Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » Greystone Hall on Michigan Ave « Previous Next »
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 101
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 6:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mentioned a Black Flag show I saw at the Greystone on another thread, some of you were at this show. I was at some other shows there, 7 Seconds, as well, but my memory of those
Greystone days are a bit foggy for a variety of reasons. What were some other cool punk shows you saw at the Greystone.
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Pam
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Post Number: 3672
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Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 7:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My memory is foggy too and I can't even use substance abuse as an excuse. I think I saw the Minutemen and the Butthole Surfers there, plus that Black Flag/Meat Puppets show. There were probably others.
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East_detroit
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Post Number: 1558
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Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 7:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Saw Black Flag there for their last show ever.

Saw Gone come back after that and only 6 people showed up because the guy in charge (Kerry or something) put his ad into the Metro Times too late... so he told Greg he couldnt pay them and they played anyway. Unfortunately, the 6 of us also included a few drunks who kept asking them to play Black Flag songs....

Soon thereafter Black Flag broke up (Greg left, whatever).

Then the next thing I know its Dag Nasty opening for the Rollins Band with Henry Rollins standing there with a dead bird in the waistband of his shorts...

Russ Gibb's kids have a lot on video (check YouTube) and even have the last Flag show direct from the soundboard which I have a copy of.

Good times...
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 102
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Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 7:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My brother played in a Detroit punk band called Just Born, they played there a few times. As for the Rollins Band, saw them open for Janes Addiction at the Latin Quarter, one of the best 2 band bill shows I've ever seen.
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 103
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Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 7:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I also remember them serving Jolt Cola at the Greystone, at the time I thought that stuff was the greatest.
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East_detroit
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Post Number: 1561
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 9:37 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Latin Quarter was cool...

Saw Danzig, Skinny Puppy... and a few others...
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Barnesfoto
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Post Number: 4854
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 11:54 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

saw Henry Rollins do a reading there, sans band, 1986. (never cared that much for his band anyway, but the guy sure can write!)
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2031
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Oh, man. Good times.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2032
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here's Cary Safarian, who ran Graystone Hall 1987-1988.

http://www.state.mi.us/mdoc/as p/otis2profile.asp?mdocNumber= 207905
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 111
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Is the Greystone still there? I really miss the Kress Lounge that was on Michigan too.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2033
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A coin laundry has taken over the Graystone Hall space, so the hall isn't really there anymore. I guess you could do a load of laundry there and punk out, but that's about it. The Cas Bar is still on the corner, though. And the bank parking lot where we used to hang out is still on the next block.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2034
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't think the Minutemen ever played there. But Minimal Man did, in 1986, I think.
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Pam
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Post Number: 3683
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 1:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

List of some of the shows:

http://www.motorcityrock.com/v enues/graystone/graystone.html

quote:

I don't think the Minutemen ever played there.



I think they did. Maybe they were on that Black Flag/Meat Puppets show? Those SST bands used to do group tours a lot.

The book Our Band Could be Your Life mentions the Graystone a few times, but I don't remember which chapters. Good book, worth a read.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2036
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 2:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There are three distinct periods to the history of Graystone Hall as a punk venue.

Before 1986, it was a private hall that was often rented for punk shows.

After 1986, with money from a backer, Touch and Go label head Corey Rusk opened Graystone Hall as a punk venue.

After a year or two, Cary Safarian ran the place, and he pretty much had run it into the ground by 1988.
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Detroitfats
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Post Number: 30
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 3:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I saw Black Flag at the Greystone. My memory is a bit foggy, but I'm pretty sure Greg Ginn played in all three bands that night. Black Flag and Gone (obviously). Can anyone remember the third act?
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2037
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 3:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I still have lots of old fliers from that place. Corey's wife used to design them with rub-on lettering and collage effects. Very interesting.

Downriviera, was your brother Tony?

(Message edited by detroitnerd on March 14, 2008)
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 115
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 4:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My brother was the drummer, Damian. He went on to play with Elvis Hitler, Goober and the Peas and Detroit Cobras.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2038
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 4:22 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know those acts well. Just Born would play the Graystone, and I think I even saw them once at the Hungry Brain.

