Pictured above: Radium Girls Ultra
Even on the blackest coldest night of a given Seattle winter there will always still be room for punks of all ages to get their feelings out. Amidst the thick tension of the Seahawks/Rams game, an explosion of energy could be found in the eclectic basement of Black Market Skates in January. As a recent L.A. transplant in the Emerald City, the irony of sports-based pride permeating the show was certainly not lost on this writer. Walking up to the doors, you could instantly feel the music wash away the chill of the grim temperature, with speakers barking anything from The Clash and the Stooges to MDC and Reagan Youth.
Black Market, which usually operates as half a skate shop and half a record store, can be seen rearranging their setup on concert nights such as this. Shelves of vinyl become merely a backdrop for local bands’ merch tables, while skateboards transform into dressing room walls for artists. In a time where hardcore is bleeding into the mainstream more than ever, with award wins and SNL performances, it's nice to see that local bands still emphasize connecting with the community and playing small shows regardless of the amenities.
As the crowd cheered hungrily for the win of the Seattle Seahawks, Radium Girls Ultra took the stage for the second time ever to blow our minds. The band delivered what can only be described as funky clown-inspired power violence. Slow smooth bass lines juxtaposed against fast dancey drums, creating a hypnotic spiral of melodic sludge. As the crowd warmed up moshing on the concrete floor, Miscomings crash landed next. With elements of glam and power pop oozing from their specific flavor of hardcore, the band attempts to taunt and tease the audience as they lead up to each climatic chorus. Several wacky demented facial expressions later, and you don’t quite know what's just happened to you, but you know it was fun.
After brief setup changes, and the appearance of cult comedy hit “Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” on the background projector, Portland’s own Conspire walked down the basement’s stairs with as much rockstar aura as the building could contain. A fresh distorted sound is punched in the face by old counterculture antics a la Iggy Pop and Eddie Vedder. As the guitarist frantically threw himself into the crowd mid strum, the singer began to climb the railing of the stairs, and the entire performance devolved into full chaos before eventually winding down. The final band of the night Black Ends, came in slow, but they were not to be underestimated. As their website says, they make “gunk-pop”, which to us sounded like early grunge with some gothic dream-pop elements, and a whisper of doom metal.
As the two stepping came to a close, the lights dimmed, and concert go-ers braced themselves to face the cold outside. The community and emotion imbued in the walls of Black Market Skates’ basement will remain forever, and so will memories of the shows that have taken place there. These bands are merely a small sample size of what the larger scene has to offer, and yet they are certainly acts to look out for as the music industry and hardcore genre continue to evolve and shift.
