// August 18th, 2011 // No Comments » // Videos
GP @ Alta Voz 2011 - Medellin, Colombia
Well, I promised a video from Medellin’s Alta Voz 2011 and here it is.
These are punk veterans (25+ years) GP and as you can see, the crowd is digging it. Hope you do to.
Enjoy
// August 15th, 2011 // No Comments » // Photos
Ask anyone around the world about Medellin and I pretty much guarantee that the first thing that pops to most people’s minds isn’t punk music. Well, it should be!
Medellin’s annual music festival “Alta Voz” (Loudly) did not disappoint. This was my 2nd festival, having attended 2010′s which was headlined by my good buddies Los Suziox.
Alta Voz organizers tend to alternate bands each year. In a city like Medellin, brimming to the rim with Punk talent, it’s not hard to alternate bands and still have a kick ass line up.
I along with local punk royalty, Monica and Viola from the legendary band IRA and a few thousand punk fans headed over to the Park next to Parque Explorer on a beautiful Saturday to take in some kick ass punk and hardcore music.
I arrived in time to see another legendary band, GP take the stage. GP is a band that’s been playing punk music in Medellin for over 25 years. Yup, that’s over a quarter of a century! While Punk may be big in Colombia but it is not new.
Next up was a relative newcomer on the scene (who isn’t compared to GP!), Herida de Guerra (War Wound). Well actually, they are not THAT new, I checked their site and they’ve got a few CDs out and the crowd seemed familiar with the guys.
After Herida de Guerra was our good old buddies, hardcore mainstays Desestra Capital (Capital Disaster).
These hard core heavyweights were followed by my favorite “new to me” band of the evening, Atrofia (atrophy). The energy these guys put out was contagious and I really dug the songs. I hear the lyrics are pretty potent as well, so I’d love to get my hands on their CDs.
After a brief pause wisely used by the guapa (cute) and very punk Telemedellin TV hostess to give back a couple of odd, mismatched shoes that had somehow made their way from the punk pit to the stage (gee, wonder how that happened? No one would throw a shoe at a punk show would they?), the show cranked back up.
This time it was my good buddies Lokekeda (leftovers) who rocked the place. Lokekeda came out rocking to one of my favorite punk songs from Latin America, “Espinas Assassinas” (Spine Killer?) which set the tone for the rest of the high energy set.
The thousands of screaming, moshing, out of control fans must have inspired these guys because I’ve seen them play a few times and this was by far the best set I’ve ever witnessed them.
My only regret of the evening was missing industrial punks “Neus” who were on the bill but I couldn’t really get a read of when they were supposed to play AND missing legendary hard core band “EstoyPuto” (I’m Pissed). Gotta love these punk band names and sometimes google translate just doesn’t do them justice.
I had to leave a little early but I hear the place rocked til 1AM. Maybe next time.
Enjoy the pics below and stay tuned for a couple of videos coming up later in the week!
// June 13th, 2011 // 4 Comments » // Photos, Videos
MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - Last Friday I received a last minute invite by my good friends Andres (Los Suziox) and Faber (Rock in Medellin Festival) to a private concert by the incredible local punk band I.R.A.
David from I.R.A
For those of you who don’t know I.R.A., here is a little info. It is so hard to believe from looking at them but the band has been around for over 25 years, since the 1980s and the early days of Medellin’s punk scene.
Monica from I.R.A.
They’ve toured the U.S., including the legendary CBGB’s in NYC. They’ve had books written about them, been featured in several documentaries and most importantly they have put out some incredible punk music over the years and continue to do so.
Duvan from I.R.A.
But the thing I think I like most about I.R.A is their attitude. I first met them all, David (vocals/guitar), Monica (vocals/drums) and Duvan (bass/vocals) at The Casualties show in December 2009 and they gave me a short interview for Punk Outlaw (which you can see HERE).
Later that day I saw them play a kick ass set as they opened for The Casualties. Since then, I’ve seen them a few times doing things that really embody the spirit and solidarity of punk rock; like supporting their friends Fertil Miseria to Rock Al Parque (Rock in the Park) in Bogota, creating a compilation CD to benefit a sick friend of theirs who had no place to live, etc.) and on and on.
