A New Jersey native, Steve Larger has played drums for such hardcore bands as Uprise, Turncoat, and Path of Aggression, in addition to doing live dates with both Ensign and Terror Zone. In 1996, Larger did a zine called Free Spirit, and he's also booked hardcore shows and did a radio show called Positive Impact at Montclair State University, in the late '90s.
In this Record Collector installment, Larger tells us about his past vinyl exploits, and the titles he wishes he had held onto.
How long have you been collecting hardcore vinyl?
I started buying hardcore records in 1993. I only really knew of local (NJ) bands at that time, so I bought 7"s by Strength 691, Backlash, Lifetime, Mouthpiece, and Ressurection. I mainly collected vinyl in the '90s. Some of my favorite 7"s were by Flagman, Conviction, and Native Nod.
Where/how did you usually find your hardcore records?
In the '90s there was a lot of great places in NJ to buy records such as Let It Rock in Montclair, Sound on Sound in Highland Park, Curmudgeon in Edison, and more. There were also a ton of great mail-order catalogs back then, such as Very distribution. I used to also buy a lot of records at shows where people would set up tables to sell merch.
What is the most you paid for a hardcore record, where/how did you obtain it, and what was it?
The most I spent was in 1996, I believe. I was at Sound on Sound in Highland Park and bought the No for An Answer 7" for $20.
What is your most prized hardcore record and why?
Well, I don't have it anymore, but I was one of the original people to receive one of the Floorpunch 7"s on gold. I was in a band called Uprise at the time and we used to play with Floorpunch, and we were also friends with them. My favorite record that I still have is the original pressing of the Its for Life compilation on Consequence Records (not the awful Victory reissue). Also, the first Mouthpiece 7" on purple is one of my faves. I sold most of my collection over the years. I used to have a lot of great stuff.
Outside of the money you spent, what did you hate most about record collecting in the hardcore world?
Well, Im not much of a collector anymore, but I know a lot has changed and things are far more accessible now in the Internet age. So I don't really have anything to complain about, but I just wish I had held on to some of my collection a little longer as it appears I could have gotten a lot more money now than I did when I sold them about 15 years ago [laughs].
Which record(s) are still on your want list that you've had a tough time tracking down through the years?
Although I love Conviction, I never had a copy of their first 7". I obtained mp3's of it in the mid-'90s, so I let that suffice, even though I really should have tracked down the actual record.
***
Follow Steve on Instagram to see some of his hardcore-related goodies.
