I-80 straightedge - Reppin' Hard. Early 90's.......

http://www.verydistro.com/moreinfo.aspx?id=17755

"With the fall of Syracuse, NY, as the Mecca for militant vegan straight edge kids in the late 1990s, the Reno/SLC area quickly assumed the role becoming a hotbed for straight edge bands like Unconquered and xClearx"

Moshing? Dancing? Pitting? WTF?

You can call it whatever you want, but without a purpose it is just lame.

If you don't know what I am talking about, figure it out. ASAP!!!!!!!

I don't drink..........

.........because I don't!!!

Lately, I have had alot of people ask me why. I even had a discussion with my good friend Ryan about this subject.

I have been straightedge for a long time. I am not going to start drinking out of the blue. I never liked it. I never liked how it made me feel. I never will. I am not going to wake up one day and go to the liquor store and get a six pack or a bottle of tuaca. It ain't gonna happen. Get that through your head.

But while I am on this tip, let me tell you exactly what it is for me when I talk about alcohol........

Don't you use it for an antiseptic?

I don't need it to be social. Or to fit in. I could carry around a bottle of IBC at a party and your dumb ass wouldn't know any different. I am having just as much fun as you are and you won't remember..............

I am a better person for it. Every single thing I have done in my life, good or bad, has been a conscious decision. I can say that with pride.

I am not a square. If you know me, you know that.

Why do chicks feel compelled to judge me when I say I don't drink? And yes, it has gotten me significantly less dates. Girls think that parties and social settings with alcohol are more important than having convictions. Trust me, your favorite bar will still be there when you die. Probably.

Getting ripped is expensive. Going out for drinks seems like it would suck your wallet dry. But if you are a chick, some schmuck will always be waiting in the wings to buy you a shot so he can GIVE you a shot later...............

So, let me say it again - I don't drink and never will!!!! If you don't like me for it, so be it. But I never judged you.

So don't judge me. It is who I am. Not what I don't do.

MMA, UFC, whatever......

I watched the UFC the other night and a few things came to mind.

The head bleeds real easy. A cut on it will look much worse than it really is. But they cause fight stoppages.

Ken Shamrock can't fight the UFC style anymore. He just doesn't have it in him.

Vanderlei Silva is gonna tear Chuck Liddels head off and feed it to him. Chuck actually looked intimidated.....fight over!!!

Andrei Arlovski is not the fighter eveyone thought he was. He has a great skill set, but like a fighter before him (Vitor Belfort) he has no confidence. Shit, Frank Mir beat Tim Sylvia and Mir can't fight past the first two minutes now. The gay russian porn star can finally be out of your hearts.

Last, but not least, the Pride style of fighting lends itself to the actual mixed martial arts style that the Gracies intended it to be. I find it ironic that they invented the UFC and now Pride is what they have created.

The ring gives more opportunities for submission and more KO's as the cage leans more to the Tito Ortiz style.

Thanks.

Area43.net

Go here for the best in political commentary.

Jose runs this blog and he has a definite political slant to it, plus he posts some cool assed hardcore clips from the olden days.

Give him some love!!!

If.......

You say that you are trying to do something, but still do it, don't waste your breath telling me about it.

You want to be my friend, I should have some redeeming qualities.

Your boyfriend is a dick to you, leave him.

You have had problems with your boyfriend in the past, but choose to stay with him, then don't remind him how fucked up he is every chance you get.

You don't want people to treat you like a slut, don't fucking act like one. If I have to explain it, don't ever fucking talk to me again. Really.

You have something good to say, say it. I welcome well thought out and sincere thoughts vocalised.

You tell me something, I take it at face value. Don't tell me something then expect me to decipher it. I don't have time for it.

You are a girl that only cares about looks or status, don't talk to me.

You are a dude that is too cool, fuck off.

I did something for you for the sake of just doing something for you, and you didn't at least say thanks, then you can fuck off too.

You think I am not good enough for you, then I am probably TOO good for you. People aren't made up of their degrees, status or cool fucking tattoos or hair cuts. It is truly what is inside that counts.

You have the "Pocahontas" complex, leave me alone. Being nice to me might make you a good friend, and might even make me desire you, but sooner or later, I will figure you out, you fucking snake. I know alot of people.

You think you have it so hard. There are many other people that deal with REAL problems on a regular basis.

You are so self-absorbed and drowning in your own sorrow so much that you can't stop to help a friend. You suck. Real bad.

And finally, if you think I am TOO jaded and TOO bitter...... Oh well!!! Its my fucking party and I'll bitch if I want to!!