Boom Box Licker
Not to get all sappy or emotional here but I.R.A. represents everything I love about Punk Music. They play really good, raucous and socially conscious punk music and the fact that they care passionately about the world around them is obvious in their actions on and off stage.
But watching them play a small, private show for their punk friends (it was in a small but very cool video production studio), you could tell how the punk scene in Medellin really sticks together and I.R.A. provides much of the glue. There were people from many of the local bands like Los Suziox, Nacion Criminal, Dorados Rockabilly Trio, etc., and there were many familiar faces I’ve seen at shows here over the past couple of years covering the Colombian punk scene.
As I said, I.R.A. is the glue. They help hold the scene together and after over 25 years, I think their role as punk ambassadors for a city that has seen a lot during that period of time can’t be overstated.
Watching David being carried around on the shoulders of the crowd… watching the punks joking around with Monica’s “Boom Box”, but more than that.. feeling the positive energy from the crowd which was by and large sober (it was early), very mixed (plenty of punk females) and just overall putting out nothing but good vibes.
Paisita Punk Beauty with Andres (Los Suziox)
I had just come off a rough week. Feeling a little homesick for the U.S. for the 1st time really.
I was tired of living in small, cramped hotel rooms and dealing with my horrible Spanish which seems to have not improved one single bit in my 6 months in Latin America. Dealing with issues with my other project, Raw Travel, thinking maybe I’m doing nothing but wasting time and money and why am I here? I don’t belong here, etc.
Then I go to an I.R.A. show. I see my old friends. I feel the vibes. I hear the music. I see the show. Suddenly things get back into focus. This is why I’m here. To experience this and to try to communicate this to others. Maybe a little self important, probably very myopic and selfish and definitely over dramatic and emotional, but that is the way I felt at the time.
And if I had a rough week, I imagine how many others had it even rougher. Maybe no cramped hotel, in fact no place to stay and not enough money to get through the week? My problems were nothing. This is real, this is punk, this is I.R.A.
Unfortunately I had to leave early because I had a previous commitment on the other side of town.
Coincidence or not, my taxi driver that night was the coolest, funniest dude who felt obliged to play (and sing along to) some North American metal and rock music for me. I could barely hear the guy speak over the Metalica, U-2 (the old stuff, the good stuff, not the recent garbage) and eventually, The Ramones singing “Sheenah isssss a punk rocker…”, much less understand him but I didn’t ask him to turn it down. “Mas alto por favor” (more higher please, my Tarzan Spanish way of saying “turn it up”).
All in all the rest of the evening was one of the best nights I’ve had since coming to South America. I’m not sure why, can’t pinpoint it exactly, but I think it had something to do with seeing I.R.A., who are (I think I can safely say this without critique) a legendary punk band not just from Medellin but from Colombia..from South America.. actually, a legendary punk band period.
Below is a little video clip from their show and for more photos check out the album on our flikr page HERE.
// March 22nd, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Events, Photos
Medellin, CO
"Insurgentas" Backstage Before the Show
Last summer I interviewed the ladies of “Insurgentas” (Insurgents) a Medellin, Colombia based all girl punk band. (SEE THE POST HERE) This quartet of lovely ladies seemed like the real deal at the time, but unfortunately they were not playing that particular day. Since then I’ve tried to catch them play but something came up each and every time that prevented it and I was beginning to think it just wasn’t in the cards.
But that all changed Sunday night at the Alcaldia Festival in Envigado, a cool little barrio on the outskirts of the Gringo Zone of Poblado in Medellin.
The festival got it’s name and served as a celebration for the release of a DVD Documentary about the history of punk in Envigado called “Alcaldia Punk”. I missed most of the screening so I ended up buying a copy for the very reasonable price of $6 U.S. (which included entry to the concert). While the documentary doesn’t have English subtitles yet, should prove helpful in my continuing effort to learn Spanish.
