Friday, September 5, 2008

Memories of the Punk Temple

All FFotos by Robert Barry Francos Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, has a history that’s checkered. It’s best known as the home of the Kramdens, Son of Sam’s last killing, the locale for Saturday Night Fever, and the shooting of Yusef Hawkins (and subsequent marches by Al Sharpton). Jordan, Sid, Loni at Punk Temple entrance But during the late ‘90s and early 00’s, deep from the heart and basement of a local synagogue, a voice had risen up. The proclamation of DIY music came from what was known as the Punk Temple, a non-profit venue that showcased both local and national punk, rock, and ska shows. All money at the door went to rent the room; the cost of the show, and the rest went to the groups who played. Bands varied from the local borough or Staten Island scenes, such as Miracle of 86 (Kevin Devine), Monty Love, The Nerve!, 5 Cent Deposit, Inhuman, Up For Nothing, Clearview 77, and those who were then on the rise from around the country, like Plain White T’s, Treephort, BigWig, and Blind Luck Music. All were welcome by the enthusiastic, all-ages crowd. Breaking bands from other parts of the country seem both surprised and happy to see the audience singing along with the songs of the group’s indie releases, and sometimes even physically with the band as spectators were known to jump on stage and share a mic or two. And the groups loved it. It was a tight and growing scene with open arms for new music. It was a common sight to see the audience showing off newly purchased CDs of the bands playing, purchased at the street team table at the venue ballroom. Will Noon, of the now gone Philadelphia band Breaking Pangaea, stated at the time, “The kids that come to the Punk Temple are young and enthusiastic. And the crowd is pretty diverse. We've had a great experience with it, and look forward to playing there again.” The Punk Temple was started in December 1998, by ex-Friendly Fire vocalist, Jordan Cooper, and played well over 100 shows. Jordan booked the local bands, counted the change, was Webmaster, and was the overall kommander of operations. Skanking up the joint Starting out by being a dj of punk music while attending Kings-borough Community College in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Jordan found out how hard it was to get bands booked through his own band experience. Eventually, through connections, he started the Punk Temple. At first he was losing money, as much as $600 per show. Loni and Sid, who often attended shows, decided to help out, eventually becoming part of the core six-member Temple crew. Loni Berman booked and coordinated national bands. “With me handling booking agents, Jordan handling local bands, and Sid doing some occasional booking, we were really clicking,” says Loni. “Everyone knew their tasks. It took a while, but once we got into a groove, it got a lot easier. The average attendance of 60 grew to an average of 100. We generally pulled in about 200 kids per show, no matter who played.” Will Noon posited, “Loni is a great guy. It’s really great when you come across someone who's doing things for all the right reasons. He cares about the kids and the bands, and wants to make sure everyone is safe and has a great time.” Loni also handled the nascent label, Temple Recordings (a joint venture with Blackout Records). One of their releases was by Friendly Fire, and they were to have a compilation album of bands playing the Temple coming out. What happened to this is unknown to me. At the time, Loni’s “day job” was then Manager of A&R at Artemis Records. Temple heartthrob Chris King, of 5 Cent Deposit and Stray 76 Sid Kaptsenel ran the door, collecting the entrance fee (usually $8). He also set up the stage before the bands arrived, and handled the flyers for upcoming shows. Sid said to me in 2002, “Me and Loni decided that we should offer our help to Jordan to make sure the Temple stayed alive. Shockingly, he accepted, and there we have it. The shows have gotten better and better, bigger and bigger, and way more frequent. Things are great right now. Our basic philosophy is that we want to give kids of all ages a safe place to go to see shows, and get into good music. “ Jay Miller, also known as Monty Love, handled the stage during the shows, setting up the mics and checking the speakers. He was in charge of the area of promoting, and dealt with the newer, local bands, which worked out well since he could give them a sympathetic ear: He led his own group of joyful punkers, Monty Love (one of my favorite bands of that and just after period). And speaking of Templers who helped with the stage and had their own band, Mike Cherchid worked the soundboard, helping with the stage sound, and drummed for the band Stray 76. He would later open a club called Third Rail where metal club L’Amours once stood, but that has since closed as well. That leaves Rob Pasbani. One could often hear him screaming over the sound system between bands, “Check…your…coats” or “Buy…a…drink.” He was in charge of that stuff. Mike Inhuman Mike, of the Brooklyn band Inhuman, said back then, “Inhuman have been playing the Temple in Brooklyn since the beginning really, like late ‘98-early ‘99. At one point I was even booking the shows there in conjunction with Loni and Jordan, and I also co-founded the annual Brooklyn Fest that happens every summer.” But what matters was the chance for the fans to see the bands. For much of the audience, some of whom were still in their teens, it was their first chance to see a live performance. This was a nascent scene, and these kids were growing up with the bands. They lock back now and are able to say, “hey, when I was a kid, I saw so-and-so when they were first starting out.” Kevin Devine in Miracle of 86 As Mike Inhuman, had put it: “We have had some great shows and some iffy ones, but I have fun there no matter what. I like the fact that the crowd is really young and not jaded; kids there wearing a Korn shirt today, may hopefully be sporting a Gorilla Biscuits