PIT ROMNEY: KETCHUP

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shared a Pit Romney update, and thus far 2012 has seen some pretty excellent fests happen, including this past weekend’s Breast Fest in North Carolina. The annual Black N Blue Bowl happens here in NYC this coming Saturday, so I figured now was as good as any time to revive this feature…

Truly, the biggest news came in the long-awaited announcement of the 2012 lineup for Philadelphia’s This Is Hardcore. As usual, the four-day event–August 9-12–reads like a who’s who of hardcore, past and present. Headliners include Blacklisted, Cro-Mags, H2O, Gorilla Biscuits, and Terror, with one slot TBA yet widely rumored to be none other than Suicidal Tendencies, which would be a real coup for any U.S. hardcore festival. The rest of the bill includes a dizzying array of rising stars (Code Orange Kids, Power Trip, Rival Mob), legacy/reunion acts (Breakdown, In My Eyes, Lifetime, Negative Approach), and upstarts (Born Annoying, Praise, Rude Awakening). Though the festivities have moved to a larger venue (The Electric Factory) this year, I anticipate another sell-out event when tickets go on sale this Thursday.

Cleveland’s Summer Of Hate let out some bummer news this week that previously announced headliner 100 Demons has bowed out of the July 14 gig for reasons not yet shared. (The band is still listed as playing This Is Hardcore, FYI.) Organizers have promised some “heavy hitters” as replacements, one of which being “a NYHC legend”. Speculate away, everyone. The rest of the bill is solid, including sets from Death Before Dishonor, Shattered Realm, and Suburban Scum. Oh, and there’s a kickoff show the night before. Get tickets for both of these here.

Out west, Sound & Fury revealed a second batch of bands: Bent Life, Donnybrook, Downpresser, Earth Crisis, Fire & Ice, Friend Or Foe, Hardside, Harms Way, Hour Of The Wolf, Ivy League, New Brigade, No Tolerance, Nomads, Rival Mob, Sabertooth Zombie, Seahaven, Souvenirs, Tough Luck, The Wrongside, Xerxes, and Xibalba. Taking place July 20-22 at Santa Barbara’s Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3-day passes are on sale now. More bands will likely be announced in June.

-GS