It's all about the music !
The Blackout Shoppers
By Kevin Limiti
By Kevin Limiti
Someone came up to me the other day and asked me if there were any punk rock bands that weren’t local, that have come out in the last year, that were good. I was dumbstruck that I couldn’t find an answer to that question. I guess that’s the reason why a lot of people say punk is dead. But then it occurred to me that the very basis on which punk rock has been able to endure for so many years have been the local bands that have remained underground and have surrounded themselves with a small but dedicated group of fans who have the same passion and intensity as they always have. Anyone who doubts this have either never been to a real punk rock show recently or else they are just pessimistic cynics.
The Blackout Shoppers, a band hailing from the artsy Lower East Side in Manhattan, are the epitome of modern day hardcore punk. The last time I saw the Blackout Shoppers, they did something that a lot of so called “local” punk bands fail to do: they got the crowd pissed off, hyped up, and crazy. All in good fun though, I might add.
If you’re a fan of punk rock, then you should be familiar with what they have to offer; fast music, played in a minimalistic style, with angry vocals and biting lyrics. If none of this sounds appealing then you should pass on this band, but if you like punk you will probably enjoy them. Their songs range from drinking anthems such as “Ludlow” and “Everything is Going Wrong” to crowd pleasers such as “Smash and Grab”. But there is really no way to appreciate this band other than to see them live.
Seth Amphetamine, the lead singer, has a habit of grabbing people by their shirt collars and screaming in their face and also jumping into the crowd and flailing his arms around almost like he was trying to hit someone (which he probably was).
Needless to say, if you’re uncomfortable with this kind of atmosphere, you would be better off watching from a safer distance but personally, the whole thing was great. Only drawback was that even though the singer is great with his on stage antics, the rest of the band is somewhat lacking in energy. But that’s okay because that’s what a front man is for, right? Still it would be nice, to see them do a little more than just stand still and play their instruments.
The night I saw them, somebody shouted at the end of their set “Punk rock is alive!” and I thought to myself this could either be wishful thinking or it could be true. Being the avid optimist that I am, I would prefer to think that it is. Especially since bands like WWIX (who are also great) and Short Fuse (who sound a bit like Discharge, which is not at all a bad thing) are active in the greater NYC area. What is really needed of people who are fans of this type of music is to get off their butts and start going to shows. But I believe that, if this keeps up, 2010 is going to be a interesting year for punk rock.
The Blackout Shoppers, a band hailing from the artsy Lower East Side in Manhattan, are the epitome of modern day hardcore punk. The last time I saw the Blackout Shoppers, they did something that a lot of so called “local” punk bands fail to do: they got the crowd pissed off, hyped up, and crazy. All in good fun though, I might add.
If you’re a fan of punk rock, then you should be familiar with what they have to offer; fast music, played in a minimalistic style, with angry vocals and biting lyrics. If none of this sounds appealing then you should pass on this band, but if you like punk you will probably enjoy them. Their songs range from drinking anthems such as “Ludlow” and “Everything is Going Wrong” to crowd pleasers such as “Smash and Grab”. But there is really no way to appreciate this band other than to see them live.
Seth Amphetamine, the lead singer, has a habit of grabbing people by their shirt collars and screaming in their face and also jumping into the crowd and flailing his arms around almost like he was trying to hit someone (which he probably was).
Needless to say, if you’re uncomfortable with this kind of atmosphere, you would be better off watching from a safer distance but personally, the whole thing was great. Only drawback was that even though the singer is great with his on stage antics, the rest of the band is somewhat lacking in energy. But that’s okay because that’s what a front man is for, right? Still it would be nice, to see them do a little more than just stand still and play their instruments.
The night I saw them, somebody shouted at the end of their set “Punk rock is alive!” and I thought to myself this could either be wishful thinking or it could be true. Being the avid optimist that I am, I would prefer to think that it is. Especially since bands like WWIX (who are also great) and Short Fuse (who sound a bit like Discharge, which is not at all a bad thing) are active in the greater NYC area. What is really needed of people who are fans of this type of music is to get off their butts and start going to shows. But I believe that, if this keeps up, 2010 is going to be a interesting year for punk rock.
You can find the Blackout Shoppers on the web at:
http://blackoutshoppers.com
or
myspace.com/blackoutshoppers.
http://blackoutshoppers.com
or
myspace.com/blackoutshoppers.
The Blackout Shoppers performing at Tompkins Square Park
From left to right : Mike Moosehead , Seth Amphetamines ), Blackout Matt , and The Beast
From left to right : Mike Moosehead , Seth Amphetamines ), Blackout Matt , and The Beast
Kevin: You guys mention the lower east side a lot in your music. What is it about that area of NYC that is so appealing?
