Mark your calendars for a late summer gathering in Washington state. In August, the weather will be sunny with a high of 75, with the breeze off of the Puget Sound bringing it down to an average low of 50–a perfect blend of temperatures, if you ask me.
The occasion is set to commemorate Southern California’s Indecision Records, established in 1992 by Dave Mandel. The lineup has been curated to showcase the label’s Pacific Northwest acts, along with some additional imports from various spots in North America.
The showcase is being curated in partnership with Mandel by Seattle’s own Matt Weltner (Chopping Block, The Answer, Vanguard, Clarity), an elder statesman of The Straight Edge and ambassador of all things Seattle’s Hardcore. Here’s the list of bands playing the fest!
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Odd Man Out
Formed in Olympia, Washington in 2008, this band has been waving the banner of straight edge for almost 20 years. Having toured the world multiple times over and put out releases with Pop Wig, Warthog Speak, Refuse Records, and sharing members with Change, Apex Predator, and Gag, Odd Man out is closing out two decades by working on their next full-length LP in partnership with Indecision Records. The label had this to say about their partnership with the band:
“Indecision Records has had a long rich history with the Pacific Northwest, practically our second home for the last 30 years, and it's with that love that we are beyond excited to announce the addition of Odd Man Out to the Indecision family!”
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Stay Gold
A band that needs no introduction, Stay Gold, were the Pacific Northwest’s melodic mainstays who burned out brightly in the span of two or three years. Coming into an uncertain time for fast hardcore in the late '90s, where the shadow of metallic hardcore reigned supreme, the band charted a different course and created a sound worth remembering.
One of Indecision’s staple bands of the time period, the band are getting back on the horse for one more time around at the Indecision Northwest Showcase, after their last round of shows during the summer of 2023.
READ MORE: Stay Gold Drummer Eagle Barber Looks Back on the ‘00s Seattle Hardcore Band’s Run Together
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Living Eyes
What do you get when you combine Bay Area scene alumni under the banner of raw, fast, angry hardcore? The answer is Living Eyes.
Although it’s been a minute since the band started, (their last release was in 2012 on Deathwish) the band, which features a dizzying combination of members from Planet on a Chain, Rely, Skin Like Iron, Loma Prieta, and Punch, returned last year to play some shows with Raised Wrong. The band is gearing up for a future release with Indecision.
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Hardesty
The elusive Hardesty, who featured Eagle Barber and the Jahn Brothers from Stay Gold, were a short lived and well loved straight edge band who fell in somewhere between the chaotic realms of hardcore and traditional metallic sounds.
The band released a single record via Excursion Records (Sinking Ships, Undertow, The Answer, Power of Ten compilation) before calling it a day. This will be their first performance in over two decades.
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Chopping Block
If you’re a resident of the Pacific Northwest, you know their name. Tearing it up from their frequent appearances in the upper left corner of the company, Chopping Block are the ambassadors of fast melodic hardcore, playing with anyone and everyone who will lend an ear.
The songwriting machines released Seattle’s Hardcore on Brain Floss Records last fall and are currently hard at work writing and recording their debut LP–details soon!
READ MORE: Chopping Block Deliver Stomping First Taste of Their Upcoming 'Seattle's Hardcore' EP
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Time X Heist
Somewhere in the middle of the Venn diagram between Youth Crew and skate punk lies Denver’s Time X Heist. While the band has more in common musically with bands like Good Riddance or 88 Fingers Louie than they do with Youth of Today or Judge, the band’s lyrical content and look firmly plant them in the world of hardcore.
The reason for this comparison lies in the band’s superior level of music mastery. While Youth Crew is focused on conveying raw emotion with simple, yet catchy musical structure, skate punk is known for its relentless technical ethic complete with out of this world bass lines and breakneck precision drumming speeds–both of which Time X Heist display effortlessly.
The band recently released a 3-song 7” titled The Unforgiving Minute, as a joint effort between Indecision Records (who released their sophomore EP With Every Passing Moment in 2024) and Heroes & Martyrs Records (who released the extended version of the band’s debut, The Odds Against Tomorrow, in 2024).
READ MORE: Time X Heist: Denver Hardcore Band Signs to Indecision Records, Drops New Track
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Raised Wrong
Raised Wrong is comprised of scene vets John Pettibone on vocals (Undertow, Himsa, Heiress), Ryan Donoghue (Ensign, Staring Problem, Born Annoying) on guitar, Ryan Murphy (Undertow, Ensign, Ten Yard Fight) on drums, and Dave Itow (Welcome to Your Life, A18, No Plan) on bass.
Rarely do project/ensemble groups get to actually play live, so this is kind of a big deal! All of the details of the band are best summarized in their previous No Echo feature below.
READ MORE: Raised Wrong: Meet & Hear New Band Feat. Undertow, Ensign, Ten Yard Fight Members
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Impertinence
Matt Weltner had this to say about the up and comers, Impertinence:
“Impertinence is one of my favorite NWHC bands. I saw them at Lucky Liquor early last year and they blew me away. Young kids, stoked on hardcore. You see them at every show supporting the scene, and I wanted to give them this opportunity to play. They have a demo from 2024 that folks should check out, and I’ve heard they’re working on new stuff. I’m very stoked to hear it.”
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The Indecision Northwest showcase will be held on Saturday August 9th at Real Art in Tacoma, Washington. Get your tickets here.
Tagged: chopping block, hardesty, impertinence, living eyes, odd man out, raised wrong, stay gold, time x heist
