We’ve all seen the tee shirts that plead “Punk’s not dead” as if to convince a skeptical passerby or defend the genre’s honor.
Well, the point is moot and that tee shirt’s ugly anyway. Punk is not only alive; it’s loud, it’s fun and it’s keeping Brooklyn up way past it’s bedtime.
The First Annual Punk and Metal Extravaganza will descend on Cha Cha’s in Coney Island on August 2 and, considering the enthusiasm of the bands involved, you would do well to be there.
“It’s just gonna be fun and crazy and awesome. Then we’re all gonna jump out in the ocean,” said Lisa Brown, one of the event’s organizers and the singer of Mongrel B–ch. “Come out and buy us beer,” she added.
Brown’s band recently played at Park Slope’s Lucky 13 Saloon (13th Street near Fifth Avenue), a space that makes up with energy (and $2 PBRs) what it lacks in size.
“We’re old school, do-it-yourself punk,” Brown said outside the venue, and she wasn’t joking.
Drink in hand, Brown's band touched upon the genre’s classic themes with songs like “I Hate You All,” “Beer” and “Born in the Garbage.” They’re noisy and ridiculous and a great addition to any extravaganza, not to mention the punk and metal one at Cha Cha’s.
The other bands to play are Black Death, Demolitia, Chesty Malone & the Slice ‘Em Ups, Eyes of the Sun and Gas. The show starts at 7 p.m. and has an $8 cover, but a drink on the house is included.
The location is not just a coincidence. At its heart, the show is as much about Brooklyn and Coney Island as it is about the music.
“The Manhattan scene is pretty much dead,” said Brown. “All the bands that are on the bill are from Brooklyn. This is a Brooklyn show.”
A veteran of 17 years, Brown said that the scene in the borough was absolutely growing and the show at Cha Cha’s was a good indicator.
“This is an element that really cares about Coney Island,” said JT Thomas, Cha Cha’s promoter and native Coney Islander, “but they don’t really have anything to see here, so I put it together for them.
“I feel blessed. Something amazing is going on here and I don't want it to stop. Punk and metal are really spinning out in a positive way,” he said.
The Punk and Metal Extravaganza will actually be a slight change of pace for the club, which usually hosts classic rock, R&B and jazz artists. The management said they are excited for the event though they had cause to hesitate booking another punk or metal band.
“I didn’t know what a mosh pit was,” said John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia, the owner and namesake of the 6-year-old venue. “I had no idea.”
Last year a performance by the World Inferno Friendship Society got way out of hand and turned into a destructive free-for-all.
“The kids started to tear the place apart,” said James Sliman, Cha Cha’s publicist, “and the band was pretty much fueling the fight.”
By night’s end, a small riot had caused over $10,000 in damages to the club. But Sliman is more optimistic this time around.
“We’re just going to make sure nothing like that happens again,” he said. “Cha Cha is open to all kinds of music, as long as people behave themselves.”
“People should expect to have a lot of fun,” said Thomas. “It’ll be good music, non-stop laughs, wild antics and crazy people. The best location in the whole country is Coney Island.”
The First Annual Punk and Metal Extravaganza starts at 7 p.m. on August 2 at Cha Cha’s of Coney Island (1220 Boardwalk W.). Admission is $8. For more information, call 718-946-1305 or go to www.chachasofconeyisland.com.
