is saying, laughs heartily and nods in agreement, visibly eager for the show to begin.