Written by:	Thought.
Published:	12.10.2009

Along with a concert review, this is also a tale of a true thrasher at heart, someone who really lives for music, someone we should ALL learn from!

Yesterday, Brian, MVP and I took a trip down to Clifton, New Jersey. Whiplash was on the bill and opening was another amazing thrash band, Apathy. We arrive at Dingbatz around 9, grab some brews from a nearby liquor store and chill out by the car. As I'm taking my last sips, oh shit, it's Johnny Law! Well hello officer, why yes, this is in fact a beer.... Well, after some noise and douche-baggery, he was "kind" enough to let us go. We are walking back to Dingbatz and see Officer Bacon parked outside the club entrance... He knew we're going there, he knew Matt was not 21. (MVP turns 21 tomorrow, people. Happy Birthday to him!) We wait around outside talking to bands and people and the guy who hosts a radio show up in Poughkeepsie, NY. Cop leaves, we go inside, get carded, and MVP's ID is held on to.


Darkness Descends

This band was awesome! So much energy live. For a band whose name comes from Dark Angel, they didn't sound remotely similar and only slightly influenced. There were slow chuggy breakdowns and some anthem like chorus parts, but it was heavy, fast, and fun. Click the link I gave to get their myspace. They're playing again at Dingbatz Oct. 11 with big names Bulldoze and Billy Club Sandwich. During the 3rd or 4th song, I noticed between my excessive headbanging and stomping around that Brian and Matt were MIA. Checking out merch maybe? dunno. Brian comes back a song later and informs me "Dude, they kicked out Matt..."

So after Darkness Descends, we go outside to find MVP and figure out what to do. I see him and tell him, "you know man, just get in with Apathy. Hang out backstage or something. you'll figure it out" So he goes to the back door and waits. While Brian and I are chatting it up with the old Apathy guitarist who is here to see the show as well, Matt slipped inside and was unseen or unheard from again for quite a while... until the next band.


Apathy

Apathy is fucking killer! The show reminded me of a cool mix between Slayer and Kreator but with an east-coast thrash kinda rhythm. Schuster's ([info]pncxcll ) band Egokill are great friends with these guys, Brian and Schu lending their talents on their new record, Decade of Violence. Before the first kick of the bass pedal, Brian gets a text from Matt: "DUDE! I'm under the stage!!" Hahaha, ok, amazing! So during the breaks between songs we're shouting out his name and talking him up, and I'm sure Apathy is scratching their heads saying "what?". "THERE'S A FAN UNDER THE STAGE?!!" Tony Portaro of Whiplash is next to me in the crowd, I'm sure he's wondering "what the fuck??"

After an amazing and too short a set, we catch the Apathy guys outside after they're done loading up their gear and tell them the fate of our friend Matt. "Under the stage? THE WHOLE TIME??" So after a good laugh and much praise by the band, Brian and I are fucking tired, so we take a walk to Dunkin Donuts and decide to miss the third band, Without End. After running into shady jersey kids who looked like mommy and daddy bought them their north face and dinged up new Toyota, we decided to head back to the show.


Whiplash

The band exploded into their set, frets on fire and the drums pulverizing. Apathy joined Brian and I in thrashing about and shouting out to the band and to MVP. They played nothing from their newest album Unborn Again, but instead revisited their debut album Power and Pain with songs Stage Dive and Spit On Your Grave, and album Ticket to Mayhem with the song Spiral of Violence. During the set, Pete from Apathy bursts out laughing and point backstage. There's MVP with a ghost-white face and some security guard yelling... Matt fucking BOLTS! Haha, we were all laughing and stunned we couldn't even properly enjoy the rest of the set. But the set ended with a bit of a surprise, guitarist Marc Piovanetti of the famous crossover band Carnivore came out onstage to do some shredding and vocal duties, before the band closed up and said "Thank You and Goodnight!"

Outside, we meet up with Matt again, who had run off somewhere in some direction and needed help over the phone getting back to the area. As he gets closer, there's yelling from behind me, "YEAHH!!! THATS THE GUY!! THAT'S THE KID!!" as he's welcomed by a bunch of people who have found out the whole story from bands and fans just talking during the show. His pants are soaked in nasty shit, his hoodie is missing, and he's just got a clueless smirk on his face. Good for him. This was one of the best shows I've EVER seen. Not just great music, but great people, great friends, and great events.

Apathy writes: "DUDE!!!! YOU ARE THE MAN! THIS NEEDS TO BE an afterschool special! Dude WE ARE LAUGHING SO MUCH! Thanks for coming to the show! All the bands last night oh you big time! Hey everyone GIVE IT UP for MATT!!!!!!!"