COVID-19 Couldn’t Kill ‘Tid The Season 2021

ETIDiots, welcome back to Buffalo. I hope you’ve recovered from that weekend’s activities.

December 10 and 11 brought organized chaos and magic back to RiverWorks as Every Time I Die’s annual Christmas show ‘Tid The Season returned after the pandemic killed last year’s festivities. 2020 had the Buffalo boys trying to raise $69 for their manager with a telethon, featuring appearances by Andrew Dice Clay and Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra. But now that COVID-19 has graciously allowed ETID to continue their beloved Christmas shows, it was the right time to rock RiverWorks to its core.

Much like 2019’s shows, 2021 was a double-feature with two shows. Night one featured Kublai Khan, Mariachi El Bronx, and Buried Alive (who replaced Poison The Well who’re dealing with a touring member catching COVID) while night two had Spiritbox, The Dirty Nil, and Ice-T.

Atlanta noise punks ’68 started off ‘Tid The Season with some loud rock ‘n’ roll.

Kicking off day one was ’68, a kick-ass rock duo fronted by former Chariot frontman Josh Scogin. The duo performed the shortest set of the entire weekend, playing only four tracks. Yet with such a small setlist, they made the most out of their time. Scogin and drummer Nikko Yamada shredded through old hits (“Whether Terrified Or Unafraid” & “Track 8 O”) and newer tracks (“Bad Bite” & “The Lesser Of Two Upheavals”). Texan metalcore act Kublai Khan immediately followed and tore the floor to shreds. The band played a heavy set filled with mosh-worthy tracks like “Antpile”, “Us & Them”, and “Beneath A Crescent Moon”.

Up next was one of the most exciting bands of the evening: Mariachi El Bronx. Made up of hardcore punk band The Bronx (who played night two), Mariachi El Bronx brought a whole new level of fun to the show. You couldn’t be in a bad mood when mariachi music is playing to a crowd of drunk people from around the world (shoutout to the ETIDiots from Ireland). The band went through a setlist of fun, dancing songs like “48 Roses”, “My Brother The Gun”, “Holy”, “Norteño Lights”, and the closing number “Revolution Girls”.

Old school Buffalo hardcore act Buried Alive saved the day on Friday by replacing Poison The Well who had to pull out last minute.

Originally, Floridian post-hardcore legends Poison The Well were supposed to take the stage next, but unfortunately, COVID had other plans. It was unknown for a while who would be replacing PTW, but on the day of the show, it was revealed that Buried Alive, a 90s hardcore band hailing from the Queen City, fronted by Scott Vogel who you might know as the vocalist for Terror. BA reformed in 2020 and released an EP with Bridge 9 Records (Beach Slang, H2O, War On Women). As they took to the stage, BA began to tear RiverWorks up. The energy was intense, and for a band that hasn’t been active for over 20 years, they sounded as strong as they did back then.

Circa Survive played a set consisting of classic hits.

Another legendary band took to the stage next: Philly post-hardcore act Circa Survive. Their rocking setlist consisted of 10 songs, playing tracks from all of their albums except Violent Waves. Anthony Green’s vocals still sound as superb as he does on their albums, and his stage presence is astounding. Being able to hear classics like “The Difference Between Medicine And Poison Is In The Dose”, “Get Out”, and “Stop The Fuckin’ Car” live was an incredible feeling.

Every Time I Die gracing the stage on Friday night.

Organized chaos immediately hit the floor once the bone-crunching opening to Every Time I Die’s latest album Radical, “Dark Distance”. Prior to the show, fans were worried for frontman Keith Buckley when he announced he was taking a hiatus from the band on tour, but promised he would make a return for ‘Tid The Season this year. And during both nights, his performances were stellar. The band ripped through several classics on night one (“Emergency Broadcast Syndrome”, “Floater”, “Leatherneck”), modern hits (“Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space”, “Map Change”, “Thirst”), and more tracks from Radical (“White Void”, “Planet Shit”, and a special performance of “All This And War” featuring Josh Scogin from ’68).

