I talk about how I started my own record label at the age of 16 a lot in person, and in writing I try not to push it, because there’s a lot of things that I can’t really put into words, but last night I had an experience that brought me full circle with my d.i.y record label and work ethic that continues to this very day.

Last night I ventured forth further into the city that I live to the westside to the Pacific Rim Brewery’s upper room. It literally is a room the size of my living room, no stage, just a sound system set up with amps and a drum set. Punk rock to its very core.

I saw a band from Alaska that my wife is friends with named The Scurvies, and they were touring with New Jersey natives The Filthy 42’s and both bands lit the room up with their punk rock infused stylings. The crowd was about 4 people that were NOT in the other bands.

That’s where I started nearly 10 years back. I was just a kid with a dream of music industry fame and helping others. As a Christian my main purpose was to evangelize the nation, and at a young age I thought that music is the door that most people would recognize to follow. So I started Reject 37 Records in the bedroom of a friend of mine, and ran with it full steam. Right out of the gates I signed Drawn Close, a hardcore band with some stage presence to contrast their melodic sound. They agreed to sign and I hit the ground running signing up 5 more bands within months. Then the husttle began…..

Last night the room smelled like no one had showered in years. The Huns would be proud. Dirty punk rock…

I spent much time touring the nation to club after club with only 2 people showing up to the shows and being abandoned by the Church and their legalistic view of punk rock and hardcore, and it was tough on me and the bands I was with. Money was non existent and the people that called themselves God’s children abandoned us because we weren’t wearing ties and singing church music for them.

Now you don’t know who’s a christian in music and who isn’t. Reliant K is selling out shows left and right, Mxpx is on the top 100 charts, P.O.D had several multi-platinum albums, and at their core and at their shows they speak a truth that most people disregard as closed minded ideology…..yet I find more people closed minded as secular entities than I ever was or am today.

The Filthy 42’s took the stage and blasted through a whole set of punk rock ethos, and The Scurvies followed up with their brand of punk rock laced with little melody, the lead singer jumping across the room and rocking to the crowd so small that not even Nirvana could say they experienced coming up. In fact, most bands don’t know what it feels like to tour a nation of music fans that don’t know you or don’t care.

A christian show at a brewery?

When I started this was unheard of. If you tried this type of show, no one would show up. Veteran punk rockers Dogwood experienced this on a lot of tours, and so did Hardcore heavyweights Point of Recognition. Plus, heavy music appeals to a demographic of younger people, because as you get older your pants get tighter you wear plaid and you stop listening to rock music.

The show was awesome last night, the bands were what they were…loud, fast and punk rock to the essence of their aroma.

They say punk is dead…but you know what? Last night in a Brewery in West Seattle, Reject 37 Records and Punk Rock were alive in well inside the mind and heart of a Mexican kid who was called an introvert for many years….how many other introverts do you know that had 10,000 records sold? Who started a feud inside the indie scenes of hxc and metalcore? Who traveled the states in a van and managed to burn the label to the ground and walk away….

Check out The Scurvies and The Filthy 42’s on Boottohead Records….I’m going back to posting on my 10 other blogs.

Here’s a clip I found on youtube of the bands…

The Scurvies