The two day Revelation Records invasion of Los Angeles continued on Saturday, April 13th when Youth of Today and Side By Side, with support from locals More To Pride and Wise, kept the momentum going with another amazing night at 1720 Warehouse in downtown L.A.
Wise opened the show with their distinct brand of heavy, anthemic hardcore as the crowd began to gather and move in anticipation of the evening to follow. With fast, driving guitar riffs and intense vocals, the Whittier band dove into the deep end and set the tone for the night.
Lynwood’s own More To Pride took the stage next and really set the room in motion. As always, vocalist Richard De La Vega brought the party and the band ripped an impressive set of crowd favorites. Strife’s Andrew Kline joined the band for “Jack Move,” the night beginning to feel like a hardcore family affair.
Next came the moment so many had waited for for so long, Side By Side’s first ever California show, and the significance of the night was not lost on a single person in the room. The band opened with “Backfire” and the pit was full of wild energy as it seemed everybody in the room pressed forward to sing along. At times during the set vocalist Jules Massee could barely be heard over the crowd’s own raised voices, as they sang every word of the songs that clearly meant so much to so many. When it came time for the band to play their namesake track, “Side By Side,” Jules took a minute to remind the room of the importance of unity and the power we have when we work together in spite of our perceived differences, something hardcore has always uniquely been able to harness and a truly special aspect of this subculture. Side By Side closed their set with “You’re Only Young Once” and the entire room screamed along as Jules implored the crowd to “sing this with me,” a room truly united and inspired by the power of music and youth, not always a matter of age as much as a state of mind.
By the time Youth of Today took to the stage the crowd could barely wait for the first chord of “Flame Still Burns” to ring out before flying into another round of elated chaos. Each song inspired stage dives and singalongs, the crowd moving as one, an ocean of bodies, absorbing dive after dive as the band ripped through a blistering set. In his stage banter, vocalist Ray Cappo recalled the words of Jules Massee from earlier in the night, reminding the crowd that “this is not a performance” but, rather, that the bands were there to create the “anthems to get you through this crazy life,” and Youth of Today has done just that for so many. Truly, it was these life saving anthems that ruled the night, and, as the band closed their set with a cover of the Sex Pistol’s “Anarchy in the UK” (dubbing it “Anarchy In LA”) the entire room exploded once again into joyful bedlam. There was a smile on every face in the room, band included, as we were all reminded of the positive power that music and subculture has to inspire, raise awareness, and create community – a message embodied by each band that took the stage that night, proof that, no matter how much time passes, maybe we aren’t only young once as long as the spirit endures and the anthems remain.
Photos: Ray Camacho – @punk_monk_ray – https://raymondecamacho.myportfolio.com/
Youth of Today
Side by Side
More To Pride
Wise