Day two began with metalcore supergroup END taking the stage. Made up of members from Counterparts, Fit For An Autopsy, Reign Supreme, Trade Wind, and Shai Hulud, the band played seven songs that would easily wake up anyone who was still trying to recover from last night’s powerful performances. Canadian rock trio The Dirty Nil may have felt out of place at the festival, but they sure knew how to throw it the fuck down. They paid tribute to Power Trip’s late frontman Riley Gale with a shredding cover of “Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe)”

Another powerful Canadian trio was next: Spiritbox. The former Prenatt’s Picks act have been blowing up since their appearance last year, touring with Limp Bizkit and dropping their debut Eternal Blue this September. Their stage presence was phenomenal, and frontwoman Courtney LaPlante has a stage presence like no other, and her screams are godly. Seven heavenly, heavy tracks were played, five coming off of Eternal Blue (“Sun Killer”, “Circle With Me”, “Holy Roller”).

The Bronx frontman Matt Caughthran (center) performs in the center of a circle pit during the band’s set on Saturday night.

The Bronx was next, and was my biggest surprise of the evening. Having never seen The Bronx live, I was in for one hell of a treat. The LA hardcore punks quickly made day two theirs by going all out. They even sent out gifts to those who crowdsurfed to the stage (shootout to whoever got the toaster). The Bronx ripped through a set containing nothing but total bangers (“Around The Horn”, “Breaking News”, “Knifeman”). If you have the chance to see The Bronx, please do so.

Knocked Loose go hard while bathed in blue.

Oldham County’s finest blessed ‘Tid The Season for a third time. When Knocked Loose took to the stage, mosh pits formed in every crevice on the floor. No place was safe except the balcony. Playing 14 songs, three appearing off their new EP A Tear In The Fabric Of Life, KL came to shred and to not fuck around. The three guest appearances (Keith Buckley came out to do his part on “Forget Your Name” while Courtney LaPlante filled in for Dying Wish’s Emma Boster’s part on “A Serpent’s Touch”. Plus the added touch of Brenden Murphy of END appeared on “Billy No Mates”) crushed their parts. Some of the best songs on the set include “God Knows”, “Deadringer”, “Oblivion’s Peak”, “All My Friends” and fan favorite “Counting Worms”.

The O.G. Original Gangster Ice-T raised the roof on Saturday.

Another massive highlight from Saturday was the appearance by old school gangster rapper/Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actor Ice-T. The 63-year-old OG was the second rapper to ever appear at ‘Tid The Season, with Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah showing up back in 2019. His set was filled with classics (“I’m Your Pusher”, “6 In The Mornin'”, “That’s How I’m Livin'”) and an awesome freestyle over Bobby Shmurda’s beloved hit “Hot Nigga”.

Crowdsurfing is for everyone, even those in wheelchairs like this lucky person during ETID’s set on Saturday.

ETID opened their final show of 2021 with “Roman Holiday”, the killer opening number to 2009’s New Junk Aesthetic. They played even more classics (“Pigs Is Pigs”, “Romeo A Go-Go”, “Off broadway”), modern hits (“Indian Giver”, “Decayin’ With The Boys”, “The Sweet Life” with a special appearance by The Bronx’s Matt Caughthran), and more off of Radical (“Sly”, “People Versus”, “A Colossal Wreck”). 27 songs were played in total, with the live debut of two songs from Radical, “People Versus” and “Desperate Pleasures”.

To simply sum up this incredible weekend: fan-fucking-tastic. As I wrote in my past review of the festival, “If you ever have the chance to go to ‘Tid The Season, seize the opportunity. Whether it’s one long day or two days, these Christmas shows will put you in a jolly mood while you’re throwing down with your fellow ETIDiots.” Not even COVID can slow these boys down. Hope to see you all next year. Let’s go Buffalo.

Prenatt’s Picks: 100 Artists To Check Out In 2020 (Part 9)

Yeah yeah, it’s been some time. A thousand apologies. Got distracted with life, the fear of COVID-19, and Animal Crossing. But we got one more left after this!

Here at Punk Goes Prenatt, for the next 10 weeks, I’ll give you 100 artists that you need to tune your attention to throughout 2020. This list will feature numerous acts from numerous genres.

