REVIEW: A Night of DIY Hardcore With Spiritkiller, Dogpisser, and Brick Windows
11/22 @ The Free School, Albany
“This legacy was clear and thriving in the main room of The Free School where new and existing members of a strong hardcore community came together for a powerhouse of a lineup in a venue that is for the benefit of the community at large.”
Being a fan of the Albany hardcore scene means getting to learn about some of the coolest DIY venues and seeing kickass new bands performing their very first shows. Up the brightly colored stairs of The Free School in Albany, people gathered around the bands’ equipment that had been set up on the worn, lacquered floor of a gymnasium. There was no divide between performers and attendees, just people hanging out to listen to new, local music.
“I love playing at The Free School,” headliner Spiritkiller’s lead singer, Charles Cure, told me. “It’s a sick venue, a community space, and it’s a resource for people. Any chance we can play somewhere that benefits people, I love that.”
The night was kicked off by a noise set from Memory Studio, filling the space with a daunting series of sounds that drew the listeners in with intense curiosity. The end of the set flowed directly into Brick Window’s first song of their first ever performance. Brick Windows put on one hell of a debut performance, combining powerful hardcore vibes with impressive vocals. Lead singer Heather Williams delivered a suckerpunch of a performance that left me speechless and ready to buy any CD, cassette, or vinyl record of theirs I could lay my hands on.
When talking about their first ever show, Williams said that this line up was special to her for Brick Window’s debut performance.
“It was my dream to play with Dogpisser for the first show,” said Williams after the show. “And Spiritkiller blew my mind. It felt good looking out and seeing everyone having a great time.”
Dogpisser immediately followed Brick Windows’ performance, giving the fans and newbies alike in the audience a taste of their chaotic, political, and loud style of music. Their songs were fast and straight to the point, sparking humor and well-placed social rage amongst anyone who could hear them. The love and appreciation for Dogpisser was shared across performers, with Cure offering his own praise.
“Dogpisser is an amazing band,” said Cure, delighted. “They’re so fucking weird and interesting. The knit mask [worn by a member of the band] is amazing and going to haunt my dreams tonight.”
Spiritkiller wrapped up the night with a powerful, full energy set that matched the vibes from the rest of the night. They played a mix of songs off their self titled album that came out earlier this year and some new ones that haven’t been released yet. The band was joined by members of Halo Bite, another Albany hardcore scene staple, on their collaboration song, “No Interior.” The cameo from even more local artists just added to the genuine, DIY vibe that had been present the entire night.
“This was so fun and so cool,” Cure told me after the high energy set. “I like that it wasn’t just hardcore all the way. I love that we got to play Brick Windows’ first show, they’ve been my friends for a long time. They’re new and interesting, and they just ripped it. Memory Studio did cool shit. I love that everybody here is open to new shit and really enthusiastic.”
Hardcore has always been about self expression, accessibility, DIY, and supporting the community. This legacy was clear and thriving in the main room of The Free School where new and existing members of a strong hardcore community came together for a powerhouse of a lineup in a venue that is for the benefit of the community at large.
The Free School is located at 6 Elm Street in Albany and you can find more information at thealbanyfreeschool.org.
Follow Spiritkiller on Instagram at @spiritkiller_hc and find their self-titled album wherever you get your music.
Dogpisser can be found on Instagram at @dogpisser666 and on their Bandcamp dogpisser.bandcamp.com.
Find Brick Windows on Instagram at @brickwindowsny and find their debut release on Bandcamp at www.brickwindows69.bandcamp.com.