Insurgentas
Who knows if it works, I may offer a 3 step course called “Spanish for Punks” incorporating some of the techniques I’ve learned, which include:
1) Listening to punk music in Spanish
2) Watching English language TV Shows with Spanish Subtitles
3) and now, watching punk documentaries in Spanish w/o subtitles
If your interested, my secrets to learning Spanish without any of that lame stuff like trying or studying, can be yours for the low, low price of $19.99. Just email me and I’ll tell you where to send the money.
En Serio (seriously… see it’s working already) however, the documentary looked really decent, it’s 100% DIY and I can’t wait to sit down and see it. If you want a copy you can email my amigo Juan Camilo and his crew at Punky_HC at the mail that is really hot (hope you get that because spambots need not apply).
Insurgentas
Now back to Insurgentas, after hearing these guys were on the bill, I knew I had to see them play and this time no excuses and I’m really glad I did. Their music ranges from straight up, throaty hardcore metal to melodic punk melodies, some straight up instrumentals without lyrics. These ladies are no novelty act at all, they are true musicians who really know how to play, and more importantly, you can tell they are dedicated to punk music.
Insurgentas
The crowd recognized it too, as a good mix of girls and guys came to see watch them do their thing. I have some video I hope to get up soon, but I’ll have to wait until I get back in the U.S. near a decent internet connection so in the meantime, enjoy the pics and use your imagination.
But Insurgentas weren’t the only kick ass band at the festival, not by a long shot.
Nacion Criminal
There was Nacion Criminal (Criminal Nation), a hardcore band I had the pleasure of also seeing for the first time. The lead singer gave me one of their cds so I’m really looking forward to listening to that once back in the U.S.
Also, my good buddy, the drummer (and lawyer) David from Alkoholemia had given me a CD a while back and I finally got to listen to these guys live. They also range from hardcore to melodic punk and provided a good opportunity for some of the rowdier crowd to start a wrecking pit.
Lokekeda
It was my amigos from Lokekeda that wound up the night and this was their hometown crowd, you could tell by the reaction. They ripped through their songs including “Medellin is Punk” which for obvious reasons is a crowd favorite. It was too dark to shoot any decent video of Lokekeda but if you want to see a video from a few weeks ago when they ripped through their song “Espinas Asesinas” then you can CLICK HERE. Otherwise the fellas and I hope to film a proper music video for the song when I return to Medellin.
Punk Pit
A punk show in Medellin is always an enjoyable experience for me, more so than say a punk show in NYC or almost any other place.
Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten to know so many of the punks there and they are so cool.
Maybe it’s because I know that I don’t have to worry about some of the BS I’ve had to worry about at other punk shows (violence, arrests, out of control drunkenness,etc.).
Lokekeda
But I think its because Medellin punks are authentic. They are the real deal and we share a love of good, punk music. Getting together to enjoy it with the punks in Medellin never fails to be a good, positive vibe. It was a Sunday after all, so maybe it was a little bit like going to punk church.
For more pics from the show be sure and check out the set on FLIKR HERE.
// March 16th, 2011 // No Comments » // Photos
One of my favorite things about traveling and living abroad are the many, many different characters I meet.
In the case of Itibar (Iti) Mendell of Medellin, Colombia his reputation proceeded him. It all started with the food. I overheard some people talking about this Colombian-Israeli guy with a restaurant in Parque Lleras section of Poblado called appropriately enough, Mendell.
I don’t know what intrigued me more, the stories of this guy’s history in the Israeli army or the incredible and unique food he cooked up for his patrons daily.
I think it was the food. By this time (after about 3 months living in Latin America) I was craving some variety to my diet and was missing the diversity of New York City’s food scene, something I took for granted for so many years.
So I visited Mendell and was surprised to see Iti and just one waiter in the place. No other customers, no other staff. Iti was not what I expected. From the stories I had heard, this guy, a veteran from the Israeli army could disarm and kill an attacker in a second and regularly risked his life with beyond crazy adrenaline filled adventure sports, etc., etc. I expected some buff, blustery guy with tattoos and a surly demeanor.
Instead I see a small, wiry, talkative and friendly fellow in the kitchen telling me what he’s going to cook for me that day (they have menus but there really is no need at Mendell’s, just ask Iti what is good that day).
