Concert review: Cro-Mags – Live in Grand Rapids

The Pyramid Scheme – 13 Dec 2022

Harley Flanagan and Cro-Mags are living proof of the timeless appeal of New York hardcore.

Somehow, despite more than 30 years of fandom, I had never seen Cro-Mags live. This is especially surprising considering the multiple versions of the NYHC legends that have existed, sometimes including more than one at a time. After years of legal wrangling, bassist/vocalist Harley Flanagan has complete control of the band again. This is a good thing. Singer John Joseph’s version of the band wasn’t bad, but they were a nostalgia act. They were never really able to get past Cro-Mag’s classic debut, Age of Quarrel (1986). In the hands of Flanagan, Cro-Mags are once again a living, breathing, fully functioning band. They’re cranking out vicious new material that can hold its own against the band’s early stuff. 

I admit I might be a little biased. As a youngster, I first discovered the band after the release of their second full length, Best Wishes (1989). While I eventually went on to love Quarrel too, I always preferred Flanagan’s voice. The fact that Cro-Mags were coming to Grand Rapids in mid December felt like an early Christmas present for us aging punks before we settled in for our long winter naps. That being said, I was a little surprised by how young the crowd was. The vast majority of the men and (pretty well represented) women there could have been my children. This is also a good thing. It speaks well for the future of the genre, and keeps the pit going strong all night long.

Cro-Mags were touring alone, so local bands got to share the stage with the grizzled veterans at every stop. In GR there were supposed to be three openers, but Terror Cell had cancel at the last minute. (I never heard why.) I showed up too late to see one of the other openers, Gimmick. I did catch MDOP’s (malicious destruction of property) 20 minutes of glory. Although I doubt we share a similar worldview, I enjoyed their power-violence style of thrashing hardcore. (I suspect they would lump me in with the aging punks they call out in “Boomer Punks Fuck Off”, but I’m solidly Gen X.) “Kill Your Boss” and the previously mentioned “Boomer” were the highlights of MDOP’s handful of chaotic songs. 

After a longer than usual changeover, Cro-Mags finally kicked things off with some well received newer material before diving into the classics. Flanagan mentioned that he’s always writing, and it certainly appears to be true. Cro-Mags went nearly two decades with nothing new, but under his renewed leadership the band has released an LP and three EPs since 2018. (The new stuff leans toward the metallic crossover of Best Wishes.) Flanagan is also in phenomenal physical condition for a guy in his mid 50s. (Or a guy in his mid 20s for that matter!) He never stops moving when he’s not on mic, climbing up on speaker stacks to wail away on his Rickenbacker. His voice has a deep, surprisingly soulful quality. I didn’t recognize anyone else in the band, but they were a well oiled machine. 

Flanagan also has a real knack for between song banter. He’s part storyteller, drawing from more than four decades in the NewYork City hardcore scene. and part motivational speaker. His message is relentlessly positive, even if it was forged from the depths of his personal misery. At one point he nearly broke down while talking about their drummer’s heart stopping on stage. (He miraculously survived.) Of course the main reason we were gathered was for those classic songs. Flanagan sounded good on his own tracks, but also had no problem handling the ones originally sung by Joseph. The highlights included “Street Justice”, “World Peace” and the anthem “Down, But Not Out”. Flanagan was clearly giving it everything he had, and that made the three decade wait worth it. 

Confessions of a merch whore: I picked up a signed copy of the 2019 seven inch Don’t Give In on black and blue swirl vinyl, number 201/475. There were actually three different EPs available, all signed, but they were $15 each and I wasn’t feeling all that flush right before Christmas.