Now or Never still gets my vote for best punk band to ever emerge from the Ozarks, period. Although they were only around from circa 1989-1992, they influenced a whole city’s music scene, and helped to keep a lot of kids off of drugs through their forceful anti-dope lyrics (this is back when straight edge was still a punk thing, before it became known as a subculture filled with Hare Kristinas and jocks). Dave (the band’s energetic frontman) also ran the Commercial Street club, Springfield’s only punk venue at the time. This meant that NON got to open for some pretty big punk acts, many of which got blown off the stage by these local unknowns. They released one demo tape, as well as this live recording, made at their last show. Dave’s astute lyrics captured many of the punk scene’s problems, such as backbiting (“Rumors”) and the tendency of straight edgers to lose their edge when they turn 21 (Seven Year Itch”). Coupled with the band’s tight rhythm section and double-guitar assault, the recording makes for an intense listening experience.
1.Shut the Door
2. Changes
3. Now or Never
4. Self Respect
5. Lies
6. Living Hell
7. Orphan Child
8. Before it Ends
9. Stagnation
10. Git-n-Go
11. Never Rest
12. Rumors
13. Wall of Voices
14. Expectations
15. Time to Change
16. Seven Year Itch
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Punk Rock In the Forgotten Realms
I have often spent hours of fruitless conversations trying to convenience people from the big cities how completely amazing the punk rock music scene in the Ozarks was in the 1990’s. Yes, we were probably completely unhip by the standards of the punk rock hierarchies in San Francisco, New York, or even St. Louis. But maybe it was because we had no existing underground scene to support us that made us so driven. And what amazes me is that the bands that came out of the Ozarks at that time were still on average way better than what was being produced in a lot of the big cities in the same period. Don’t believe me? Listen to a few of the sound files and hear for yourself. I can be contacted at ozarkpunkrock * hot/mail dot com.
About Me
- Gabe
- Me? I’m just a guy who was lucky enough to have some good friends when I was young, and be part of a great music scene. I'm glad to have the memories.
5 comments:
Wow, where did you get this?? I'll be sure to let Harold, the guitar player, know it's available for download on the internet. Weird.
The tape was actually released around 1993 as a split, the B side was a live set by the band P.E.N taken from the same show. I don't know how many copies the band made up, but probably not many. Say hi to Harold for me.
Harold didn't even have a copy even though he played on it. That is really cool you put it up here so we could download it.
He says HI too! If you are ever bored and wanna hit him up, his music page on myspace is:
www.myspace.com/borntobefuckedwith
what about the band Harold played in with Matt Casada...Juxapostion...that's was an awesome band...I've got some older FFP and NON recordings somewhere to...I'll have to dig them out....I remember "stealing" Dave's bass player and drummer from one of there first FFP shows at Julie Browns house, to play in my band...lol
also Dave was about as straight edge as I was....
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