I find out first hand that the food at Mendell is superb! Exactly worthy of the ravings of complete strangers who recommended the spot and more importantly, exactly what my diversity starved palette was craving.
Turns out Iti cooks his own recipes and makes everything from scratch. If you have a side of pita bread with your meal, then Iti made it and chances are from an old recipe passed down from his grandfather.
I’m no cook and certainly not a food critic (like art I know what I like) but I will say that whatever the secret, Mendell is absolutely excellent and I was hooked from my very first bite.
But I received something much more than an excellent meal at Mendell (at a very reasonable price I might add); I find through our conversation that eventing that not only was Iti an ex Israeli soldier, to my complete surprise he is an avid punk fan.
Now this I wasn’t expecting, so I ask Iti to hold off telling me about the Israeli punk scene until I can return with my video camera and document his words.
He kindly agrees and I roll back in a few days later, camera in hand and the always talkative Iti regales me with stories of his youth in Israel when he was a surfer and a punk.
Iti grew up partly in Colombia and partly in Israel. While in Israel he grew up listening to opera and classical music with his grandparents. He says he mostly identified with punk while he was in Israel with bands like The Exploited, Gogol Bordello and bands from the Spanish punk label “Pollo Records”. Some of the newer stuff he listens to includes a band called “Infected Mushroom” from Israel.
Not only was Iti a big time surfer, at one time he was a drummer in a band before he had an accident and had to give it up (I guess metal screws in your arms will do that to you).
Evidently surfing in Israel is a rough sport in more ways than one. During the interview Iti showed me where he would hide his knife for the inevitable fights that occurred among the surfers vying for territory.
As Iti says, Israel is a land of immigrants so the scene in Israel is relatively small and made up of a variety of punks from different places. Some of his first punk friends were from Russia.
It surprised me to learn that Iti was a skinhead at one time (yes, a Jewish Skinhead.. but not a Jewish Nazi skinhead.. don’t get it twisted). Turns out he shaved off his long hair because in fights people would grab his hair to throw him around. Now I assume this was before his stint in the Israeli army where Iti learned to channel that aggression in a more calculated manner. These days in addition to his restaurant, Iti teaches self defense to a variety of folks in Medellin on weekly basis.
Iti had some great parting thoughts about the philosophy of punk, what anarchy really means and the relationship of things like capitalism to punk.
I’m going to save those gems for the documentary “Punktology” as I’m pretty sure I could never do it justice here in mere words.
I hope to get to Israel some day soon and witness the punk scene first hand, but in the meantime, talking to Iti made me feel like I was there already and in the process I had one of the best meals I’ve eaten since I’ve been living in Latin America.
If you happen to be in Medellin (or Israel he has a location there as well) and you can scrape together a few mil pesos, shekels or dollars then do yourself and your taste buds a favor and head over to Mendell and get not only a great meal, but some great conversation with Iti.
He’s got a pretty good collection of punk music too, some I bet you’ve never heard before so ask him to put some on for you. But whatever you do, don’t piss him off… I have a feeling you might not like him when he’s angry!
// February 8th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Videos
Punks are always helping out. This is a message that probably doesn’t get out very often, I mean its not as if punks have a big Public Relations Department spinning all the good stuff that punks do. There is no Global Association of Punks for Good Causes or anything like that (that I’m aware of).
Lokekeda
But one thing that I’ve learned traveling around a few different continents interviewing punks is that no matter if the punks are into hardcore, street punk, classic punk, California punk or whatever, a general theme is helping out.
As I’ve written before, helping out seems to be a very punk thing to do. Talking about it, not so much.
Last year, legendary Medellin punk band I.R.A. organized the recording of a CD compilation featuring about 20 local Medellin punk bands like themselves, Los Suziox, Desadaptadoz and more. The proceeds of the CD went to a local punk who had been really sick and unable to work to help him build a house to live in.
Cesar of Lokekeda
We happened to be in Medellin during the recording session, and over 20 bands had been scheduled over a 2 day period to lay down new music. Each band had an hour of studio time to do their stuff. I was impressed with the industry and professionalism that each band demonstrated.
Nobody was getting paid, everyone was volunteering their time and creativity but everyone shows up pretty much on time and (mostly) sober to lay down their tracks.