The edgebreak list.....

Taken from the edgebreak website -

The Edge Break List Is Dead

The Edgebreak list was begun in 2002. To us (at least me), it was a huge joke, a gag, a farce. Over time, people became more spiteful with their posts and used this list as a form of revenge. I even received a few emails from kids who were harrassed due to some affiliation with this list. Based on all the hate, I have killed the edgebreak list.

All this hate
What is it for?
It's not something
That we can just ignore
A waste of energy, a waste of time
You can't see it
'Cause you're so fucking blind

- Side By Side

Going forward with HYE, please expect more POSITIVE aspects of the straight edge culture to be displayed and documented by this site. If you have any questions, you know where to reach me. Peace. One love.

B. Murphy, HYE?

I liked it. Take it for what you will.

The XthingsX that we do......

So, with my infinite amounts of spare time, I have once again renewed my commitment to myself to be the best I possibly can be.

With this, I have taken part in and surfed my favorite forum group on Myspace. The one titled 'straightedge'.

Now what the hell does this have to do with making myself a better person? Well, it has everything to do with it. Maybe by having correspondence with the mass amounts of people that call themselves straightedge on myspace, I might learn something in my old age. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

But alas, I have not. I have only been able to reaffirm some things that I always thought all along.

1. There are so few of us that truly give a shit about Straightedge.

2. So few of us are actually talking about things that MATTER in life. What about the middle east and Irans refusal to let UN inspect their nuclear program. That is certainly important to me, you and well, everyone!

3. The discussions that do come up are rarely about anything but these few things - caffeine consumption and its place in straightedge, prescription drugs or porn.

These three things make me realize that I need to try my hardest to stimulate the minds of the people that I interact with. As I get older, I realize that my need for great conversation is at a paramount, and the people that I interact with on the NERD aren't doin' it for me.

My hope for straightedge is that with our "raised conciousness" that we become more than a force for change; that we ARE the change. We don't need to be the negative in the public eye. We need to be a positive and by not engaging in everyday conversation, then we aren't getting the message out.

I guess that I mean that I want more for the movement than it to die a slow death because of its commercialism; we need to show them that we are the true rebellion. Rebellion against rebellion!!!!

Brandon McGrath (Not til Daylight) Interview

The following interview is with Brandon McGrath, longtime friend and former bandmate. He has been in Unending and toured and recorded in support of Unconquered's last record in Europe.

We have know each other for a long fucking time and we are close. We share kisses on the cheek and shred the gnar on our dirty bikes.

Fat kids rule......

1. Okay, who the fuck are you? How old are you? What do you do? Why are you so sexy? Will you marry me?

Yes of course i will marry you! haha.. Well my name is Brandon McGrath i am a born and raised Reno cat who has been straightedge for 10+ years. I am 24 years old. Currently i am a fulltime college student and have 2 jobs. I have been involved with music as far back as i can remember and my band and my Hip-hop project take up some of my time also. And i am sexy because i am myself and never in my life have i tried to "fit in" i just do what i enjoy.

2. You have a new band. Tell me about it. Who is in it?

Well my new band is called Not Til Daylight. I scream/yell/sing whatever you want to call it in this band. We have been together for about a year or so maybe longer but we all played music together before in a band called The bakers dozen letdown. Basically it is metal/hardcore fun stuff to shake your ass to. Some of the subject matter is light hearted and some of it is not. With songs that range in topic from the worlds addiction to prescription drugs and being "medicated" to relationship and "scene" related stuff like how kids live their lives on or through the internet. We play metal mostly with alot of hardcore influence and basically just enjoy rockin'. The line up is Me-vocals, Jason Jo-guitar1,
Alex Cardenas-guitar2, Troy Elizares-bass, and Chris Jimenez- drums, All of us have done music before in bands locally such as- Lionel Huts, Drugknuckle, Unending, Unconquered, and some other ones i cant really remember at this very moment.

3. What really bothers you these days? I mean, I am a hater, but does anything really get under your skin?

Heartless cowards that think they are hardcore/metal.
People who think they were part of something they had nothing to do with. Straightedge and the hardcore/underground "scene" having lost it's sense of brotherhood and comradery only to be replaced by kids with this psuedo-gang mentality that fuck up what took us years to build. Frat boys and their pink polo shirts. I could go on forever really.. haha

4. Along time ago, I saw you at a Clear show. How have you changed since then?

Wow well i am definetly a little older and alot wiser than back then. I still have fun at shows like i used to but it just isnt the same anymore. now i have a shit ton more responsibility in my life but i definetly feel young still. I have alot of good/great friends that i have made since then that without them who knows where i would be.

