Dmitry Spirin’s “Lapti” Music Video is Full of Meaning (and Risks)
All the propaganda cliches that the state itself uses are ridiculed. That “If you’re Russian, you should take care of your lapti.”
punk outlaw
Songs Not Bombs: A Russian Punk Singer’s Fight for Ukraine
Exiled Russian punk singer Dima risks everything to stand with Ukraine. His “Songs Not Bombs” tour echoes far beyond music. A story of courage and exile.
Smells Like Punk Rock – Amyl and the Sniffers in NYC
I discovered them about ten months ago in a bar in Kyiv, Ukraine, just before the mandatory curfew. I was chatting with new friends, fellow journalists from France, and some local Ukrainian youth when one of Amyl and the Sniffers’ videos appeared on the video jukebox TV and sound system.
Hear! Hear! The Queers are here!
Recently, I trekked out to Gold Sounds Bar in Brooklyn, New York City, to see The Queers, which is ironic because I live in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC (badmp bmp!).
Trump Cuts Out the Middleman to Fascism
Please make a plan to vote on November 5th and take a moment to visit DemocracyDefend.com and see the videos, subscribe, like and share and follow the social media accounts.
Refugees and Exiles Need a Place to Call Home
My pal, Dima, lead singer of the Russian band Tarakany (Cockroach), and his wife have been exiled from their home in Russia since December 2021 due to their anti-war, pro-Ukraine stance. It’s a reminder that while some suffer more than others (and none certainly more than Ukrainians), the breadth and width of suffering is immense […]
The Subhuman(s) Adolescence of being Strung Out on Greensky Bluegrass
SUBHUMANS I’ve hit more than my fair share of punk rock shows in New York City, so I’d like to share a few pics and videos. First up, legendary UK punk, the Subhumans, hit The Meadows at the Brooklyn Monarch in NYC to kick things off. One of the things that always strikes me about […]
Return to Bogota’s Rock Al Parque (Rock the Park)
It’s been over a decade since I attended the big Rock Al Parque (Rock the Park) in Bogota, Colombia, but this time, I had backstage access as my pals Los Suziox, were headlining the 2nd evening of the show. I’m impressed with the organizational skills of the folks who put this on because it’s three […]
The No Longer Teen Teenage Bottlerocket
I don’t want to get hung up on age, but with a band named Teenage Bottlerocket no longer clearly teenagers, it was bound to come up, was it not?
September is Suicide Prevention Month
If you or someone you know is suffering, please know there is help, and it is just a phone call away by dialing 988.
Raw Travel Visits Ukraine in Wartime
Dear Aaaron Lewis & Staind – Listen to this
Bikini Killed it in NYC
Another evening, another “revenge” concert show in NYC. This one featured the legendary and resurgent female punk band Bikini Kill and yep, they “killed it.” Under threat of rain (it was again Pier 17’s Rooftop downtown NYC) and variant (yes, you-know-what is surging again), the crowd stretched around the entire seaport, surprising my silly expectations. I […]
Hey Aaron Lewis – Listen to Dima, NOT Putin!
Former Staind frontman and now solo country artist (and possible Qanon nutbag) Aaron Lewis disgustingly asked his audience to “listen to what Putin has to say” at a concert down south back in March. What does this have to do with Dima, the lead singer of Tarakany! Well, first, let me give you a brief […]
The Linda Lindas and Jawbreaker In NYC
I recently bought last-minute tickets to the third evening of Jawbreaker’s three-night residency at Irving Plaza, celebrating their 25th anniversary. I arrived kind of late and, to my surprise, The Linda Lindas, the teen, Asian-American, an all-female punk band from Los Angeles that took the world by storm during the darkest days of the pandemic with a […]
Anti-Flag’s Triumphant Return to NYC!
Ignorance… you’re on notice, we’re coming for your ass.
Vaxed, Relaxed, & Rocking W/ Rancid, Dropkick Murphys & The Bronx
Last night was my 2nd concert since the pandemic, just 30 days or since the Descendants and Rise Against show. But what a difference three weeks makes. New York finally and thankfully garnered the political will to require vaccinations from all concert goers. If the energy from last night’s concert was any indication, THIS was […]
Live Music’s Comeback with Descendents and Rise Against
When the seriousness of Covid 19 first began to really hit home for me was the weekend of March 14th and 15th, 2020. That weekend would be epic with back-to-back shows from Against Me & Anti-Flag returning to NYC. I had tickets to see both, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Both were canceled. […]
Digging Dubrovnik’s Alternative Side
I recently went abroad for the first time in 20 months to film. I had both my jabs back in April, so I was itching to use my get out of jail- I mean, get out of the USA, free card, and Croatia was welcoming vaccinated US travelers. I’d never been. This seemed an opportune […]
Interview with Anti-Flag
When Anti-Flag made their way through NYC in October of 2019, I had the pleasure of seeing Justin Sane & Chris 2 play an acoustic set at Looney Tunes Records in Long Island. The next day, just before their show at the Mercury Lounge in the Lower East Side, I interviewed Pat Thetic and Justin […]
NOFX – Just the Flu
I interviewed Fat Mike & El Hefe of NOFX a few years back. I was green and they were pretty tough on me at first, but after a while, I caught a glimpse of sympathy in his eyes as well, and felt he pulled a punch or two as a result when he realized I […]