Xtinguish The Code Album Release - Show Overview 5/31/26

One thing I love about creating this magazine is that I get music recommendations and, more importantly, am invited to shows I wouldn’t have known about! So when I got a DM from Nate Harris, who runs @natesshowbooking, is the drummer for Xtinguish The Code and Lake Lanier, and is the lead singer/frontman of No Weapon, about Xtinguish The Code’s album release show, I knew I had to go.

On Sunday, May 31st, I rushed from being held back at work to East Williamsburg, specifically to The Attic, which sits on the same block as other iconic venues like the Woodshop and The Meadows. It’s a very industrial area; the perfect hub for hardcore and punk. I walked up the stairs to the venue and was relieved I hadn’t missed any part of the show. I greeted Nate, who introduced me to some of his bandmates in Xtinguish The Code, quickly said hi to some of the regulars I see and photograph in the pit at these shows, and set up my camera. People were setting up merch tables, and someone was even selling brownies. There were already a good number of people there early, which is kind of surprising for a hardcore/punk show, but I quickly learned that this reflected the environment these bands create: a friendly community that shows up for each other, no matter the inconvenience, on a Sunday night.

The first band was a New Jersey hardcore band, Guess Again. They started the show off just right, encouraging people to get up and move around. The crowd was starting to warm up. The band was great; they had some gnarly breakdowns that I think encouraged people to start moshing a bit. They played songs from their debut EP, released last year, and from the split they released with the band DUMBO a couple of days before, Guess Again,Dumbo. The lead singer, Jerry, is extremely talented. I think his vocals were definitely my favorite part of the performance; the screams just scratched my brain. Definitely a new favorite band of mine, and I hope to see them again soon!

Humiliate, a Northeast Fusion Hardcore band based in NYC, followed. I was surprised to see that the vocalist, John Vota, was also the drummer. Every time I see a vocalist/drummer in a band, it blows my mind. Especially in hardcore, I know how much stamina it takes to do that. The Vota’s screams were gnarly as well. The guitarists brought energy, hyping up the crowd. It even hyped me up a bit. Their sound was chaotic, with heavy, slower breakdowns. Frequent tempo changes kept the crowd on their toes. Another great band that I’m excited to catch again at another show!

Next up is a band I’ve been wanting to see for a bit, No Weapon, a hardcore four-piece from Brooklyn. I wrote about them in our Top Singles of February article after they released their debut single, “Right to Live.” Nate Harris, the lead singer, opened the set by dedicating it to Mike McAuley, a friend who had passed away a few days prior and was an active member of the hardcore scene and community. The intro to the first song was Caribbean music, getting people dancing in the pit, then crashing cymbals and introducing the band. Harris had a great stage presence. He commanded the audience. This was definitely the biggest and most active mosh pit of the night so far. During the set, he shouted out the people striking and protesting at Delaney Hall in Newark (click here and here to learn how to directly support the strikers in Delaney Hall and the protesters on the ground in New Jersey) and spoke about division among the people and how we need to unite against ICE and Trump. The rest of the band members also brought the energy, with the guitarist and bassist doing call-and-response vocals with Harris. It was definitely worth the wait to see them, and I hope to see them again soon!

Afterward came the New York hardcore punk band Gassed. They genuinely blew me away. I don’t know what I was expecting from them, but the lead singer, Micha Riopel, was wild from the start. He was so energetic, jumping around and getting the people in the pit to move with him. He and the guitarist were the most energetic performers of the night, I’d say. The vocals and instrumentation were mostly super fast-paced, giving the music urgency. It was explosive, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the performance. If I looked away, Riopel would be on the opposite side of the room within seconds. Another band I’m excited to dive into and see again soon!

Xtinguish The Code | Photo by @sofialisena

Now, for the main event, Xtinguish The Code! Their debut album, The Conflict, was released a little over a month before the show. It is a great hardcore project, with each song politically charged and urgent, urging the listener to get up and do something about it. It brings hardcore back to a classic, punk-driven sound. They came onstage, and everyone’s pent-up energy exploded into the mosh pit. Everyone was up and jumping, two-stepping, or whatever made them move to the music. The band had great chemistry, and each member brought their own power to the performance. There were many great interactions between the crowd and the band. In between the songs “Rex 84B” and “Declaration (Doomsday Cult),” vocalist BJ Allen, as illustrated in the video above, paused to reiterate the last lyrics of the prior song: “Yes, they're fucking the kids/Their fucking children man./What the fuck?/We ok with this shit?” He called for people to wake up, realize how they are using our tax dollars to ruin lives with violence in our country and around the world. He also stated that MAGA is a death cult, which he used to transition into the next song. The performance of each song was amazing; it truly sounded great, and my excitement after listening to the recording was definitely warranted. For the last song of the night, Allen invited people from the crowd to come up to the mic and sing the song. It was beautiful to see everyone get so hyped and sing along together. During so much turmoil in our country right now, it’s great to see communities getting their frustrations out together, as people did during this set.

This is another one of those shows that I leave knowing I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. I made a friend, got to know other people better, and saw how powerful it is when people come together for the sake of art and belonging. I recommend you see each and every one of these bands; they are all truly amazing. I also want to shout out Nate for telling me about the show! You should follow him @natesshowbooking to keep up with other shows he’s putting together and promoting. They’re always a great time!

Crowd Photos (all taken by @sofialisena)