In this personal recollection, Gregorio Craig Lewis revisits a cluster of Boston-area punk and hardcore bands that shaped him in the 1990s, tracing friendships, shared spaces, and moments that mattered more than scenes or reputations. Moving between memory, loss, and gratitude, the piece focuses on people over mythology, and on how those bands—WORLD WAR, CHICKEN CHEST AND THE BIRDBOYS, CLASS ACTION, A POOR EXCUSE, and THE MCVEIGHS—became part of a lifelong, chosen punk family.
WORLD WAR
In the mid 90’s I found a flyer about World War somewhere and because it was before the internet, there was a phone number on it and that is how I met Dug and Seb. Dug lived in Mission Hill and I would ride my bike over there from Allston to hang out. Dug went to school for psychology so he understood that I was a troubled kid.
Eric, the drummer always had that Born Against t-shirt and I was amazed that a kid from Brockton also loved Born Against because I was also from the south shore and kids like us were rare. Scott was the bassist and I knew him because he played in ARISE and I saw them play with RORSHACH at that warehouse space near South Station.
Seb, the guitarist, he became my friend who lasted all these years and I am so grateful. I don’t give a fuck about bands or who is cool or any nonsense that makes zero difference in the world.
What I care about is the people who made the music and I care about how their music made me feel. It is too bad that life is cruel sometimes, but the beautiful truth is that WORLD WAR was part of my crazy punk rock family. I have nothing but gratitude and love for them.
CHICKEN CHEST AND THE BIRDBOYS
This is one of the best bands that has ever existed in the world. The bassist and singer, Tony, is without question, one of the nicest and highest quality people that I have ever known.
He made my life better in more ways than he could ever know. He was a real friend to me when I was the walking dead; and neither of us knew it. I do not know who the person named Crusty Craig Lewis was before 2015. Some people say I had good qualities and lots of nice things, but I have no idea.
I will never be able to explain to anyone what a pharmaceutically caused brain injury is; but it is something that you do not want to experience. Fuck it! I survived! Jay Stiles from DISRUPT plays guitar and sings and Jeff Hayward, also from DISRUPT is on the drums.
But make no mistake: any band that Tony Yunta, is the main songwriter in; is, always has, and always will be; a brilliant symphony in honor of the true love that exists in so many broken hearts that a good punk album and a few good friends; will always make better.
CLASS ACTION
Rest in Peace Ross. It’s fucking weird; of all of the crazy people we knew back when; you were one of the most hardcore dudes who was gonna live forever. I am sorry you’re gone bro. You were a real person. You said what you thought. I prefer people who say what they need to say, instead of being nice. You once told me that I would never leave Boston and live somewhere else.
I lived in France for three months, Quebec for three months and Mexico for almost seven years. I wish you could come here and visit. CLASS ACTION was an important band for many people back in the 90’s. Sean the Gipper, a brilliant guitarist and even more brilliant human – one the kindest people I have ever known. You are still in my life today; you are a blessing.
The drummer was named Alex – I gave him a vinyl copy of the NAPALM DEATH album ‘From Enslavement to Obliteration’. I wonder where he is today.
Along with Ross there was a singer named Steve and then later on it was Patrick. They were both real punk rockers as far as I am concerned. Mike Kadomiya (Rufio) played bass in the later incarnations of the band. He was an ultra kind person with a beautiful heart. I hope you are out there in the world doing things that make you happy.
Sean Mullane was a real punk rock bassist. You had it rough in life. You might not know this but in 1991 I went to your family’s home. Your brother Jeff was playing drums in a band that I don’t remember ever making it out of the basement. They were called Ludicrimental and also TinFoil Sandwich. Scott Turner played bass, Dan Z played guitar and Izzy Rodriguez was the singer. Sometimes people who live with pain are some of the most beautiful people in the world, but the world and other people can be cruel. I want you to know that someone far away from Massachusetts cares about you.
One funny thing about CLASS ACTION is that they made patches with a real crusty looking band name called MORON (or something like that) and they gave them to other punk kids and then they recorded a song called “Stop Making Punk Rock Suck” and some kids had sewn the MORON patch on to their pants. That is brilliantly fucked up, all praise to Boston. I guess it is true when they say “You can take the kid out of Boston but you can’t take Boston out of the kid:”.
A POOR EXCUSE
Mike McCarthy was a really nice kid when we first met. A lot of people were not nice to me. I have been so public during the past several years about the secrets of my life, that I have been able to reconnect with some people from my past. It is funny how sometimes the most screwed up among us can also be the most sensitive.