As for those other bands (Hitler, Goober), me and my friends didn't frequent the places they'd play. It really was kind of a fractured scene in that way. For instance, we'd go to Falcon Bowling Lanes, Graystone, and Traxx, but not to Lili's or Paycheck's.
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East_detroit
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Post Number: 1565
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 4:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroitfats, when Black Flag and Gone were on the same bill at the Greystone it was with Painted Willie.
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 116
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 4:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Just Born played the Falcon Lanes a lot. Traxx was great, saw the Ramones there, Straw Dogs with COC. And I even saw Tommy Tutone there, and ya know what, they were really good. You throw away that hit they had and they actually had some good tunes.
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Treelock
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Post Number: 290
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 6:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Man, I remember hearing about all kinds of sweet hardcore punk shows at the Greystone, but I was always way too young to hope to find someone to drive us Ann Arborites all the way to Detroit. I had to jump through hoops just to get my mom to drive us to the Zal Gaz Grotto on Stadium Boulevard to see IMR, Angry Red Planet, Slow Death and the State one summer night circa mid-'80s.

Back in the '80s Detroit always had a pretty daunting, dark mystique to it anyway. Plus the friends of mine who did see shows there talked about all the rival skinhead gangs they'd see there.

I'm surprised to hear the place lasted as long as it did.
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Detroitfats
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Post Number: 32
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Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 7:11 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks East D!
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Polaar
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Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 1:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Saw the Misfits "last" show there in Oct 1983, I think with the Necros.
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Erikto
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Username: Erikto

Post Number: 665
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 9:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nice thread! I missed a lot of these bands by just a couple of years but when bars first started letting me in I was really into punk shows. I still dig the energy but I seldom listen to much punk these days besides the Bad Brains' Quickness and and earlier stuff. Right now I'm blasting a Pogues bootleg trying to decide what to do tonight... not meaning to thread jack... I also really like the Graystone building, I have several pics of it on my Flickr page.
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East_detroit
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Post Number: 1571
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Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 11:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

One group that really started to ruin the shows was the Apple Cids.

From what I gathered, they were a bunch of idiots living communal style, but would come in increasing numbers to shows looking for fights... and if one of their guys got into it with someone, they all did. Things started becoming less and less fun.
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Beatsworking
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Post Number: 111
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Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008 - 12:15 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm far too young to have been able to see any of these great shows. Very cool hearing a bit about it.

I found this clip on youtube months ago. I believe this is the Greystone. Anybody know?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =d_3g4QPojMc
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Pam
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Post Number: 3689
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Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008 - 7:00 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

I believe this is the Greystone



Looks like it to me.
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Detroitnerd
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Username: Detroitnerd

Post Number: 2039
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Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 10:12 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah. The kid is David Hebb of Dearborn.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2041
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Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 9:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember the Graystone as the place where hardcore died. I used to love punk shows, but then the Graystone had this Seven Seconds show ...

I know a lot of people loved that band, but I was appalled. We used to love the "slam pit" (it wasn't called a mosh pit then), and diving off stage and having our fun. And we loved bands that sounded ANGRY and MEAN (even though we were actually pretty nice people).

Then this band Seven Seconds came and disapproved of us. Lectured us through the concert. "No fighting!" Kept asking, "Is everybody having a good time?" like it was a freakin' pep rally. Ugh. Man, they were such downers, and they didn't even realize it.

And then the Descendents played there and I was like, "Is that guy singing? Is the band actually playing a melody?"

It was the beginning of the end. :-)
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Downriviera
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Username: Downriviera

Post Number: 126
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 9:43 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Agreed. I was at that Seven Seconds show and thought the same thing. They were kinda emo before emo.
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Treelock
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Post Number: 291
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Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 11:06 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for the posting of that Black Flag "interview," which was unintentionally hilarious. I recall seeing them on their final tour in '86 at the Nectarine Ballroom in A2. My 15-year-old ass got knocked to the floor and stepped on by some skinhead in combat boots. Painted Willie and Gone were the opening acts, if I remember correctly.