5. Straightedge has changed over the years. Does it mean the same to you as it did when you were first coming up?

It means the same to me for sure.. I feel that what it means to me is not even close to what it means for the other people in straightedge, especially the newer crowd of initiates.

6. Who stirs the pot of passion for you? Other than me?

Um well of course my girlfriend Valerie, and um i would have to say Kate Bekinsale is a close second haha.

7. It is 2006. What will you be doing in ten years? Will you be alive?

In 10 years i will finally be out of school. Still playing music. Still havin fun. Maybe even have a family and all that good stuff. As we all know the future is what we make it and i plan on making my present and future a splendid fuckin time. I imagine all of us sitting around as old men at a BBQ with each other .. Our kids playing together and all that mess and all of us still reminiscing about the "good ol days" still..

8. When was the last time you got so pissed you wanted to truly kill someone?

Anybody up for a game of rugby...? hahah yeah it has been a while for sure. I dont let things get to me easily at all anymore.

9. Not til daylight is not your typical hardcore band. I would say that you have an original sound, and definitely different lyrically. What inspires you when you rock lyrics?

Different things inspire me when i write. I take the emotion i am feeling when i write and reflect in that tone and inflection when i find a topic i want to write about. Usually it is about something that happened in the near to present past and i just flow it. I have never had writers block because i have this wierd problem where i think too much about everything haha. I am a wierdo. Hey has anyone seen Jacob lately?!?

10. Hey, weren't you in lame ass Unending? They sucked....

No fuckin way we rocked in that band!. Man i had alot of fun with you in that band. So many good times and many more to come my man!

11. What is your typical day like?

Sleep until i got class, then get up and go. I work on the weekends and a couple nights during the week but i basically make my schdule. Maybe have band practice. go to matty's house and make some beats/music maybe write a song or 2. Hang out with my girl if she is not too busy. Go to the gym or snowboarding or maybe even ride my dirty bike with friends. Basically everyday is what i make it. well that and class and work get in the way sometimes haha.

12. What is/was your defining day? Have you had it yet?

I think everything a man does in his life from what he does to how he does it defines who he is.. so i take it one day at a time and hope that the choices i make define me as i should be defined.

13. Can we kiss? Haven't we already? We did on Program mountain once. "Why can't I quit you?"

Because we love each other thats why! You are one of my Best friends and i will have your back whenever you need it til the day we die, or you get another girlfriend and disappear! ooooh! hahaha just kidden homie. Kenny loggins and dennis rodman called private snowball the other day to inform him that 3 men dont fit so well in a 2 man tent hahahahah.

14. Finally, what things should scene kids be doing to help it grow?

Support local music and bands, help promote when you can, join special interest groups that help raise awareness for underground movements, quit fighting amongst yourselves, pick someone up when they fall down,be there for someone other than yourself, and lastly if you have something to say to someone say it to them personally and hold people accountable for their actions.

Well, fucking do you?!?!?!?!

This post was written in response to a post made by a young kid in our SxE community (he is 16). His original post was, in so many words, "Fuck sellouts". It sparked a pretty heated debate and it sparked a rant by me that even I didn't think I had in me. Maybe it was a long time comin.... here it is.....

I can truly see both sides of this coin. I mean, who wants to hear from a super new kid shit like, "FUCK SELLOUTS". Shit, he/she hasn't even had time to get into some shit that might make him/her re-think his/hers commitment. Read: The number of sellouts after the Gehenna incident....

I can also see that we need to be more supportive of the kids coming up. They are the ones that will carry the torch and they need a support group to keep them coming around.

Now I don't know who EVERYONE is who comes to shows, nor do I like all the bands that I hear from this town. But I do know that as long as there are kids around, I will support their right to be edge. They will always have my respect. But if they sellout, well, then I can't truthfully say that I will still. There are old friends of mine that sold out, but I still love them to death and most of 'em still come to shows.

Its not about who is around the longest. It is about who is around RIGHT NOW. Trust me, I have seen people sellout that have had fucking 10 SxE tattoos. I don't give a fuck about your level of commitment to the X. Who cares? I care that you are and that you continue to be. Thats all.

But if you do decide to be a sellout, don't leave a fucked up legacy for us dudes still around to fucking clean up. Don't be fuckers and use the edge as a status sign. Don't think anyone won't tell you you fucking suck if you fuck up and do something to make us all look bad.

If your band has shitty lyrics or a dumbass name - expect to get shit. And also re-evaluate those things. Do you want that kind of attention? Or do you want people to respect you no matter what?