This is part nine of ten. If you didn’t read the previous list, click here.

Bilmuri

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Out Now: Muri And Friends (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Belmont, I The Mighty, Royal Coda

In the late 2000s, Johnny Franck and his band Attack Attack! made waves across the scene with their beloved debut album Someday Came Suddenly and their self-titled record in 2010. He then left the group that same year to focus on his relationship with God. And all that time with God caused him to create Bilmuri (yes, based on the actor’s name,) a funky post-hardcore band that will make you head bang while twerking. Soft yet funky, Bilmuri allows Franck to soar higher than ever before. He’s worked with acts and artists like No Dice, Tilian of Dance Gavin Dance (he would later appear on DGD’s new album Afterburner,) Surf Team, Dayseeker, and former Attack Attack! and current Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo (the feature is killer.) So if you like funky rhythms and shitposting, Bilmuri’s for you.

Song to Listen to: “BRUH.MP4”

DREGG

Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Out Now: Tu Track – Single (Epitaph)

For Fans Of: Hatebreed, Limp Bizkit, System Of A Down

“Imagine Eminem, fronting Mr. Bungle, while sipping absinthe, after an Oscar Wilde binge. Or Hatebreed, covering the Wu-Tang Clan, inside an art installation, curated by Andy Warhol’s ghost.” Just reading that gives you a clear look on what hardcore act DREGG are. The Australian fivesome have the swagger of a rapper, colorful clothes, and disturbing tones. As the band put it, “Privacy is becoming very rare in this modern world, and that drives people to hide who they really are. Each band member’s on-stage persona is an extension of their inner selves—the person the outside world doesn’t allow them to be.” Well that explains the masks and warpaint. They’ve done shows with Alpha Wolf, Hellions, Counterparts, Deez Nuts, and Knocked Loose. DREGG recently signed with American punk label Epitaph Records (The All-American Rejects, Fake Names, Smrtdeath) and dropped a two-track single titled Tu Track back in late April.

Song to Listen to: “HECTIC”

Lilac Queen

Hometown: Wakefield, MA

Out Now: If Only – EP (No Sleep)

For Fans Of: My Bloody Valentine, Swirlies, Title Fight

Named after a song by mewithoutYou, Massachusetts post-shoegaze quintet Lilac Queen might become the next big thing in the genre. Formed in late 2019, Lilac Queen —vocalist/guitarist Lily St. Germain, guitarist/vocalist Doug DeMars, lead guitarist Colin McGovern, bassist Billy Davis and drummer Jesse Porter — are slowly moving up in the music world, having signed to No Sleep Records (Best Ex, Gatherers, Worst Party Ever) in April. As Thisfunktional put it, Lilac Queen’s “wall-of-sound rhythm section juxtaposed with writhing guitar leadwork creates an atmospheric onslaught that does not beg but demands the listener’s attention.” They’ll be performing at The Fest in Gainesville, Fla., later this year alongside Hot Water Music, Broadway Calls, and current Prenatt’s Picks list band Mush.

Song to Listen to: “Ouch”

Wristmeetrazor

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Out Now: Take Your Shot, Funboy – Single (Prosthetic)

For Fans Of: Ostraca, Portrayal Of Guilt, SeeYouSpaceCowboy

With a name like that they have to be heavy as fuck. D.C.’s Wristmeetrazor (named after the Usurp Synapse song) first began as a solo project for guitarist Jonah Thorne until he found bassist Justin Fornof and drummer Zach Wilbourn (who was replaced by SeeYouSpaceCowboy’s drummer Bryan Prosser in 2018) and added them in. The lineup soon became a quartet with the inclusion of second guitarist Tyler Norris a year later. As the group put it in their own words, “Bore of our own necessity. Wristmeetrazor exists as a monument to the space between sanity and self-destruction. Happiness. Sadness. Life. Death.” They’ve done shows with Terror, Dying Wish, Lowered A.D., Sharptooth, and Exit Strategy. Because of COVID-19, their tour with Trench and Stepping Stone will not be taking place. Support them and buy some merch.