Lokekeda performs "Espinas Asesinas"
I think getting 20 punk bands to do anything in an organized fashion is pretty damned cool.
When I returned later that summer, the CD was out and I purchased one. I always get a kick out of hearing new punk music, especially from a punk hotspot like Medellin with so many young, good bands playing in the scene.
For me, one song that immediately stuck out was called “Espinas Asesinas” from a band we had interviewed just a few months prior, Lokekeda (I have no idea what the English translation is sorry, I’ll ask my Spanish teacher or maybe Cesar, Lokekeda’s drummer who is also an English teacher).
Last Saturday at the punk show in Milagrosa punks were collecting notebooks for some local school kids who couldn’t afford them (another example of punks helping out that probably didn’t make the evening news).
Punk Show in Barrio Milagrosa - Medellin, CO
Well, I finally got the chance to hear Lokekeda perform “Espinas Asesinas” live and while it doesn’t have the same crystal clear sound as the recording on the CD compilation (as most live performances don’t), it still kicks some serious ass so I recorded and uploaded the video for you.
Give em a look and a listen and let me know what you think.
// February 6th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Events, Photos
February 5th, 2011
So we kick things off with our first coverage of a punk concert for 2011 and I’m happy to say it was for a good cause.
Our friend Kmilo helped organize the event which requested that punks bring notebooks for school kids who couldn’t afford them. From the looks of the number of notebooks collected, it was a big success and there will be some happier school kids in Medellin this semester.
Lots of good local bands played which included a bit of hardcore mixed in with the mostly classic punk bands, like our good buddies Lokekeda. Kamal and Sundara from Los Suziox, played in their respective side projects and I saw some old friends, some I hadn’t seen the Casualties show back in December 2009.
It was an all ages show (aren’t they all in Colombia?) and was held in Barrio Milagrosa which wasn’t “peligrosa” (dangerous) at all that I could tell. Security checked bags for liquor, beer, etc. so it was a fairly laid back as punk shows go.
But that didn’t dampen the spirit of the crowd which formed a nice pit that threw me around occassionaly while taking pics and video in front of the stage.Video will be coming soon but in the meantime, you can enjoy some photos from the show below.
If you enjoy those, remember to visit our FLIKR Page here for a plethora of punk pics. Enjoy!
// January 29th, 2011 // No Comments » // Videos
I like being behind the camera.. but my buddy Kmilo, here in Medellin, wanted to flip the camera around and interview me, for what I wasn’t exactly sure.
But I figured since dozens and dozens of punks have sat down to listen to my inane questions, then I could do the same for another fellow punk rocker and filmmaker.
When I was finally in Medellin long enough, Kmilo and I agreed to meet. We did the interview with his camera guy on a nice peaceful Sunday afternoon in Parque Poblado, appropriately enough where the punks often hang out.
Enough babbling, the interview speaks for itself, but what I will say is that Kmilo, who’s 1st language is Spanish, did an excellent interview / Q&A. Maybe I should hire him to help me on Punktology so it gets done sometime this century!
OK, here you go.. an exclusive interview, with.. well me.. Enjoy or make fun of me.. whichever you prefer, I can take it!
// January 17th, 2011 // No Comments » // Photos
It’s been a 2 month delay (what can I say I’ve been traveling a lot!) but we finally got the pics up from the big “Rock en Medellin” concert last November in, you guessed it, Medellin, Colombia.
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know I’m very high on the punk scene in Medellin. It’s a great scene with a really intense and friendly community of hardcore punk fans with very some talented bands to boot.
Not the least of which is Punk Outlaw Records’ own “Los Suziox” who performed to an enthusiastic hometown crowd at Rock en Medellin.
Thanks to my friend and associate Renzo Devia for helping to snap some of these pics. To see all the great pics from the show you can visit
Check all the photos at our FLIKR PAGE. Enjoy!
// December 20th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Videos
It is that time of year, so here is my Xmas gift to you.. an exclusive video of Los Suziox performing “Perfeccion” at the Rock en Medellin festival last month. Sorry for the delay in getting this up. Enjoy!
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