Most of the people we know in the punk scene who do crazy shit or are violent or do bad things to other people – most of us were broken before we had a chance to become who we were born to be. I will never condone certain things but I understand way too much about the human condition so that I do have deep empathy.
All right, let’s fucking go! A POOR EXCUSE is a very solid hardcore band. I don’t know who else was in the band. That’s what happens when you are in a band with Mike McCarthy. Everyone knows about the famous photo taken by Matt Carroll of Mike diving off the balcony at a church show. It is a cool photo but I always disliked it because life is so precious and so many good people suffer for no good reason, and while I understand reckless behavior; I will not condone it. I am glad no one got hurt; because the lives of so many people could have been negatively altered forever.
The last I heard, Mike chose a life of sobriety and that says a lot about a person. I used this photo for this blog because it speaks to a moment in time that none of us will ever experience again. We are all grown up now, or dead; so we might as well be doing something good with our lives. Thanks to Mike McCarthy for being a necessary part of the Boston punk scene, whether anyone liked it or not.
THE MCVEIGHS
The funny thing about the MCVEIGHS is how fucking punk rock they were. They were so punk rock they were anti-punk. THE MCVEIGHS are the perfect 80’s punk band but in a mid 90’s version.
Jeremiah played guitar and sang and he is a therapist now. I like that. That is what some of us do with what our lives and punk rock taught us; help make the world a better place and help people like ourselves and our friends have a chance. Jeremiah recently ordered some of the books I published. Thanks bro – You made a difference in my life.
Aaron the guitarist is a father now and he sings in RUFFIAN DICK. You are a real one, Aaron. Thanks for being in contact with me recently. I hope you and your family have a wonderful life. Lisa Larson was the perfect bassist for a band like THE MCVEIGHS. You are out there living your life in the midwest – You have always been kind to me. I talk about kindness and people who were kind to me a lot, in these blogs, and in my daily conversations. On drums is Pete Cassin. Pete is a person who loves music. Pete also understands music. This is something rare.
Pete is brilliant; it is true. And Pete, along with Lisa, Aaron and Jeremiah; speaking directly from my heart, I speak this truth: THE MCVEIGHS are a real punk band made up of beautifully kind people. Everything and everyone has its place; but if you know how unkindness feels; then you tell the world with a smile, when kindness is real.
The world is really fucked up right now; so be kind because for some people; that is all they have.
WHY I WRITE THESE ARTICLES
In the movie Billy Madison, the scene where Adam Sandler’s character calls Steve Buscemi’s character on the phone to apologize for unfortunate things that happened a long time ago.
I write these articles because people change and punk rock can help us change into who we want to be. I don’t know who I was for most of my life. I know that I was a human being. I know that I did lots of things. I know that I know lots of people. I know that that person existed. But I don’t know who that person was. I don’t know who that person is when I look at my own photo.
This is strange to read. I know it is. I survived an injury to my brain. It was awful, but because I was so fucked up, I was not going survive unless I got away from everything that confused me. So I travelled to dozens of countries with nothing, and I did a lot of fun and crazy shit, and I suffered immensely but I began to learn to love myself.
I began to love myself; after having a brain injury. What the fuck? I know that whomever that person was before the brain injury and then throughout all of 2016 and 2017; is dead. I have now been living in non-English speaking countries since 2018.
The way I learned to love others was without speaking the same language. I learned to love because my heart became free for the first time. For 28 years I lived in a chemical straightjacket and I escaped.
That is exactly what happened. I escaped something that was going to kill me. These blogs and all the writing I do and the books I publish are how I saved my life.
Those books have saved my life many times and I NEED THEM TO HELP SAVE MY LIFE AGAIN NOW.
In Billy Madison, after Buscemi’s character gets off the phone; he crosses a name off a list. I am not into lipstick but I rock the eyeliner like a King. My friends, or like we say Mexico, cabrones, I must fix some broken things once and for all; and they say if you don’t ask for help; you won’t receive it. The best way that anyone can support success is to help me help myself. I am so close. I am almost there.
So, if anything I write about matters to you; or makes you feel something, and if you would like to help me make everything even better;
This link will help you do it.
Craig Lewis
Crusty Craig “Gregorio” Lewis is a longtime contributor to IDIOTEQ. Gregorio is a punk rocker from the United States, living in México, and after traveling to forty countries around the world giving talks and workshops on how he has Survived the Impossible, both professionally and for the Punx, he has been living in his mountain pueblo for more than six years. Contact Gregorio directly at [email protected] and check out his numerous published books, at Sanity is a Full-Time Job at sanityisafulltimejob.org