Song to Listen to: “Loathsome”

I Met A Yeti

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Out Now: Camp Yeti – EP (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Hail The Sun, A Lot Like Birds, Sianvar

Cool name. Orlando based swancore/post-hardcore quintet I Met A Yeti are as fun as their name sounds. And just like a yeti, they’re mysterious and way beyond powerful. They’re one of the most underrated groups in the swancore genre, and that’s a damn shame. Since we’re all under quarantine, check them out. The band have done shows with Strawberry Girls, Tiny Moving Parts, Eidola, I Set My Friends On Fire, and Being As An Ocean. They just wrapped up a tour in March, minus cancelling the final date due to corona.

Song to Listen to: “Blue-Eyes White Yeti”

Manuel The Band

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Out Now: Room For Complication – EP (Monte Bre)

For Fans Of: Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Train

Hailing from Frank Ocean and Snoop Dogg’s hometown, rock-jazz-Americana group Manuel The Band are making waves in their corner of the country. The band started releasing music in 2018, and it’s been nothing but good vibes for the sextet. So far, they’ve played at the Music Tastes Good festival with New Order, Santigold, and Princess Nokia, dropped one EP and a new song written during quarantine, and were nominated for Best Album at the Independent Music Awards. Seems like it’s finally time for these West Coast boys to take flight and travel the country.

Song to Listen to: “Casual Love”

SadGirl

Hometown: Los Angeles CA

Out Now: Water (Suicide Squeeze)

For Fans Of: The Buttertones, Froth, Surf Curse

Inspired by rock ‘n’ roll from the ’50s and ’60s swing, LA’s surf punks SadGirl have a sound like no other. Their music sounds like the love child of David Bowie and Buddy Holly, which is odd since they first started off doing Nirvana and Sublime covers. Frontman Misha Lindes later shifted that grungy sound to the early rock music he grew up listening to. “For some reason, I always have had some fantasy about what my dad’s childhood was like growing up in early 60s America: big cars, guitar music, and The Beatles on the radio,” Misha told Vice back in 2016, stating that the Crybaby soundtrack “really changed my musical perspective in some way, too.” SadGirl have done shows with The Garden, Chicano Batman, and SWMRS.

Song to Listen to: “Chlorine”

Casa Loma

Hometown: Williamstown, NJ

Out Now: This Is Coping – EP (Pure Noise)

For Fans Of: …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Foxwarren, Nada Surf

Nik Bruzzese is no stranger to the music scene. He’s the frontman for one of the most beloved and influential pop punk bands of the past decade: Man Overboard. But with his solo project Casa Loma, Bruzzese steps into a new, softer, heavily emotional sound, reminiscing of Andy Shauf and Leif Vollebekk (well, Man Overboard had emotional songs, but Casa Loma goes harder than that.) When Transit/Cold Collective member Tim Landers passed away in early 2019, Bruzzese took the news hard. Going into recluse, he created the songs that would make up his debut EP This Is Coping, coming out June 5 on Pure Noise Records (The Amity Affliction, LURK, Same Side.) As a press release points out, “Despite the gravity of the subject matter, Nik is quick to point out that Casa Loma isn’t all doom and gloom. A hopeful optimism permeates the contemplative compositions, with a reassurance to keep going.”

Song to Listen to: “Famaglia”

Bamily

Hometown: London, UK

Out Now: Family With A B – EP (Self-Released)

For Fans Of: Friendly Fires, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club

Welcome to the Bamily. English indie darlings Bamily are all about that Bamily life, pun totally intended. Combining indie pop with the powers of EDM, disco, hip-hop, and soul, these lads are in a league of their own. They even DJ during their sets. As SubmitHub puts it, “Opening a world of sample heavy beats over luscious pad sounds and percussion, the band reimagine traditional pop song structures passing melodies between their two lead singers and a hefty backing vocal.” Currently they have over 90.8k monthly listeners on Spotify. Oh, and their cover of Tyler, The Creator’s “EARFQUAKE” slaps hard.

