Black N Blue Bowl--April 5, 2008 @ Studio B in Brooklyn NY

"Our lyrics are about things like beatdowns, drug use, hunting down rats, and being loyal to your boys and your crew," said Setback bassist Pete (he just goes by Pete) in a recent interview. The Queens natives played early in the day at the Black 'N' Blue Bowl, formerly the Superbowl of Hardcore, a 10-hour, 15-band marathon celebration of hardcore punk and the New York scene, especially. Nearly every band dealt in themes similar to those of Setback--the hard reality of life on the streets--but it was that last part, the bit about the fraternity among "your boys and your crew," that resonated most during a long, loud and surprisingly upbeat day in Brooklyn. The music was angry but the atmosphere was that of a raucous family reunion.

New York hardcore has, if not family, then at least a few fans in the staff at Rockstar Games. The company sponsored the Black 'N' Blue Bowl in promotion of Grand Theft Auto IV, which features tracks from Madball, Agnostic Front, Sheer Terror and others on a hardcore-themed mock radio station "hosted" by Jimmy Gestapo, singer for the long-running band Murphy's Law. "This game is nuts and so is hardcore, so it goes hand in hand," Gestapo said genially in an interview backstage.

Kevone Bulldoze during a surprise set. The band played the songs
"The Truth" and "Nothing But A Beatdown." Photo by David Hsu.

He was one of many inebriated hardcore mainstays gallivanting both backstage and in the crowd. Sometimes the party spilled onto the stage. Paul Bearer, revered in the scene as the frontman for the now-defunct group Sheer Terror, joined headliners Agnostic Front for a rousing rendition of the band's classic punk anthem "Crucified." Local legend Bulldoze played an impromptu, two-song set, pleasing the crowd (i.e. inciting the mosh) with its slow, bruising sounds.

Another surprise performance came from CIV, whose spirited set provided the day's only dose of melody on buoyant tracks like "Can't Wait One Minute More." They might've been the only act whose music fit the day's mood.

Guitarists Eric Klinger (Pro-Pain) and Scott Roberts (ex-Biohazard)
with Bloodclot, who also performed. Photo by David Hsu.

Just a handful of bands on the bill hailed from outside New York City. Among those were Kickback from Holland, Death Before Dishonor from Boston, and Terror from Los Angeles. The latter two have become some of the best known hardcore bands in the country over the past five years. They were also two of the newest bands on the bill, a reminder of the lack of new blood in the NYHC scene. Almost all the New York bands that played were formed over a decade (or two) ago.

But those in attendance were happy to party like it was 1995. "I want to see Breakdown," said Terror vocalist Scott Vogel. New York's Breakdown, which has played on-and-off for over 20 years with little more than a couple of demos under its belt, was perhaps the most highly anticipated band of the day. Singer Jeff Perlin rapped about random violence on "Streetfight," repeating, "Walking down the street with a Big Mac/Outta' nowhere, someone gets whacked." The audience roared in approval when a fan handed the McDonald's signature sandwich to Perlin onstage. It was an amusing gesture, one that said nothing about urban violence and everything about the spirit of the day.

People got rowdy during Breakdown's set. Photo by David Hsu.