Bad Beat “L.P. 2025” Record Release Party, 11 bands for 11 bucks.
12 bands that played the Bad Beat “L.P. 2025” Record Release Party - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
This turned out to be one of the hotter 4th of July weekends in recent years, and while this show was originally scheduled to be outdoors at Hamtramck Skate Park, it was moved indoors to Edgemen Printing due to the heat. I'd been at another festival the day prior (see the earlier story "10th Annual 4th of July Party in Detroit With EKG, Dr. Haj, Tell All Your Friends, and More"), and I wasn't sure that I would be able to muster up the strength to get to this one the next day. But this was Bad Beat, and a special show given that it was the record release party for their "L.P. 2025" album. If you haven't read the In-Spite Magazine review of that record, check it out (spoiler alert: it's one of the best hardcore records of the year ... if not THE best). As expected, there was a limited edition version (numbered to 25 made) available at the show.
Vigilante at Edgemen Printing - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
I left a little later than I had planned. The show was scheduled to start at 2:00pm, and I left at 2:00pm with nearly an hour to drive. Luckily though, the first band (Vigilante) ended up going on at 3:00pm, and I made it before their set even started. I wouldn't have expected Vigilante to play first, but they were playing two shows in the same day, heading out to Ann Arbor after their set at Edgemen (to support Bloodlined Calligraphy at Homes Campus). The large "garage" doors were opened when I arrived, and I almost thought they may let the bands play with the doors open (which would have helped tremendously with the heat). No such luck; they closed them during the sets, and it definitely got hot in there. It was all good though; with the crowd nearly at capacity and every band inciting a crazy mosh pit, I was more worried about staying in a safe place than staying cool. The sets were only about 20 minutes, and I headed to the car after each one, where I had a cooler full of ice-cold water waiting.
When I was a kid in grade school, there was a game called "kill the guy with the football" or "fumble rumble," where a large group of kids on recess fought for a football. One kid has the ball; everyone tries to tackle him and get the ball. Repeat until recess is over. I'd heard that this game is being brought back during hardcore shows, but this was the first time I saw it live. Anhedonia threw a football into the mosh pit during their set, and someone would tackle whoever had it, take it, and toss it back into the crowd. This went on for most of the set and took what was already a crazy (and dangerous) place to be to the next level.
I didn't catch a lot of cover songs in these sets, but the two that I did catch were both by Negative Approach (as it should be). BFD covered "Can't Tell No One," and The Sissy Boys ended their set with "Ready To Fight." We were also treated to a secret set just before Bad Beat came on, from a band they called WMD that featured members of Bad Beat and King's Command. Strange Magic vocalist/Bad Beat guitarist Mike Moynihan was on vocals, and they sounded great. I'll be looking forward to hearing more from them. One heck of a punk rock weekend.
Bad Beat at Edgemen Printing - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
