Chuck SS and Dave K. ATL 8/3/06 (Dave looks great! Geek no more?- Rich Trash)
1.) How did you first discover ABC?
As I knew Mike Bullshit for years at this point, he told me and a few friends about the new place. I was really glad somebody was able to put on shows at places other than CBGB's and the Pyramid. I ended going to the very first show with Adam Nathanson and a few others. I do mean few, as there was only a handful at the first show.
2.) What are your earliest memories of playing/hanging out at/or organizing a show at ABC?
The main memory was how cold it always was. In the NY/NJ area it is cold 9 months out of the year and if wanted to see bands play, you had to endure it. If you notice most photos from ABC, everybody is bundled up to some degree. You never had to worry about going inside and thinking, "Where am I going to put my coat?" You were wearing it. We all learn how to layer clothing during this time for sure.
3.) What are your fondest or worst memories of ABC?
Since I was one of the main people there, I have a crapload of memories. I was going to write all this down for my now cancelled book, but you'll be getting the inside scoop in bits and pieces over the next few weeks. I do have alot to say, esp. commenting on what others had to say here.
But...I'll say this now for starters...
Fondest memory is of the people who came to the shows and all the friends I bonded with. My ABC No Rio years, for better or worse, was the best time I had in my life. I knew the direction I was headed and being around everybody galvanzied it. All the people at ABC were true individuals. None of us fit in anywhere else. I'm going to go on about this at another time, but it was true. I never had such an experience before or after."
Worst memory: The decision to allow alcohol into ABC. My being straight edge actually had very little to do with my being against it. ABC No Rio was a target of the local community for a while at that point. I didn't think we needed to attract undue attention to the club by having a bunch of drunks loitering around the front of the place and people getting rowdy inside from an alcohol binge. I wasn't worried about the causal drinker but at that point ABC was booking plenty of crust punk bands and their fans loved their 40 ounces. I was at the meeting which it was decided that ABC would allow alcohol inside. Sadly, the meeting was held during the week and only 6 people showed up. Of course I was the only "nay". I was very angry that the decision was made with such a low turnout and minimal discussion.
What was the result...people drunk off their asses, people laying out on the sidewalk passed out, empty bottles laying on the floor and on the stairs inside ABC, etc...One show while I was working the door, some genius threw a half consumed 40 ounce into the doorway, nearly missing me and a couple of others, shattering the bottle. So basically all the points I made came true. Seriously, I have always felt this is one of the main reasons that things at ABC started to disintegrate.
Like I said, I'll be writing more on this subject at a later date.
4.) What do you do now?
In May 2002, my family and I hightailed it out of New Jersey for the much warmer climate of Atlanta GA. I had my own business (video store) but had to actually had to "get a job" when it failed. I'm currently out of work, a casualty of the current depression. For the last couple of years, I was active in the local punk scene. Some of the kids here are really cool and would have fit in nicely in the early ABC No Rio days.