Song to Listen to: “Outro”

Dead Lakes

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Out Now: New Language – EP (SharpTone)

For Fans Of: Awaken I Am, Bring Me The Horizon, PVRIS

Formed in 2017, Seattle’s Dead Lakes blend the worlds of pop and screamo perfectly together. Their label SharpTone Records (Broadside, Kingdom Of Giants, The Wise Man’s Fear) says, “Dead Lakes make music for anyone who feels the sting of broken connections, failed relationships, and challenging circumstances, yet nevertheless will muster the strength and hope to carry onward.” They just might become the new Sleeping With Sirens. Definitely keep these guys on your radar.

Song to Listen to: “SMS Happiness”

Come back next week for the final artists of 2020!

Chaos Reigns Again At RiverWorks For ETID’s Annual ‘Tid The Season

It’s Christmastime once again here in Buffalo. And that can only mean one thing: it’s Shitmas time.

‘Tid The Season, the annual music festival created by local heroes Every Time I Die, happened over the weekend at Buffalo RiverWorks. Filled with fun, music, and a lot of booze, the two-day festival was nothing but a treat to locals and to the hundreds who traveled out of the state, or even the country (word up foreign ETIDiots.)

And you didn’t read that last sentence wrong, there were two days this year. That means an additional day for skating, moshing, and dodging some douche in a Naruto akatsuki robe. You know who you are.

Terror bring their brutal hardcore style to RiverWorks on Friday night.

Day one had performances by Mercy Union, All Get Out, Harm’s Way, Terror, The Damned Things, and Against Me! opening up for Every Time I Die. Jersey rockers Mercy Union started day one with a good amount of rock ‘n’ roll to get the crowd moving, playing songs like “Prussia,” “Reverse,” and “The Quarry.” Once Harm’s Way took to the stage, everything started to go crazy. Hardcore was what the audience craved, and these Chicago heavy hitters, alongside L.A.’s Terror, got the crowd into a moshing frenzy.

Rock supergroup The Damned Things, made up of members of Fall Out Boy, Anthrax, Alkaline Trio, and Every Time I Die, played their first Buffalo show since 2011 on Friday.

The night got even wilder when the supergroup The Damned Things hit the Buffalo stage for the first time in eight years. With ETID frontman Keith Buckley on vocals and backed by members of Anthrax and Fall Out Boy, the group were able to throw it down as if they were the true headliners. They ripped into a nine song set featuring classic tracks (“Friday Night (Going Down In Flames),” “Ironiclast,” “We’ve Got A Situation Here”) and hits from their latest record High Crimes (“Cells,” “Omen,” “Something Good.”)

The crowd went nuts when Floridian punk rockers Against Me! took to the stage.

Against Me! went on before ETID and tore the stage to shreds. Frontwoman Laura Jane Grace put the crowd under her spell with the power of her mighty Rickenbacker, playing all the old jams (“I Was A Teenage Anarchist,” “Sink, Florida, Sink,” “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong”) and modern hits (“FuckMyLife666,” “Black Me Out,” “Haunting, Haunted, Haunts.”) Their set was the set to not miss on Friday, and I pity you if you sadly did.

Day two began with 90 minutes of pure wrestling madness brought to you by ETID’s Andy Williams (aka The Butcher.) After that, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Candy, Möngöl Hörde, Cave In, The Get Up Kids, Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan, and Glassjaw preformed.

Connie Sgarbossa (center) of SeeYouSpaceCowboy kicked day two into high gear.

Rising sasscore act SeeYouSpaceCowboy took to the stage first and immediately got the crowd going. Frontwoman Connie Sgarbossa has a voice that forces the crowd to move whether they want to or not. Performing bone crunching songs like “Armed With Their Teeth,” “911 Call: ‘Help I’ve Overdosed On Philosophy!’,” and “Late December,” a song about Connie’s friend’s passing, SYSC cemented themselves as one of the hardest acts of the day, and it was only four in the afternoon.

Frank Turner’s band Möngöl Hörde played their first (and only) show in the Queen City on Saturday.

