Bad Town

Do you remember punk rock? Mohawks and suspenders twirling around a circle pit ready to stomp all over your backstreet boys albums while pouring sugar in your gastank? Yeah punk, you know, hugging a bottle of jack daniels and not giving a crap what people think of you? While most bands are whining about breakups, and making their eyeliner run with tales of adolescent unacceptance, BAD TOWN takes punk rock roots mixed with a high energy story telling that makes you wanna get out of your basement, crack open another beer, and punch your troubles in the mouth.

About ten years ago punk music evolved. While most kids donned skinny jeans combed their hair over their face and decided to take on the world from behind their computer screens, Alex Hernandez and John Melicharek were stealing beers and trying to make homemade dynamite in a north jersey garage. The two high school buddies had little experiance with explosives, and eventually picked up some guitars and started putting there heads together. They treated life and music as one, taking each step and every bar chord with their own unique brand of recklessness. While their peers added synth, they added grit. The result was a new brand of punk that combined elements of folk and cock rock; a smooth cocktail two parts social distortion one part sublime garnished with a hint of bob dylan on acid.

Alex and John recruited long time friend and high school graduate Jack Biamonte on drums. The three played every backyard, bar and party they could find, and quickly became hometown heroes. Locals fell in love with their songs as well as their drunken antics. Every party would end with piles of empty bottles and a choir of kids belching out the lyrics to "Young and Drunk." The song captured the soul behind the chaos, and became an anthem for kids to go out and grab life by the balls. Just like the climax of any 80's movie, Bad Town was asked to play their High school senior prom. Mixing a blend of their own tunes and classics, the boys put on a show few will forget, even doing a punk rendition of the famous "Twist and shout."

In 2008 Bad Town hit the studio in efforts to capture their madness onto tape. They recruited former mad scientist Mike Vest on bass and set out to make an album that chronicled there last few years of partying and mayhem. The result was the Full length "Freaking out in the Woods", and the all acoustic "Young and drunk." Both albums(available on itunes) gave a glimpse of what life was like waking up on different couches through hungover eyes of singer Alex Hernandez and his unique takes on traditional punk through the lungs of a traveled singer songwriter. The boys mixed a blend of sing-a-long chorus' and upbeat tempos, peppered in with ska style breakdowns and a bit of harmonica that capture the life of the party. Songs Like "Waiting on the otherside", "No boundaries", and "Young and Drunk" make fans want to scream shout and dance. The songs stick in your head like gum underneath a park bench, and no matter how hard you scrape you cant get the words off your breath.

Since the release of their EP's, Bad Town has been playing packed shows all over NYC and NJ, with the party following them anywhere they land. Each show feels like a high school keg party and everyones invited. Beer, sing a longs, nakedness; You walk away with an ear drum hangover that makes you want to wake up and do it again. Its the type of controlled chaos that you drunkenley recall with your buddies as the greatest moments of your life.

Do you remember punk rock? Did it get lost behind all the emo and electronic bands of the past decade? Well if you did and you miss it, or your just looking to have a kick ass time, you have come to the right place. You dont need to don a leather jacket and safety pins to love Bad town. In fact there mix of punk, folk, and fun seems to tear down all the boundaries built by there predecessors, and turns every show into a drunken sing-a-long. So put on your party hat and crack open a beer, cause Bad town doesnt turn on the lights until the keg is kicked and everyone is stumbling home. For Bad Town, this party is just starting...