Do you walk around blaring your edgeness or do try to do things that will promote SxE and its growth?

Do you carry yourself in a manner that people can respect? Do you fucking treat people like shit? Do you treat the girls in your scene like shit? Do you disrespect the old guys, the ones that held this fucker up while you were still sucking moms tit? Do you know the bands that shaped this scene? The bands that shaped the hardcore scene in general?

Do you think it is a fucking fashion show? Do you dance because it is cool, or do you do it because you are pissed and it is a way for you to go off?

WELL, DO YOU????!!!!!!

Sorry, that needed to be said.

Apartment 213

http://www.verydistro.com/moreinfo.asp?id=15468

All I know, is that for years, just getting your hands on a seven inch of ANYTHING they have done is next to impossible. Now, they have a discography. Happy days are ahead. For those of you that know, you will be stoked, for those that don't, get it anyway.

Jose Galvan interview

For those of you who don't know, Jose has long been an icon to me and the rest of Reno. As you will read in the interview, he has a lot to say and has some valid points. Jose is a fucking stalwart of the NCRA community and a great dude. You should all take note, he could learn ya a thing or ten.......
1. Lets get to the compulsory questions - What is your name and what do you do?

HA! This question reminds me of "Kindergarten Cop"
"Who is your daddy, and what does he do?"
My name is Jose Galvan, I am a full time husband and father, I am a telecommunications drone. (meaning I work with with signals - voice video data).
In my spare time I read lots and eat lots.
I'm an online wiseass and all around teller of tales.
Basically I'm a family man who dabbles in hobbies that I used to be obsessed with.

2. Where are you from? How long have you been Vegan Edge?

I'm originally from San Francisco but now proclaim Sacramento as my adopted hometown.
I've been sxe since a little after high school (I graduated in 1988) and vegan since the mid 90s.
There's only one more person who's still around from my era of straight edge

3. You are a daddy now, what kind of things does your child need to know to make it in this shithole?

Faith.Hope.Sanity.Love. I'm going to try and instill these in her so the world doesn't get her down.
She has a clean slate, a loving family and nothing to stop her.
She definitely will need to believe in herself and in real family in order to survive and thrive.

4. Dude, you have been involved in the scene for years, what is the one thing in our community (hardcore community) that makes you cringe? What is the one thing that makes you proud to be, proud to be, Straightedge?!?!?!

One thing that makes me cringe: just the general attitude in hardcore nowadays that forgets about the meaning in the songs.
"They played the part, and they wore the right clothes, but they didn't know, what the fuck it meant"
I think Mike Judge said it best back then and it still rings true today.

Here's something that I came up with recently:
I am straight edge IN SPITE OF not because of the hardcore scene.
I have attended one show in the last few months, and will most likely not see another one soon (unless I see a metal show with Death Metal Dan)
I am proud that in 2005, straight edge is still represented by good dudes from coast to coast.
From Reno to Salt Lake to Seattle to Syracuse....
There are STILL dudes like you and the rest of the Reno SXE who are still down even though it's not "cool" anymore.
Living a lifestyle of self preservation and the pursuit of righteousness, is always something to be proud of.
I have no intention of selling out, but my lifestyle will endure even if the label dies away.
I have every intention of taking this to the grave.
This is how I live my life, it's more than just a t shirt.

5. Why is it that the in the late 80's to mid 90's were so good. Do you think the advent of the internet watered down the history of it? I mean, I got my info from zines and word of mouth, now you can go to a message board and be a genius, like you were there. WTF?

You hit the nail on the head. I think that there's more of an appreciation for things if you have to work for them.
It used to be a big deal to hear a new band, to see a show in another town, to meet another hardcore kid.
Besides the internet, I think that sheer numbers have a lot to do with why the 'good old days' were.
Nowadays there are hundreds and thousands of kids getting into hardcore.
Back then, if you saw someone on a skateboard, a bmx bike, wearing a suicidal tendencies or corrosion of conformity t shirt, you were stoked!
Wearing a band shirt now, and seeing another hardcore kid, the "nod" is rarely exchanged.
It's definitely not that big of a deal for someone to be involved in hardcore nowadays.
You buy some shirts, go to a show. Bam. Instant "CORE".
Sure you can get tattoos or whatever, but they are optional.
Having a smaller community also meant that kids in bands were just that.
Kids in bands.
There wasn't as much of a division between bands and the crowd, everyone was the same!
Nowadays it seems like there are bands, hardcore bands even, that act like rockstars.
That's BS.
I also blame the kids who put these guys on pedestals nowadays.
They are in a band. It's no big deal!
So someone comes up with catchy tunes.
Rad. They are still average dudes!
In order for hardcore to be radder, it needs to be more of a community and less of a social scene.
I predict that once this wave of popularity tanks, things will improve.


