Photos and recap by Anthony Jacobsen
Sadly, the Troc is closing, so they had to move the show last minute to the First Unitarian Church in Philly; I was pretty bummed. The Church was an amazing place to be a crazy kid in the hardcore/punk scene in the 90s and early 2000s, and I have nothing but good memories there. That being said, I have been spoiled with photo pits and good lighting, so fighting for a place in a packed basement was not something I was eager to dive back into. However, upon arrival I noticed the basement was closed and many people were milling around the front of the church. BOOMTIME! They had set up in the main part of the church on the altar! Oh my Gods, this was going to be a party!
Sadly, the Troc is closing, so they had to move the show last minute to the First Unitarian Church in Philly; I was pretty bummed. The Church was an amazing place to be a crazy kid in the hardcore/punk scene in the 90s and early 2000s, and I have nothing but good memories there. That being said, I have been spoiled with photo pits and good lighting, so fighting for a place in a packed basement was not something I was eager to dive back into. However, upon arrival I noticed the basement was closed and many people were milling around the front of the church. BOOMTIME! They had set up in the main part of the church on the altar! Oh my Gods, this was going to be a party!
It was slow to fill, but the numbers kept climbing. Cyber punks, with shaved heads and colorful mohawks, others in florescent skin tight 80s gear and lots of crazy makeup, as well as a strong showing of metalheads. A great showing of people to see different genres merging.
Up first was Korin, a local Philly chillwave group. Calm, yet exciting, and very reminiscent of a sound probably before their time. Very enjoyable with gentle pink light softly lighting the stage. I guess you could say like a chill...wave at sunset.
GOST took the stage hard, with a pit circle inducing black metal screams. This high energy group came equipped with a keyboardist and bassist. Donning corpse paint and wearing all black, this darkwave duo took it up a notch with deep bass and screeching lyrics. They were the extreme opposite of the first group. The crowd loved it, and was thrown into a frenzy.
The madness only intensified with a wall of light and sound ignited into a full force blast to the face when Pertubator walked on. The pit opened and we were all thrust into the stage. As the set continued, the sci-fi lighting and the church ambiance made you feel like you were truly in a dystopian setting. My mind was able to escape into another place and time, and the energy kept rising like a storm surge. Bodies began to be lifted in the air only to come crashing down on stage. There were no barriers and only one vigilant security guard to defend against the onslaught of mayhem. Towards the end of the show, I actually had to climb out onstage and down the side to wriggle my way out of the chaos. Perturbator was absolutely crushing this show. They of course played an encore, and the crowd was ecstatic. So happy I was able to witness and capture this exceptional show.
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