Tied Down Detroit 2026 Pre-Show #1 w/Youth Of Today, Restraining Order, and more.
Ray Cappo of Youth Of Today at Edgemen Printing during Tied Down Detroit Pre-Show #1. All photos by Paul Holstein.
Tied Down Detroit is undeniably the greatest hardcore weekend of the year in Detroit, and it's becoming a contender for the best in the world. For the past several years, I have been recovering from spending the weekend prior in Vegas (Punk Rock Bowling), but with that cancelled this year, I was more than ready for 40+ bands in 4 days at home in Detroit. Similar to last year, both pre-shows (one at Edgemen Printing and the other at The Magic Stick) were stacked with great bands and sold out quickly. This year kicked off with WMD, Madman, Build and Destroy, Restraining Order, and Youth of Today. The next night we would be right back at it with Eskrima, Discontent, The Killer, Death Before Dishonor, Division of Mind, Rotting Out and 100 Demons.
I arrived well before the show started, and the venue was already packed. The audience was a who's who of local hardcore bands as I spotted members of Pluto's Kiss, The Sissy Boys, Bad Beat, Death In Custody, Strange Magic, Cemetery Girl, D-BLOC, Escalation of Force, and The Black Dahlia Murder, among others. WMD has both a singer and a guitarist in common with local legends Bad Beat and Strange Magic and kicked off the festival in style. Mike Moynihan knows how to get the audience fired up and had the side-to-side, mosh pit, and two-step going for nearly the entire 6-song, 15-minute set (which included an Outburst cover).
Madman was up next, and we had just played their 2025 4-song demo in the car on the way down. They included "Hollow", "Devastation" and "The Broken Promise" from the demo in their set, as well as a few more. The crowd was in full force, still fired up from WMD. One of the most impressive things about this band was that after their set, they were right up front and in the mosh pit for the rest of the night, supporting every band that came after them.
Build and Destroy was the only band to play in the dark, as Edgemen Printing is normally a no-stage, lights-on venue. They are from Detroit, include members of/from RZL DZL and Cold World, and their set included the favorite "All Hail The Dopeman", focusing on local crime and addiction issues which affect us all in some way. They definitely held their own in this killer line-up.
After reviewing Restraining Order's last several releases for In-Spite Magazine, I was looking forward to their set more than the others (excluding Youth of Today, who are legends). I missed their recent show at The Sanctuary with Koyo, so I was glad to have a chance to catch them this weekend. Although I was surprised that they didn't do their cover of The Fix's "Vengeance" being in Detroit, it was a great set. A lot of the bands that play Edgemen lean towards beatdown hardcore, but these guys have a real old-school hardcore sound. Check out their 2023 album "Locked In Time" and last year's "Future Fortune", and I'm guessing that you will be a fan.
Anyone who has read this far should already know most of the story behind hardcore legend Ray Cappo. Ray started Youth Of Today in Connecticut with guitarist John Porcelly in 1985, reviving the straight edge scene with a style of hardcore now referred to as "Youth Crew." Youth of Today made their mark in the New York Hardcore scene with messages of self-discipline, anti-drug, anti-alcohol, vegetarianism, unity, animal rights, social awareness, and personal empowerment. Ray eventually focused on Hare Krishna spirituality and formed the band Shelter, helped to launch Revelation Records and Equal Vision Records, and wrote the book "From Punk To Monk." After the show, Ray was signing and selling his book, which quickly sold out and left fans wanting more. This was an incredible start to the best weekend of the year.