or Sick of it All shirt one day, you know?” "My impression of the crowd at the Punk Temple is that the people seem to beenthusiastic about being there,” added Fred Mascherino, also of Breaking Pangaea. “If the bands are willing to have a good time, the fans will be right there with them. It was packed when we played, and I hear that that's the way it always is.” Temple regulars As with any scene, there are regulars that showed up. One saw the requisite Rancid and NoFX shirts, wool caps, and even the occasional ‘70s full out punk bondage gear, including Mohawk spikes (one even had what he called a tri-hawk) and metal studded jackets and bracelets. The mosh pit was fast and wild, with speed circles, skanking, windmills, and twin twirling (two people holding hands and spinning as fast as they can for as long as they can). Sometimes you’d see some young teen with a Ramones shirt, with the original line-up. The only things banned on the premises were smoking, drinking, and drugs (though they seemed to be happening outside on the steps of the synagogue). But one thing a Temple attendee got was a good show. “The kids at the temple are always really enthusiastic,” claimed Brendon Thomas of Blind Luck Music during the early ‘00s. “They go off for the music, and in turn we go just as crazy for them onstage. A good show is all about the energy interaction between the band and the audience. At the Punk Temple, there always seems to be this positive vibe that everybody just feeds off of, and in turn, we all always seem to have such a great time. Meeting and talking to people there is fun too, especially since we're from Vermont and we get to experience firsthand how different life is for all these kids in the city, and yet, see how similar we all are when it breaks down to the basic emotions that come out in the music.” Blind Luck Music The surrounding neighbor-hood was sometimes suspicious of the Punk Temple crew, and had a bit of a “redneck” attitude. Between sets, one night in April 2002, there was trouble at the nearby Burger King when some local “Tony Monaro” wannabes assaulted a couple of Temple attendees, a scene right out of “Billy Jack.” Tolerance and understanding wasn’t exactly a neighborhood historical trend, though even then it was actually better then before that time. But the Temple goers had a strong sense of community, into which just about anyone was welcome. As Sid said, “The Temple has become a nice little community where almost everyone is supportive and is there to have a good time and enjoy the music and atmosphere. What I get out of it is a sense that I'm giving back to a music scene that basically made me who I am today. Punk music and underground music in general has been probably the most important thing in my life since High School and the great thing about punk is that its so easy to get involved and be a real part of it. I figured giving some time to this is the least I could do after all I've gotten out of this music and subculture.” Back then, the Punk Temple was part of an unofficial triad of punk clubs in the surrounding boroughs, including Dock Street in Staten Island and the Red Zone in Queens, but you would find lots of people who regularly attend those clubs showing up at the Temple come Saturday Night. Show styles varied: most of the time it was punk, but the guys who ran the place did a great job of blending genres, as long as it was DIY. “I just wish more HC shows would happen there, or heavier Punk shows, but Emo and Pop-Punk bring in all of the money, so I can see their point. I'm just glad that Inhuman is welcome and a part of the original group of bands that continue to play there. Actually we may have been the first legit NYHC band to play there, and that's pretty nice,” said Mike Inhuman. But the overall philosophy of the Punk Temple was that it was something special. Loni explained before it closed, “The Temple is not Irving Plaza, it is not run by Clear Channel or Delsner-Slater. The Temple is a DIY venue. What that means to me is that we can make it whatever we want to make it. We don't have to worry about selling a certain amount of tickets or having a particular type of show or having a particular kind of crowd. The Temple is also about community. It has become a place where kids can be themselves, and they can make friends with others. So many friendships have been made at the Temple. I really feel like we are making a difference by doing the shows because I feel we have made a lot of people happy. I have a love for music, and I love being involved in it in any way. Putting on a show and seeing 350 kids come out to see a band that doesn't draw that much anywhere else makes me feel like we've done a good job, promoting the venue, and promoting that band.” Tony, who formed the band SQNS The Punk Temple closed in 2003 after a summer’s evening show featuring Leftover Crack. The venue had been oversold due to so many kids wanting to see it. The basement was tremendously hot, so many people stayed on the sidewalk between bands. And those who wanted to get in but couldn’t also hung around, possibly to hear whatever music leaked out, or be with friends. This led to drinking and being loud, which resulted in the neighbors calling the police. Because of the overcrowding of the club, it was shut down by law enforcement. After that, the synagogue would not rent the space out for shows. Shortly after that, the synagogue, which was struggling financially, was torn down for a high-rise condo complex. The guys who ran the Temple, Len, Loni and Sid, basically disappeared from the scene after that. Monty kept it going during Monty Love shows at Dock Street until the band broke up. The Nerve!, who played the Temple, started shows at Peggy O’Neill’s in Coney Island for a couple of years, and when they broke up, the shows stopped there. It’s been five years since the Punk Temple closed, but it is still sorely missed and was a great place to see the bands. Many more pictures here:
http://groups.msn.com/PunkTempleshows2003byRobertBarryFrancos/pictures

24 comments:

  1. jezz man, words can't explain how much that place is missed... Nice piece of writing my man, brought back too many memories to name...

    Justin~ UFN = FUN

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  2. Hey Justin, thanks for the kind words. And I hope all those kids out there are going to seek out your new Up For Nothing CD.

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  3. Robert, this was a fantastic article and brought back so many memories. Thank you for showing me this.

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  4. Great article!
    I have a lot of pics from the Temple too. When I pass the place where it used to be (now condos/apts) I always smile and remember the old days.

    Mike Inhuman
    www.myspace.com/inhuman

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  5. Good to hear from you, Mike. The Inhumans have been a powerful musical force here in Brooklyn/BKHC, and I certainly enjoyed seeing you play at the Temple; it was a great show.

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  6. Hey Barrie! One of my first memories of the Temple was you hanging out at the entrance table, and us standing around talking photography, which was something I always looked forward to when I went there.

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  7. Hey Robert, So much good I can say about The Temple. It was a rare moment when a place and people come together for simply joy and music. It really made me happy and gave me a feeling of acceptance. I guess it shows how far just a few people can go, when they get together to make something out of the music they love. Awesome how you remembered all the great details, amazing memories, that was a great article.

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  8. Hey Jason, one of my favorite things about the Temple is the many friends I made there, such as yourself. Thanks for the kind thoughts and feedback. The power of the Temple is underrated in New York punk history, and its story deserves to be told!

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  9. It was a great little scene. And thank God for you chronicling it.

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  10. Hey Tony, thanks. You're one of the first people to come over and say hello to me. Actually, the hardest part of this article was trying to select which photo of you. I have a great one of you bleeding from the nose after a mosh pit incident (you said to me at the time, "This is punk rock!" I went with the flying one because it shows how much committment you have. I look forward to the SQNS CD.

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  11. We didn't drop out of the scene at all! We tried booking shows at Southpaw, we put on a couple but way fewer kids showed up and Southpaw wanted an older crowd so that fell through. Then we tried to buy a space to have our own actual concert venue, we had a spot all picked out, right across the street from New Utrecht High School but the investor we thought we had ended up bailing on us and that was that. But me and Loni still go to shows constantly and even run into Temple kids once in a while. So yeah, we never bailed but we definitely miss the fuck out of the Temple... ok, maybe Jordan bailed.

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  12. Hey Sid just found this link today so I thought I would give you a little update.

    Right after the Temple closed, we looked into some investors and some real estate opportunities so that we could do this full time. Unfortunately, we couldn't make any of it happen.

    Jordan lives in Kentucky and continues to pursue his stand up comedy (seriously) and also continues to wear an Ignite t-shirt. I haven't spoken to him in a long ass time.

    I am still going out to shows, probably not as much as I once did. The Temple was a great time in my life and I think everyone involved, whether you were behind the scenes or not, always felt like it was something special to be a part of.

    Loni

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  13. Hey Sid, I have to say this is one of those times when I am very glad to be wrong, and I want to give you your props. Funny, no one I've talked to from those days said anything, or I certainly would have not made that comment. Across the street from Utrecht would have been ideal, right under the train and all. Hopefully, I'll run into you one of these days, and apologize in person! Good luck on a future venue in the 'hood. Main thing is, you are remembered for all you contributed, and are thought of highly. Including by me.

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  14. Hey Loni,

    What I said to Sid applies to you, too. Glad you're still around, and maybe, just maybe, one of these days, Punk Temple II may see some light of day? Either way, it's good to hear you tried, and I (and I'm sure many others) appreciate the work it took/takes to run a place as well as that was.

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  15. As someone who came of age first attending and then finally playing the Temple, I can honestly say that they were some of the most developmentally significant of my life. I encountered a sense of community there that I had never witnessed anywhere else in my provincial little life, and have never seen since. I was exposed to the the purity and goodness that came with a DIY venue, as well as bands I would have never had a chance to see for eight bucks anywhere else. I met amazing people on that tiny corner in Bensonhurst and it helped me to meet other bands who shared goals and ideals that I held, and even see parts of the world that I did not even consider possible for someone without a career or a college education.

    Whenever I see someone from those days, the Temple always comes up in conversation, and it leads to an awkward moment of silence for the dreams of a dying era, but it was our era, and better than to have those dreams and see them go than to never have had them at all.

    Sid, Loni and Jordan, and all others that put the best efforts into seeing something selfless succeed, you deserve a standing ovation. Great article.

    -ck

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  16. Hey,
    Great article. I was a frequent show-goer. I really relish this place and time. Your link at the bottom for all the Temple pics is broken though. I remember it used to work. Do you have the stuff that used to be: http://groups.msn.com/PunkTempleshows2003byRobertBarryFrancos/pictures
    posted anywhere else? I would love to look through the photo collection.

    Greg

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  17. I see this article left out Clearview 77. Clearview 77 was one of the main bands that played the 1st show that started it all at a VFW post with Gob and Under The Gun. Then Clearview 77 went on and basically played every show after that was punk at the Temple. Im pretty amazed that they were not even mentioned when they were one of the most signficant bands to make the Temple become what it accomplished in the brooklyn punk scene.

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    1. Don't take it personal. I liked Clearview 77, and saw them play a number of times. Why didn't I mention them? Hell, I wrote this a dozen years ago, who the hell knows. It wasn't personal, I'll tell ya that. There were lots of great bands that played there, and I couldn't mention them all. Thank you for the fun shows, I appreciate that. No offence was meant. Odd to me that you took it that way...

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  18. No offense taken. Commented on your page after google searching Punk Temple not because i was the drummer in Clearview 77 and took it personally but it was a fact we were the 1st brooklyn pop punk band to play the Temple and was booked on every punk show after til the end except for a few due to other shows being booked already. We were one of the bands that brought in the kids to keep the Temple going. Same way Inhuman was the hardcore band that represented brooklyn, Clearview 77 was the pop punk band that represented brooklyn for the kids to come see at the Temple. Some of the hardcore scene even gave us respect like Murphys Law and Roger Miret of Agnostic Front who produced one of our cds. I was just looking to see if our band name was included and possibly a pic from the Temple of us playing. Nothing about opinion of the music.

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  19. Robert thank you for being a Clearview 77 fan. The Temple was a great place to play. Lots of good memories there.

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    1. I have added Clearview 77 to the story. Enjoy, and feel free to share the link!

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  20. Thanks for including Clearview 77 in the story. Would you like me to email you a pic of us playing at the temple? If so, whats your email.

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    1. I appreciate it, but no thanks. I have my own pictures of the band (I was a regular there and took all of the ones above). The story is complete as it is, and has lots of pix, so I'm satisfied. I was happy to include Clearview 77, and there were a lot of other great bands that played there as well that were not mentioned in the article. 8)

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