I don’t think there was a flyer for this show?
I think one or two other bands might have played this show, but I don’t remember who else they were. This might have been the first time I saw Purpose and I remember they covered Inside Out and Embrace, which seemed so out of left field in comparison to the youth crew style that was so popular at the time. I think a lot of people checked out Purpose, at first at least, not only because they were a decent band, but because their style was so different from what was considered cool at the time. I think their second seven inch had just come out and I am pretty sure I picked up a copy.
Uprise were fine at this show, but I remember some argument in the band at the end of their set about doing a Cro-Mags cover. At one point, a member, Greg probably, was like “just fucking play it!” and started into the bass intro. They broke up pretty soon after this I think and Matt and Frank moved onto Dead Nation.
No Contest opened with a Life’s Blood cover, which really got the crowd going off hard. This might have been their first show maybe? I know they had demos at this show.
The first issue of Second Choice Fanzine, which would be a popular fanzine for a few years, debuted at this show too.
However, the band we all wanted to see was War Zone. I have written about this before, but I was supposed to interview Ray a few months before but it had fallen through. When War Zone arrived I introduced myself properly and apologized again. Ray said no big deal and we chatted for a few minutes. War Zone played an awesome set of mostly the classics plus a few new ones and a 7 Seconds cover. The crowd went off and it was great. On the way out I saw Ray outside and gave him a wave before heading to my car. That would be the last time I ever saw him.
I remember this show. Warzone were great.
Just saw a pic of it on Instagram. I was there with a bunch of the skins from New Brunswick. Some kid locked his keys in the trunk of his old beater of a car and started beating and kicking his own car until everyone joined in. I remember Junior from Heidnik Stew jumping on the trunk from the roof trying to buckle and bend the trunk (which was metal, because it was a really old car).
I remember seeing shows at that Elks lodge where the stage was on either side of the room. There was a “stage” but I don’t remember if it was elevated at all. Maybe just floor level and a curtain to a space that was off the main room. That is where the bands were during this show. But I remeber Ray spent the entire show in the middle of the dance floor.
Ray was always mad cool, but that show I remember they showed up way in advance and were hanging out in the parking lot in their girls and watching the other bands.