Whether you’re in a small local venue, or packed into someone’s house, you’re going to have a wild night. The stench of sweat and buzz of excitement is thick in the air. Bodies cram together close to the stage as the band kicks off into a rhythm so aggressive it’s almost violent, sure to cause your ears to ring for days after. Soon enough, the audience will open the mosh pit, prompting those in the middle to throw themselves around and slam into one another. It’s chaotically beautiful.
Hardcore shows are extremely prevalent across local music spaces, known for their DIY nature. These bands typically have only small local followings and homemade merchandise to back them, but that’s exactly what makes them so amazing. When we think of big artists going on tour, we think of large stadiums and, of course, tickets that cost an entire paycheck. Despite how good they may be, attending the shows of a big artist is extremely inaccessible for a lot of people. The ticket prices don’t even include the high cost for merchandise, parking for the venue, or even food items. But the hardcore scene is entirely different. Hardcore shows have both affordable tickets, affordable merch, and help support local artists that are trying to grow their audience. Hardcore shows have a big hand in keeping live music accessible, and they always have.
Hardcore is rooted in accessibility. Hardcore’s accessible nature stems from where hardcore originated, the punk scene. Punk is a movement meant to rebel against the status quo, rejecting the mainstream and promoting uniqueness. This anti-establishment, anti-authority group made music that was fast, loud, and violent. Made by punks for punks, and anyone else angry at the world. The hardcore subgenre of punk itself was born in basements and bars across big cities in the United States: Los Angeles, New York City, Washington DC. Minor Threat is often considered to be one of the most influential hardcore bands of all time, formed in 1980 and led by vocalist Ian MacKaye. Minor Threat didn’t just cement hardcore’s sound, which was more aggressive than punk, but also led the way in terms of promoting accessibility. MacKaye made sure tickets were as low as $5, allowing working class people to be able to afford going to shows. In an interview with Huck Magazine, MacKaye stressed that the importance of punk was that it didn’t have the same capitalist goalset as other music genres in terms of sales: “It’s an area in which new ideas can be presented without having to go through the filtration or perversion of profiteering.” Other hardcore bands held the same ethos, and that type of ethic has followed the hardcore scene to the modern day. Most shows range from $5-$10, making sure most people have a chance to attend.
For the most part, merchandise is ultimately what helps fund hardcore bands. And even when merchandise is what is solely keeping these bands afloat, bands still keep their merch wildly accessible. This accessibility ties into the do-it-yourself nature of the scene, which, as the name implies, is all about the bands creating stuff themselves rather than companies. Bands rely on themselves, their friends, or the community for assistance. Band merchandise is one of the biggest key indicators of this. These bands typically make all their merch themselves. They burn their own CDs, print their own stickers, screenprint t-shirts. This nature of DIY extends to even the band’s logos. I’ve gone to see a lot of bands that designed their logo themselves, or hired a local artist to assist them. The art of creation is an important staple of punk, especially with the rise of AI. Hardcore bands make sure to keep their merch affordable and a product of their own creativity.
So, where can you attend a hardcore show? The inland empire is home to a good number of venues and house concerts, but one rich with history is The Haven, located in downtown Pomona. A small building in the middle of a long row of shops, The Haven began in 1992 with Ken Bocomo, Ed Tessier, and Jim Carlson. A trio of musicians and artists, the three of them wanted to create a space for local talent to come together. Thus, The Haven Coffeehouse was born, functioning as both a cafe and music venue. People longed for a space to display their art to the world, and that’s exactly what The Haven gave them. It wasn’t just for big music artists, it was for anyone and everyone. It was a creative powerhouse in the local scene for five years until shutting its doors in 1997 after competition from chain coffee spots and rivaling music venues. But The Haven triumphantly returned in 2021, re-established by Ed Tessier’s son, Victor Rosilles -Tessier. After a long year of staying inside from the pandemic and a lack of live shows, the community was ready to return to the scene. The Haven re-opened as solely a music venue, and has been hosting concerts weekly ever since.
Hardcore shows aren’t dying out anytime soon. While a lot of local venues have been forced to shut down because they can no longer afford to operate, this is not a sign that local shows are dying, but a sign that we need to start showing up more for our community. Every day there are teens and adults alike getting together to play their music, and it’s up to us to support them. Looking online and following local bands will lead you to plenty of house shows put on by people in your city. Hardcore is still thriving. So support your local music scene, keep live music for everyone.