Seth: To be fair we only mention it in one song and it was the first song we ever wrote as a band (Ludlow), but I guess we have that feel to what we do. As for the LES I guess it's like our music, our affinity for it is more about what it used to be. Yes if you search hard enough you can still find some of the old grit though you wont see much of what my grandfather saw when he grew up here nor even what it was 10-15 years ago when the area just started to show signs of change. There's still cool bars and places to hang out here, we have our practice space here, but again I think the whole LES thing is paying a nod to what it once was...a sketchy place where you went out for cheap drinks and would likely end up in or see some fight or another, as well as the drug culture that was here (and probably still tries to be at some level). Ludlow Street in general is a central artery in the LES and it had a lot of that activity going on. Still does I guess, but its mostly hipsters and weekenders.
Matt: It's a place that New Yorkers have seen transformed from a place of a place of great culture and art to a place of overpriced stores and snobby restaurants. Where there were once delicious pickle stores or cheap bars are now wine bars and trendy clubs. I think that general frustration with the city—and the rest of the country and the world, frankly—is very much on a lot of people's minds. It's only explicitly mentioned in Ludlow, but I think it also serves as an inspiration to songs like Condo Demolition.
Kevin: How do you feel about todays punk rock scene, especially in the greater new york area. Is it getting better, is it getting worse? What can be done to make improvements?
Seth: I dont know, I guess being more directly involved in "the scene" for the past 6 years I'm pretty surprised (happily) that there are so many punk and hardcore bands in and around the city that are actively doing it. Ive been into the music for the better part of 25 years and know it went through a pretty ambiguous period but it's always been there (the music). I think our contribution is more of a shout out to the past, saying to people "hey, remember how it was". Most of us in the band are old enough to [have] seen the bands that were originally playing this music and as for me I was always amazed be the ones that had the most energy from start to finish. Those were the bands I'd see every week if I could(financially permitting). The improvements that could be made I guess are what it's always been, at least for NYC...More places to play that don't have such age restrictions, we have to recruit more!
Matt: The punk scene in New York has seen a lot of venues dry up over the last few years. Prices have pushed clubs out of existence or out of the city. What's impressed me is that the punk scene is resilient and you're now seeing more shows in places that are not clubs. There are more shows going on in record stores, art spaces, or other places that don't have to deal with the club system. So while the club system has gotten worse, the punk scene has gotten better at avoiding the club system and putting on shows anyway. I think we can improve things by looking for more spaces that we can just rent out for shows.
Kevin: What's with the ski mask that Matt wears?
Matt: I decided early on I wanted to wear a mask. I wanted to do something interesting and I don't really move around a whole lot on stage, so I thought a mask would look cool and give me a chance to do more creative things. I used to wear different kinds of masks—I have a dog mask, a devil mask and others I used to wear. The ski masks are just more comfortable, cheaper to buy and easier to maintain.
The Beast: Matt was involved in some crazy business in helping publicize the work of an infamous poet. As a result he's been the target of several assassination attempts by feminists, animal rights activists and Islamic fundamentalists. He wants to keep his true identity hidden at all costs.
Kevin: When it comes to the issue of 21 and over venues, do you prefer this type of arrangment or are you more for all ages events?
Seth: I think for the kind of music we do there's no question that all ages events are the way to go. Granted we like to be somewhere we can drink and have fun with people more our age and we do love it when the over 21's get into it and recognize what we're doing, but the reality for this kind of music has always been we are going to appeal to the under 21 crowd far more. In fact they are the ones who tend to want to not only go off the most at our shows, but actually spend money for our merch. Not that we're getting rich by any stretch, but it shows a level of support for a band like us that takes money from our pockets to get ourselves out there, it's nice to see a bit back and of course the gesture of support.
Matt: No doubt the all ages shows are the better shows. Those are the shows where the audience is more involved and it makes a difference. The 21+ crowds can be great also but they are not as likely to be as fun or active. The people you see in the mosh pit and singing along are more likely to be under 21.
Kevin: If you could play a show with any band or musician, who would it be?
Seth: Black Flag circa Chavo (ok so he was only in the band 6 months, those were the best!) that and The Misfits, around 1981.
Matt: I'm a big fan of The Dwarves, and Hewhocannotbenamed was one of the inspirations for my wearing a mask, so I would love for us to do a show with them.
Kevin: Is there anything you would like to add?
Seth: If you come see us, and haven't before, we will always make sure in some way that you're paying attention. and if you're drink is missing, we likely took it.