By that time, in retrospect, hardcore was quickly unraveling and splintering off into different sects. In Ann Arbor at least, it was taking on racist overtones with the infiltration of skinheads who suddenly thought it was cool to embrace white supremacy and wear Skrewdriver T-shirts. I remember witnessing just about a full-scale race riot between punks and skins and a large group of brothers unfold one night inside the Nichols Arcade. A friend of mine got pretty well tagged, though I wanted no part of that BS and stayed well clear.

If you haven't already seen it, go rent "American Hardcore." It reminded me of the excitement and sense of empowerment inherent in that music, but it also brought back a lot of the stupid violence that marred the scene and ensured its demise. It made me realize why, aside from the music, I never fully embraced it.
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Pam
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Post Number: 3699
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Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 11:57 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That story reminds me of a song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =Jz1sBi0-130
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Detroitnerd
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Username: Detroitnerd

Post Number: 2043
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 1:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Speak of the devil: A band played the Graystone, the Meatmen, are back and appearing at Small's Bar.

http://www.metrotimes.com/edit orial/story.asp?id=12614
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Beatsworking
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Post Number: 112
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I too recommend American Hardcore, but more so the book... much greater focus on the Midwest and much more in depth
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 146
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The movie The Decline Of Western Civilization had some good footage and interviews.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2044
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Fucked-Up and Photocopied has a great selection of punk fliers from the old days, but only gives the Midwest about 20 pages out of 230 or so.
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Downriviera
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Post Number: 147
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have mixed emotions about old hardcore/punk bands reforming or doing reunion shows. Any thoughts?
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Detroitnerd
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 3:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Meh, I never did get to see the Meatmen at all, so it's better late than never. But I think they're the exception. A lot of those bands were inseparable from the scenes they grew out of, and you can't really provide the context to contemporary listeners checking it out.

Anyway, do I really want to see what Al from SSD looks like today? That sounds boag. No way.
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Hectop99
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 5:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think that the Meatmen show at Small's is pretty much Tesco with a new band. It's always fun to see some of these old bands get together again and there are a lot of kids who never got to see the original bands play, so I'm OK with all of these reunions.
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Mclark
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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 6:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Having been too young to catch a lot of the bands the first time around, some of the reunion shows have been cool. I caught the Descendents around 96 or so and that was a great show, but it sort of bothers me when bands "reunite" with one or two original members (ala the Misfits). It was pretty cool to actually see Negative Approach live, didn't think I'd get that chance.
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Detroitnerd
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Post Number: 2047
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Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 10:44 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bummer, I missed that NA show at St. Andrew's. Couldn't get out of work!
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Treelock
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Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 4:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have mixed emotions about most old bands that do reunion shows so many years after the fact. And so many of the hardcore bands (think: The Vandals, who I saw are coming) had snotty youth sort of built into the model.

That said, I'd go see a reunited Black Flag or a Danzig-led Misfits show in a second.
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Spacemonkey
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Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 - 4:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I saw Black Flag at the Greystone in 1984. The Meatmen and Nig Heist opened up. I was 17. It was an all-ages show. I remember the floor was covered in vomit and other fluids. Nig Heist's bass player came on stage completely nude. They played a song called, "My balls are on Fire". I didn't know what to think; except it was a pretty severe but funny scene.
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Rocknrollscientist
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Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 - 4:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Treelock: to be fair, The Vandals have been touring and releasing records consistently since they started. This most recent tour isn't a reunion tour, it's just a regular tour. True, it isn't all of the original members these days, but the core members have been the same since about 1987.
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Detroitnerd
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Username: Detroitnerd

Post Number: 2071
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Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 - 4:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Spacemonkey: That Nig Heist song is called "Balls of Fire," and that LP from 1981 or so is one of the most offensive records I've ever seen. Naturally, it's in my collection. :P
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Downriviera
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Username: Downriviera

Post Number: 162
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Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 - 5:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Speaking of offensive, did GG Allin ever play Detroit?
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Detroitnerd
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Username: Detroitnerd

Post Number: 2073
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Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008 - 5:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah, he did. For a while he swore he was going to commit suicide at Blondie's on Halloween night in 1990. He even messed that up! :-)
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Screamingfit
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Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 12:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Good lord. Bands, people and places I haven't thought of for years.

Thanks for bringing out the old stick and beating me with it. :P

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