Randy Now Riot On Dance Floor City Gardens

As hard as we may try to write about new music the past keep coming up again and again like unwanted overgrown hair and reminds me just how truly awesome things were way back when the slang “that was so 10 minutes ago…” never crossed our minds because the landscape of haircuts were so diverse from band to band and scene to scene. We were constantly consuming so much great music at such a rate that personally I think you’d be a fool to stay affiliated to any one genre of music but lets just say punk and alternative music encompassed everything. Including the Skinheads, Skate punks, Ska fans, hardcore fans and metal kids all under one roof.

From about 1986 through 1995 or so I used to go to as many shows as I could at City Gardens in Trenton, NJ which was as dangerous as Newark. A couple times my friends and I showed up to a $5 show like Fugazi and it was just sold out with a line still wrapped around the 1,100 capacity cinder block club. This was pre-internet so the only way you’d ever know about a show in my area was by word of mouth or from a flyer. The best part was the diversity of bands that Randy Now used to book anywhere from The Ramones to Robyn Hitchcock to 24/7 Spyz. This club is where I stage dove for the first and the last time to Fishbone. I got kicked out of the club after falling on my back then paid my way back in again to see the rest of the show from the sidelines. Luckily it was raining and I convinced the door guy it was not sweat but I was just wet. I still think my back cricks from that fall but regardless it was so worth being part of historic venue and experience of really being in the mix at a live show.

There are a little under 5 days left to donate anywhere from $25 to as much as you want to become either a Crowd Surfer or attain Club Owner status over on Kickstarter page to help bring the story of City Gardens and Randy Now to the screen in the flick Riot On The Dance Floor. The more dough the better the soundtrack will be for this movie which; will help Director Steve Tozzi bring this film truly to life. Anyway, here’s some bands I can remember seeing and as I write I keep thinking of more bands I saw play there.

Some bands I saw at City Gardens:
good clean fun MP3 by Descendents from I don’t want to grow up
Knock It MP3 Fishbone from In Your Face (1986)
I Just Want Some Skank | Beverly Hills MP3 by Circle Jerks from Group Sex
The Godfather MP3 Dag Nasty from Wig-out at Denko’s (dischord)
Turned Out MP3 The Rollins Band from Lifetime (1988)
My Wife and My Dead Wife MP3 by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians from Fegmania! (1985)
Waiting Room MP3 Fugazi from 13 Songs
Monkey Trick MP3 The Jesus Lizard from Goat
Ocean Size MP3 by Jane’s Addiction from Nothing Shocking
Hands All Over MP3 by Soundgarden from Louder Than Love
We Care A Lot (Slash Version) | Epic MP3 by Faith No More from This is it These two songs pretty much almost demolished the building. I remembering back at the bar trying to get drink and then running right into the mosh-pit when they played Epic. Fun times.

There are bunch more bands of lesser status but none-the less of same level of importance so maybe I’ll do a follow-up post of tunes. I know I’m leaving out a few or at least ones I know I saw!