Matt: If you've never started a punk rock band, I highly recommend it.
Seth: To be fair we only mention it in one song and it was the first song we ever wrote as a band (Ludlow), but I guess we have that feel to what we do. As for the LES I guess it's like our music, our affinity for it is more about what it used to be. Yes if you search hard enough you can still find some of the old grit though you wont see much of what my grandfather saw when he grew up here nor even what it was 10-15 years ago when the area just started to show signs of change. There's still cool bars and places to hang out here, we have our practice space here, but again I think the whole LES thing is paying a nod to what it once was...a sketchy place where you went out for cheap drinks and would likely end up in or see some fight or another, as well as the drug culture that was here (and probably still tries to be at some level). Ludlow Street in general is a central artery in the LES and it had a lot of that activity going on. Still does I guess, but its mostly hipsters and weekenders.
Matt: It's a place that New Yorkers have seen transformed from a place of a place of great culture and art to a place of overpriced stores and snobby restaurants. Where there were once delicious pickle stores or cheap bars are now wine bars and trendy clubs. I think that general frustration with the city—and the rest of the country and the world, frankly—is very much on a lot of people's minds. It's only explicitly mentioned in Ludlow, but I think it also serves as an inspiration to songs like Condo Demolition.
Kevin: How do you feel about todays punk rock scene, especially in the greater new york area. Is it getting better, is it getting worse? What can be done to make improvements?
Seth: I dont know, I guess being more directly involved in "the scene" for the past 6 years I'm pretty surprised (happily) that there are so many punk and hardcore bands in and around the city that are actively doing it. Ive been into the music for the better part of 25 years and know it went through a pretty ambiguous period but it's always been there (the music). I think our contribution is more of a shout out to the past, saying to people "hey, remember how it was". Most of us in the band are old enough to [have] seen the bands that were originally playing this music and as for me I was always amazed be the ones that had the most energy from start to finish. Those were the bands I'd see every week if I could(financially permitting). The improvements that could be made I guess are what it's always been, at least for NYC...More places to play that don't have such age restrictions, we have to recruit more!
Matt: The punk scene in New York has seen a lot of venues dry up over the last few years. Prices have pushed clubs out of existence or out of the city. What's impressed me is that the punk scene is resilient and you're now seeing more shows in places that are not clubs. There are more shows going on in record stores, art spaces, or other places that don't have to deal with the club system. So while the club system has gotten worse, the punk scene has gotten better at avoiding the club system and putting on shows anyway. I think we can improve things by looking for more spaces that we can just rent out for shows.
Kevin: What's with the ski mask that Matt wears?
Matt: I decided early on I wanted to wear a mask. I wanted to do something interesting and I don't really move around a whole lot on stage, so I thought a mask would look cool and give me a chance to do more creative things. I used to wear different kinds of masks—I have a dog mask, a devil mask and others I used to wear. The ski masks are just more comfortable, cheaper to buy and easier to maintain.
The Beast: Matt was involved in some crazy business in helping publicize the work of an infamous poet. As a result he's been the target of several assassination attempts by feminists, animal rights activists and Islamic fundamentalists. He wants to keep his true identity hidden at all costs.
Kevin: When it comes to the issue of 21 and over venues, do you prefer this type of arrangment or are you more for all ages events?
Seth: I think for the kind of music we do there's no question that all ages events are the way to go. Granted we like to be somewhere we can drink and have fun with people more our age and we do love it when the over 21's get into it and recognize what we're doing, but the reality for this kind of music has always been we are going to appeal to the under 21 crowd far more. In fact they are the ones who tend to want to not only go off the most at our shows, but actually spend money for our merch. Not that we're getting rich by any stretch, but it shows a level of support for a band like us that takes money from our pockets to get ourselves out there, it's nice to see a bit back and of course the gesture of support.
Matt: No doubt the all ages shows are the better shows. Those are the shows where the audience is more involved and it makes a difference. The 21+ crowds can be great also but they are not as likely to be as fun or active. The people you see in the mosh pit and singing along are more likely to be under 21.
Kevin: If you could play a show with any band or musician, who would it be?
Seth: Black Flag circa Chavo (ok so he was only in the band 6 months, those were the best!) that and The Misfits, around 1981.
Matt: I'm a big fan of The Dwarves, and Hewhocannotbenamed was one of the inspirations for my wearing a mask, so I would love for us to do a show with them.
Kevin: Is there anything you would like to add?
Seth: If you come see us, and haven't before, we will always make sure in some way that you're paying attention. and if you're drink is missing, we likely took it.
Matt: If you've never started a punk rock band, I highly recommend it.
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