courtesy of Margaret Porter
Written by Leslie Rutkin
The people alive in 1912 probably never could have imagined a show like last weekend's Centennial Fist-Swinger, Flagstaff’s punk rock celebration of Arizona’s hundredth birthday. Four punk bands — Rise Like Lions, Shredface, Hear Me Out, and We Were There — put on a wild and energetic show at Tacos Locos that kept the audience moving and moshing.
A crowd gathered in the back room to watch the bands perform under a blue sign that read “peoplecore.” The venue filled up quickly, with everyone packed into the room and trying to find a spot to see the stage. Rise Like Lions’s performance set the tone for the rest of the night, getting the audience amped up for the next performances. Shredface was easily the loudest band of the night. Even the people sitting in the restaurant could hear their set perfectly, an impressive feat considering that they were also the smallest group. Phoenix band Hear Me Out, pictured below, came on second to last. Vocalist Daniel Broyles kept the energy levels high as he sang, and when he mentioned that the band was giving out free CDs, many people rushed over to grab one.
courtesy of Matt Haynie
At the end of the night, headliners We Were There took to the stage. The audience went wild, with the biggest mosh pit of the night starting early on and staying packed throughout their set. Fans even sang along to some of their original songs, and the whole room cheered when the band stopped to explain peoplecore, the band’s philosophy of music based on community. “Peoplecore isn’t about the punk rock scene... it’s about the people that make up the punk rock scene,” says guitarist Greg Lawrence.
The band seemed to feed off of the crowd’s high energy. Towards the end of the set, everyone watched vocalist Joe Jaraczewski Jr. climb up to the top of a ladder next to the stage. When he jumped off into the crowd, the mosh pit exploded.
After chants for one more song, We Were There ended the show with a cover of Sum 41’s “Fat Lip” and encouraged the crowd to sing along. Members of the other bands joined We Were There on stage to deliver a rousing end to a centennial celebration unlike any other.
courtesy of Matt Haynie
