Boston's hardcore music scene stands its ground since the '80s
By Darlene Dobkowski 4/30/10
Pete Maher, also known as "Sweet Pete," was the lead singer for In My Eyes, a Boston straight-edge hardcore band that existed from the late '90s to 2000. He started his stint in the hardcore scene in the early '80s after receiving tapes from older kids in his neighborhood filled with Bad Brains' and other bands' songs. Growing up listening to Boston hardcore of the '80s, he got to understand the building blocks of Boston hardcore, including bands that originated in his town.
"I grew up in Quincy and so did Springa from SSD, so he was always around my neighborhood," Maher said. He remembers seeing lead singer Springa, whose name is David Spring, around and looking up to him as an important figure in the scene, which was intense compared to what it might be considered today.
"When I read those lyrics and I started learning about the Boston Crew and started going to shows in '83, '84, sh** was wild back then," Maher said.
The people that made up the scene fascinated him. It was full of kids who didn't fit in and found a place where they felt included.
"The reason I got into it was that my dad died when I was really young and I grew up in a single-parent family and my mom didn't have a lot of money," Maher said. "I didn't have the cool clothes. I wasn't the cool kid. I was a little chubby, so everyone just sh** on me in my junior high and in the beginning of high school."
Now, the 41-year-old has noticed a change in Boston's hardcore scene, but it still hasn't changed what the scene means to him and the people who are a part of it, no matter who they might be.
"Now you go to shows and some of the hardcore kids are the popular kids in their school," Maher said. "Everyone dresses nice, not everyone, but there are still underground, DIY (do it yourself) punk hardcore shows with awesome punk hardcore bands."
An audio clip of "Sweet Pete's" discussing how In My Eyes got their name.
Maher believes that what makes Boston's hardcore scene what it was back then and what it is today is the young college students who come to the city.
"It's just a young-minded city which makes it a haven for hardcore kids," Maher said.
He mentioned Dave Smalley, the lead singer for DYS and other bands, and how he moved to Boston to go to school. While in Boston, Smalley started DYS and made a name for himself in the city.
Another student-turned-critical-player is Sam Yarmuth, owner of Triple B Records. He moved to Boston from Florida for school and started his record label in September 2005. He signs Boston bands to his label. Maher believes that his move to Boston helped his success.
"If he was in Florida, if he would have stayed in Florida, his label probably would have turned out differently," Maher said.
Kevin Quinn, lead singer of Late Nite Wars and a hardcore fan, is another person who is proud to be a part of Boston's scene. The 26-year-old often goes to shows north of Boston and in Merrimack Valley, but he still sees the reverberations of what the city has established.
"Shows have been referred to a 'Friend Fests' in the past because almost everyone knew each other," Quinn said, "and when you have something like that, positive things tend to come from it."
Quinn notices that compared to other scenes, Boston's is tightly knit and is capable of doing many things with the power they possess.
"Because we know that what we have here in Boston is unique, we are proud to come together and make something so much bigger than ourselves as individuals," Quinn said.
Kristian Hallbert, lead singer of Crime in Stereo, isn't from Boston, but he has played numerous shows in the area. From those experiences, the Long Islander can see the passion that exists in the city.
"This city's got a lot of hardcore heart," Hallbert said. "All of our peers that we came up with are from here. All of our fans are friends, people that have done shows for us. Everyone here gives everything they have to do for the hardcore scene and they appreciate it. Definitely one of the best places to play in."
"I grew up in Quincy and so did Springa from SSD, so he was always around my neighborhood," Maher said. He remembers seeing lead singer Springa, whose name is David Spring, around and looking up to him as an important figure in the scene, which was intense compared to what it might be considered today.