So This Band Called Agnostic Front Came to Pittsfield and.......

they packed Chameleon's, a club who has quickly become Berkshire County's answer to CBGB's, the legendary club on the Bowery responsible for launching thousands of music careers.  One never knew what to expect when walking through those hallowed doors and here in the Berkshires, one never knows what to expect when walking into Chameleon's.  To date they've hosted bands from across the globe including China (Shanren), Canada (The Real Deal), Japan (Misled Balds) and throughout the United States in addition to DJs, comedians and even magicians!

It was certainly a real treat to witness NYHC legends, Agnostic Front, in a club that holds about as many people as CBGB's once did.  When the show was first announced, local fans were in shock and were in disbelief a band who headlines major festivals across the world were play here in Berkshire County!  Well, it proved to be true, it happened and it was incredible!

Fans came out from under the woodwork to support the three local acts on the bill who brought their A game to tonight's show.  With the exception of some minimal vocal mic issues during The Damaged's set, the night was flawless.  Malicious Tendencies kicked of the night in fine fashion ripping through a 30 minute set that got the crowd moving early on with no intention of stopping except for the break in-between sets.  Chris, Arron, John and Dave showed no signs of letting up and were just as intense from the first note to the last!  Don't miss Malicious Tendencies as they don't play locally all that often, but you can be promised a good time.

After a short changeover, local hardcore heavyweights Bloodwar took to the stage and ripped through a classic set of hardcore!  This current line-up of Jerome, Matt, Kevin and Dave are a force to be reckoned with.  Agnostic Front has such a huge influence throughout hardcore, punk and metal it was a nice to see a local band that also embodied all of those styles in a different way.  Bloodwar's influences are without a doubt something near and dear to each member as they bring something unique to their performance, putting them above much of the current hardcore bands out there today.  This is another case of another locally based band that hasn't played around here all that much in recent years, it was great to have them play this show.

The Damaged took the stage after Bloodwar's wild and chaotic set and they brought a little melody and punk to the party in a big way.  They just released their first official album in almost 15 years and its great to see them play these songs live!  "Cracks in the Sidewalk" kicked off their set featuring songs from all three of their albums and while many in the crowd weren't familiar with the punk band at the party, by the end of their set, they had quite a few new fans throughout Chameleon's.  Kevin, Jay, Mark and Colin are one of the hardest working punk bands in the Berkshires and are probably one of the best kept secrets in the area.  Their working class anthems resonated throughout the packed club and even with some minor vocal mic issues, The Damaged played one of the best sets I've seen them perform.

It's hard to imagine the anticipation of everyone in the audience of seeing Agnostic Front in such an intimate setting as Chameleon's.  Even the band was excited to play the show after a minor technical bass guitar issue.   However, as professional as they are, Agnostic Front didn't let a technical delay in entertaining the crowd.  Stigma was telling jokes and he was an animated as ever!  He's one of the greatest characters in all of hardcore and he was certainly a crowd favorite.  He was even gifted a half pepperoni/half cheese pie from East Side Cafe by Mike Pigott of Mass Tropicas!

As they finally started the first notes of "Victim in Pain", you could tell they were into this show more than one might expect.  Agnostic Front has headlined festivals throughout the world and here they are in Pittsfield, playing to almost 200 kids going bananas without bouncers, without barriers and without a stage, just a simple drum riser.   This chaotic caccophany was perfect.  There was respect given to the club, the band and the fans gave respect to each other.  At times it looked like the end of the world, but then the song was done and everyone stopped moving.  Roger called for a classic circle pit a few times during their set and everyone obliged.  When Agnostic Front played the classic Iron Cross cover, "Crucified", the entire club sang along as they did with the closers "Gotta Go" and "For My Family".

This concert event surpassed all expectations of the opening bands, Agnostic Front, the Chameleon's staff and everyone in attendance.  For those who happened to miss this historical fact, if success is any indication, Agnostic Front will be back sooner than later!