Second Wave was a t-shirt shop run by Mario Munoz, formerly the events director at the Silent Movie Theater. Mario and friends were beginning to blow the lid on the gross regime at Cinefamily (interestingly it would take almost two more years and the “Me Too” movement for the media to pay attention). So, to troll them and have some fun, Mario rented a storefront on Fairfax just down the street from Cinefamily and planned to throw a bunch of competing events. Very punk.

This was a legit screen printing facility during the week and they were just starting to host music events of which mine was the second. This show featured old friends including Joshua Ploeg’s band Select Sex, Child Abuse featuring Eric Lau and also Tim Dahl (from the Flying Luttenbachers and Lydia Lunch Retrovirus), VJ Wes, Nick Kelley of Tremellow‘s latest project—all strong stuff.

The show was really awesome too! Packed with cool randos. It reminded me of the early days of Il Corral. Audacious and super oppressively, scarily LOUD with drug-taking and drinking in the open right on the street and no cops showing up. Except this was busy Fairfax not sketchy East Hollywood. This could have turned out very not good. As it was we had incredible luck, incredible music—just a great underground D.I.Y. show right out in the open.

Too bad the building went condo about three weeks later and Second Wave never allowed any more bands.

This event marked my ten year anniversary booking shows or playing shows (with Sons Of The Bitch) in L.A. more or less non-stop and, man, I was worn out, strung out, played out—I was beat. I drove home after dropping off the PA and fell asleep at the wheel at a stop light at 5:30am, awakening to some irate driver standing next to my car pounding on my windshield to wake up and drive. Seriously fucked up shit. Rock bottom. (Well not quite, unfortunately. I had 18 more months to descend.) I still tell this story at recovery meetings.

If you ever find yourself doing stupid stuff like this get some help right away. I didn’t and I was wracked with guilt and shame for a long time as a result.

Because of all this I don’t have too many photos of this particular evening.

Will you please contact me if you have photos you can share?

Sean Carnage presents John Merrick Look Alike Motherfucker at Second Wave