Jonathan Anastas - DYS

Choke and Jon Anastas with Slap Shot at the Rat in Boston, while Hank "SE" Peirce takes on the crowd, Photo: Bruce Rhodes

DYS / Slap Shot bassist Jon Anastas drops a killer memorable show entry on us Boston Crew style. -Tim DCXX

DOA at Cantones in Boston.

Tiny Italian place in Boston's financial district by day, punk club by night. More "New Wave" than Hardcore. They don't know what to do with us as it is.

The band starts late.

Big pit starts. Boston punch thrash at its most intense.

First song, "Fucked Up Ronnie."

Someone goes airborne. I want to say it was someone from the skater crew, Jake Phelps, Larry Hitch or Paul "Punky" Roberts, as they liked the dives, where Al and Choke tended to like the ground more, but I could be wrong.

Either by accident, or on purpose, the diver catches and pulls down one of those drop ceiling tiles, the fiberglass with asbestos, and it hits the floor showering everyone with a white powder.

It's like a lightbulb goes off in the crowd's collective brain.

Second Song "the Enemy."

Everyone starts diving, grabbing tiles, pulling the whole ceiling down, tile by tile. The dust is now thick in the air, you can't really see or breathe. People are putting bandanas over their noses and mouths outlaw style, or pulling their sleeve hats down to cover their faces and protect their lungs.

The owner, Teddy Cantone and the fat bouncers go nuts, unplugging the band, throwing us out as the Boston Police arrive.

Two songs. Total chaos.

The Boston crew ends up milling around outside, covered in white powder from the tiles. Everyone looks like dry wallers. Everyone is coughing up asbestos and fiberglass.

There is never another hardcore show at Cantones and they soon go out of business.


Jon Anastas and Dave Smalley with DYS at the Rat, Photo: Steve Risteen