The Hawk

Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Entertainment

Ryan Waste is Municipal Waste's lead guitarist.

The First Unitarian Church is a haven for the local music scene in Philadelphia. The church is located on 21st and Chestnut Streets, only a five-minute walk from 30th Street Station. A myriad of local and touring artists of various genres play in the basement of this venue every weekend, creating a sense of community for all music lovers. On Sunday night, Municipal Waste, a thrash metal band from Richmond, Va., tore apart the basement of the church with their vigorous set.

Municipal Waste is notorious for their fast, intense shows. They shred the stage with loud power chords and extremely fast one-two drum beats. It is easy to get sucked into the crowd the minute you set foot in the venue. Unlike most concerts, the entire room is essentially a mosh pit, where you are likely to get punched and pushed to the front of the stage. Municipal Waste is most famous for taking "crowd surfing" literally. Boogie Boards can be seen flying through the air, while people painfully attempt to get a ride.

The best part of any Waste shows, or shows at the church in general, is the genuine good nature of the audience. Despite the violent moshing, it is not every man for himself. If people fall or get hurt, other people do not hesitate to help them up.

Russell Finan, a local metalhead, described his experience at the show, "It's all about having fun with your friends and getting hurt. If you wake up in the morning with bruises and your neck hurts, that means you had a killer night."

The combination of a passion for fast music and good sense of community made the Municipal Waste show an awesome time. Even though I left the show with mild bruising, drenched in the sweat of about one hundred other people, it was completely worth it.

Check out www.R5productions.com for news on local shows at the First Unitarian Church and other venues in Philadelphia. There is guaranteed to be a show or band that anyone can enjoy.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools