Adam’s World Weekly 3/16

Before I get to anything music related, as some of you may know, I did my undergrad studies at Hofstra University, and for the first time in quite some time we’re goin’ dancin’!!!

We play Alabama on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and I will be parked in front of a TV, yelling loud enough to be heard all the way down in Florida, which is where they’ll be playing the game.

Needless to say, I won’t be attending any shows that night, but I attended a great one this past Friday at Arlene’s Grocery. It was the “Evil Eye” single release show for my friends No Grudges, and another set of friends, Long Island punk rockers Bad Mary (who are all Hofstra affiliated) were also on the bill.

The night was kicked off by MarkZen, an alternative rock band from Queens, who sounded great, plus they have a cosign from my friend David of the band DIgamY. I will definitely be checking venue calendars for them over the summer.

Bad Mary was up next with a blistering set, including a song they said they wanted to finish as fast as humanly possible. They ended up performing it in just over a minute and twenty seconds. Hey, I told ya the set was blistering!

Someone in the crowd said, “This band deserves a mosh pit,” and began to mosh, slamming into me, and Gabriel of No Grudges. We took it all in fun, and I was able to send a hilarious reply to a text, writing, “In a pit. BRB.”

Third on the bill was MAAFA, who are a Brazilian hardcore band. This was my introduction to them, and what makes them unique is that they have three drummers, one on the drum kit, and two with Brazilian hand drums. The result is a wildly unique, high energy sound that was very cool to experience live.

No Grudges closed things out, and for a band that always sounds like they’re at the absolute top of their game, I’m constantly amazed at how they somehow find a way to top themselves with each show. Somehow Crystalla’s vocals get even stronger. Somehow Gabriel shreds even more impressively on the guitar. Somehow the band as a whole gets even tighter. They give an epic performance every time.

Speaking of epic performances, this week’s update is led off by my look at some of the best live recordings I’ve found while digging through used vinyl. One albums was an obvious choice, but I think you might be surprised by some of the others.

In addition to that feature, I also have fresh editions of Pop Shots, and my NYC Scene Report for you to check out.

Read the full column here

Read the full column here

Read the full column here

As always, thanks for reading, and have a fantastic week … and GO PRIDE!!!

– Adam Bernard