While hardcore has long been colonized by pampered yet meatheaded suburbanites, the original purveyors of NYC's first wave of punker-than-punk rock 'n' roll were actually meatheads from the unforgiving freak show that was pre-Giuliani New York.
Violent crime was rampant, public services were seriously underfunded, and Times Square sat on top of a bunker filled with homeless people running in human-sized hamster cages to power the projectors screening dirty movies. These kids didn't get into hardcore for the scene points. They lived hardcore, day in and day out.
Along with the equally brutish Cro-Mags and straight edge cornerstones Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, Agnostic Front is one of the pillars of American hardcore.
And the AF dudes got that rep by taking absolutely zero bullshit from anyone that stood in their way. They encouraged young men from all five boroughs to come off the mean streets and let their aggression out in the pit.
Obviously, Agnostic Front and hardcore changed a lot of people's lives. But here are five specific ways that getting your ass handed to you by one of NYHC's finest (or their audience) will change your life.
5. What Doesn't Kill You Only Makes You Stronger
4. You Will Prove Your Hawdco' Pride
3. You Can Brag About Getting the Shit Kicked Out of You by Agnostic Front
2. It Will Make Your Voice Extra Hoarse When It Comes Time for Gang Vocals
1. Remember: The Harder the Punch, the More United the Scene
Agnostic Front with the Mongoloids, Naysayer, and Nobody's Hero. Tuesday, November 15. Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $15 via slammie.musictoday.com. Ages 18 and up. Call 305-757-1807 or visit churchillspub.com.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
