Assorted Thoughts on This is Hardcore 5

So another weekend festival in Philadelphia came to a close on Sunday night, much to my body's delight. The varied lineup seemed to do everything from exhume New York and Philly bands long since deceased, to invoke some of most obnoxious moshing I've seen in a while. TIHC5 brought together a plethora of hardcore facets, offering up a little something for nearly everybody over a three day span with a 50 band roster.

Instead of writing up some gigantic review on the hours upon hours of music, the great people, awesome food, and other random experiences, here are some casual/candid/random observations and thoughts on the weekend. I'm not about to bash on bands I found awful, because no one cares anyway, and since I only missed about 4 or 5 bands all weekend, there's more than enough positive things to talk about.

- Early check-in was a great idea. Last year I missed a bunch of bands on Friday trying to get my wristband, so while I still was standing in lines for over an hour and a half, I was just happy not to lose out on anything I wanted to see.
- The relatively more temperate weather was a massive relief, especially compared to 2009 when it was something like 95+ degrees everyday.
- Wilkes-Barre and surrounding towns really showed up huge for this fest on every single night. Agitator, Stick Together, Mother of Mercy, and other bands pulled off some serious high octane performances.
- Burritos Y Tacos is the deal.
- August in a city in the Northeast apparently still isn't a deterrent enough to keep people from wearing longsleeves, crewnecks, wool beanies, sweatpants, stockings, and jackets.
- I still love Bane, and probably always will; they put on a pretty trademark set loaded with plenty of my favorites, huge singalongs, and crazy stagedives.
- Bands like Expire and Creatures deserve some more credit, check these guys out now if you haven't already.
- Horror Show, while it wasn't the tightest set in the world, was still amazing. I love and miss this band.
- Ceremony's set was surprisingly entertaining, as I wasn't really sure what to expect after their latest album was released.
- Foundation, Backtrack, Mindset, and Mother of Mercy all delivered sets pretty worthy of the hype they receive lately.
- Nails, Vaccine, Ringworm, and Pulling Teeth all killed it.
- Trying to buy The Rival Mob shirts was hilarious.
- Eddie Leeway's new band Truth and Rights is pretty good. Their cover of "Rise and Fall" was even better.
- Nearly all of the older bands which came back were really impressive. Sheer Terror will probably be playing more occasional shows (no touring) and possibly even record more music. Hands Tied is not a reunion, they are officially a band again. Ink and Dagger was weird and unsettling, but exciting to watch. Cro-Mags...well, it's the Cro-Mags, I don't need to elaborate.
- It was awesome to see so many people donating to help benefit the family of the child cancer patient (I forget the name, sorry).
- Eating a cheese steak at 330 a.m. is almost always a poor choice.

Thanks to Joe, R5 Productions, all the bands, and everyone involved with making this another great year. I'll be back again in 2011.

This is Hardcore 5

Yes, it sold out insanely fast. Yes, some people are bashing this fest and dropping all sorts of random criticism about organization, tickets, and band choices. Who cares? The current scene is awesome enough to give us Sound and Fury, TIH, Chaos in Tejas, and all the other great fests out there, ensuring nearly everyone can find the right one for their personal tastes. My only reservation about this year's TIH (after going every year) is so many people missing out on tickets, but The Starlight Ballroom is an ideal venue which hopefully won't ever change as long as this event exists. 

We already know about the major acts, including Sheer Terror, Ink & Dagger, Kid Dynamite, Cro-Mags, Horror Show, and Merauder, but there's plenty of smaller groups, as well as some visitors from the West coast who bear watching as well. Vaccine was a late addition after New Lows was supposedly cut, taking the stage earlier on Sunday; I'm pretty interested to see the reaction, DO NOT miss them. 

West coast bands include Creatures, Nails, The Love Below, Xibalba, Touche Amore, Ceremony, and more. The Midwest is represented by bands such as Expire, The Killer, and the mighty Ringworm. Wilkes-Barre is in the house with everyone from Agitator to Title Fight. TIH, once again, boasts a huge roster with bands from all over the country, representing their particular brands of hardcore from each unique corner of the country. 

My personal picks: Horror Show, Vaccine, The Rival Mob, Mindset, Nails, Stick Together, Expire, and Hands Tied. 

Club Polaris (The Starlight Ballroom)

460 N. 9th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19123

Friday - Check in at 3:30 to avoid lines and get your wristband. Doors @ 5:30 - First band at 6

Saturday - Doors @ 11:30 - First band at Noon

Sunday - Doors @ 11:30 - First band at Noon