6. Big shit has gone down lately, like the shooting in Phoenix. What do you attribute to this?

Deaths and violence in hardcore are nothing new. We just have the internet now so we can hear about these things easily now.
In the early 90's my friend Paul Carallo and Aragorn fought nazi at the cattle club and were both stabbed.
Paul never survived the attack and died.
I've witnessed beatings, violence, all sorts of horrible crap.
The first show I ever attended was probably the most violent.
In 1988 DRI played in Sacramento, and 3/4ths of the crowd were seig heiling nazis.
At the end of the night, it erupted into a full on riot with police throwing tear gas into the club and fighting spilling out into the street.
I saw a guy swinging a chain on some dude and another guy get thrown onto a car.
What's different now?
Now it's hardcore kid vs hardcore kid.
Crew vs crew.
Different groups of hardcore kids fighting each other instead of the real enemy.
Not very productive...

7. Do you thing the whole wiggario mentality has fueled the "harder than a brick sandwich" mentality?

These questions are awesome because they are all related to the previous one...
There's a lot of people who have yet to feel the consequences for their answer.
To quote Sick Of It All "Someday, your luck will fail, then you'll wind up dead or jailed!"

8. Speaking of hip-hop culture, why does mainstream rap suck so bad?

I have no idea dude. Look, I joke around about this a lot but I mean it, I really don't like rap!
I never liked the message, it's mostly women hating pro-drug garbage.
You know me, when have I ever e
Yeah yeah there's one or two "intelligent hip hoppers" who are basically communists and far left weirdos.
No thanks!
I also really don't care who is the biggest and the baddest rapper.
I'll quote someone else this time "Because the music that they constantly play, it says nothing
to me about my life so hang the blessed DJ"

9. George bush doesn't care about black people?

Not true!
I've never met the guy but I think he likes black people a lot more than people in his own state do.

10. What makes Amy so fucking rad?

She's my best friend, she's a voice of sanity, and she laughs at my stupid jokes and puts up with my friends.
She's beautiful inside and out, greets me with a kiss each day and is an awesome mom.
I miss her every day I go to work, and get excited to drive home to see her and Elsa.
She's thoughtful, considerate, and selfless.


11. Reno is your second home, what is your fondest memory?

I have way too many hilarious/scary/awesome memories of that town.
left hand, casa margaritas, making dean the scene cry,driving there to see hatebreed and puking immediately after their set from moshing
Hatebreed playing to about 20 of us in that record store that sold white power records, and then jumping onto said records to dive on our friends.
The Bomb Shelter - Jason's birthday party at your house, waterballoons at snapcase,
Visiting mike ward and just listening to him spew hatred is always good.
Brandon and I saw David Coverdale of Whitesnake in Wild Oats.
Hahah! Death Metal Dan and I slept under a pool table at Mike and Glen's trailer in LEMON VALLEY before a 25 ta life show years ago.
Then of course, there's the ruckuses, but we always go over those when we hang out so I won't go there!
I love the Reno Hardcore and the Reno SxE scene, which are pretty much synonymous, but there are tons of dudes that aren't sxe that are good people.
Things are better in Reno.


12. Emo moment? Do you need a hug?

I'm always down for hugs dude, you know this!

13. Last but not least, it is close to XXX-mas, what do you want to see under your tree?

I'm a capitalist but not a materialist. I have all the things I could possibly want.
All I am hungering for now are bigger and better versions of those same material things.
IE fancier camera, fancier recording equipment etc.
My beautiful baby girl is seriously the best early Christmas present ever :)
I have the gift of life love and family every single day I wake up, what else can a guy want?

NCRA circa 1996

This photo is courtesy of Jose courtesy of Keven VDC. This is the Nor-Cal Reno Alliance around 1996. It is at a show that I cannot remember, but I am sure it is at Berekely Square. Those were the days.......starting with top row, two chicks I don't know, maybe one is Jose's ex whom I can't remember, next row, Mike Schmidt, Jim Severt, Leapin' Larry?, J-moneyless G, don't know, Brian McClaughery, Glenn Lemon(leaning), Kevin and Luke?, me(in red shirt), bottom row, two dudes I don't remember, Jose Galvan (sac sweatshirt), Bob, and Jess Brown. True family.