Möngöl Hörde, the silly hardcore punk trio fronted by folk artist Frank Turner, were a sight to see. The UK act performed songs off their only album Möngöl Hörde (“Tapeworm Uprising, “How the Communists Ruined Christmas, “The Yurt Locker”). Watching them was bizarre but nevertheless entertaining. It’s a shame that they’re apparently disbanding according to what Turner said before ending their set.

While they weren’t the heaviest band on day two’s lineup, emo legends The Get Up Kids were able to keep the high energy in the room going.

The night kept on rolling strong with performances by beloved metalcore act Cave In, Kansas City emo gods The Get Up Kids, and motherfucking Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan. Seriously, Ghostface’s set was intense. You should’ve seen the pit that opened up.

Every Time I Die put on two amazing shows with killer sets. (Photo taken and used with permission by David Arnould)

Now let’s get to the band you’ve been waiting for: ETID. Their sets on Friday and Saturday night had something for everyone. On Friday, ETID opened with “Floater,” sending the whole floor into giant shoving and mosh pits. Hope you were able to get out in time. The band played classic hits (“Ebolarama,” “Cities And Years,” “Holy Book Of Dilemma,” which had the boys start off by accidentally playing the intro to “She’s My Rushmore,”) modern favorites (“Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space,” “Idiot,” “The Coin Has A Say”) and some new songs called “White Void” and “Back Distance.” And if you thought night one was great, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Guitarist Jordan Buckley stands on top of the crowd as he plays the ending riff from “Map Change” while Keith sings along with the sold out venue.

Night two’s set started off with enthusiastic Buffalo Bills fan Mark Miller got on stage to introduce the band while saying the Bills would beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (which they did.) Williams then walked onto the stage, blaring the infamous notes from the opening of their 2009 album New Junk Aesthetic “Roman Holiday.” ETID then went full throttle, launching into several beloved songs like “The Marvelous Slut,” “Gloom And How It Gets That Way,” “Petal,” “Emergency Broadcast Syndrome,” and “Moor.” Another new song “Never Forget” was debuted.

Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and his fellow rappers gave RiverWorks a taste of old school hip-hop.

The energy ETID gave off could power a small city in the midwest. They didn’t have to go all out, but they did that to show how great Buffalo is. Every band and artist put on one hell of a performance (but Glassjaw felt off.) No one faltered and it was honestly one of the best shows I went to in 2019. It was a wonderful weekend packed with so much to do and see, and all I can think about is when the hell do next year’s tickets go on sale?

If you ever have the chance to go to ‘Tid The Season, seize the opportunity. Whether it’s one long day or two days, these Christmas shows will put you in a jolly mood while you’re throwing down with your fellow ETIDiots. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals. Can’t wait to see you all next year.

 

 

Pure Noise Records Signs Two Killer Bands

Californian label Pure Noise Records (The Amity Affliction, Knocked Loose, Reggie And The Full Effect) have signed two incredible acts.

The first act is the Illinois based pop-punk band Belmont. The quintet announced the news on Monday with the reveal of a new song called “By My Side”. Check out the video here.

Belmont formed in late April 2014 and have released one EP and one full-length album, both on Mutant League Records (AM Taxi, Chief State, Wilmette). The band have toured with Real Friends, Hot Mulligan, Capstan, Senses Fail, and We Were Sharks and have played show with Four Year Strong, Carousel Kings, Handguns, Tiny Moving Parts, and Underoath. They’re currently on tour with labelmates Bearings and Grayscale. Check out the tour dates below.

The other group now under the Pure Noise umbrella is the thrash hardcore group Take Offense. The label revealed their signing by dropping their new song “Keep An Eye Out” which comes from their upcoming record of the same name on October 18.

Take Offense formed in early 2005 and have released two albums and two EPs with Reaper Records (Down To Nothing, ON, Zero Tolerance) and Flatspot Records (Adrenaline, Hangman, Outsider). The band have toured with Agnostic Front, Terror, Bane, Turnstile, and Madball and have sone shows with Gorilla Biscuits, Hatebreed, Street Dogs, Nails, and Wu-Tang Clan. Their latest EP Tensions On High came out last March on Flatspot Records. They’ll be on tour next month with Municipal Waste and Napalm Death. Check out the dates below.