HEAVYHEX Interview on New Noise Magazine

by Janelle Jones

The debut 10-song LP, True to You, from post-hardcore Long Island, NY-based HEAVYHEX came out on Bridge Nine Records May 3. The five-piece comprised of vocalist Dave Gastiaburo, guitarist/vocalist Danny Lukach, bassist/vocalist Cody Hermann, guitarist Jeremy Gardiner, and drummer Michael DiLello, have crafted an incredibly earnest and passionate follow up to their EP, Stare, which was self-released in 2022. Gastiaburo and Lukach discuss the band’s origins, the new record, how they got with Bridge Nine, and other topics here.

Click here to continue reading on the New Noise Magazine site…

Artist Exhibit at Bridge Nine on May 4th: Mike Gallo (Agnostic Front), Lori Dawn, Christopher Michon (Failed Imagineer)

Artist Exhibit at Bridge Nine on May 4th: Mike Gallo (Agnostic Front), Lori Dawn, Christopher Michon (Failed Imagineer)

Next weekend, Bridge Nine is proud to open our warehouse gallery to three artists:

Mike Gallo
Lori Dawn
Christopher Michon (Failed Imagineer)

We’ll be hosting an artist reception on Saturday, May 4th from noon until 6pm, come by and check it out! Check out more info at the Facebook event page HERE!

Ray Cappo's "From Punk To Monk" Book Q&A with Drew Stone at B9 (recap)

Ray Raghunath Cappo’s stop at the Bridge Nine store to promote his new book, From Punk To Monk, was an entertaining afternoon on an already hopping Record Store Day.

Chris B9 grew up a fan of all of Ray’s bands, most notably Youth Of Today and Shelter, so it was a huge honor to have Ray sit down with Drew Stone (Incendiary Device, The New York Hardcore Chronicles) for a Q&A that brought out a bunch of great stories, some that are documented in the new book, and others that you just had to be there to hear.

Ray Cappo telling stories from his book, From Punk To Monk in a conversation at the B9HQ moderated by Drew Stone (Photo by Kat Batten Wrenn)

From the book:

The heartfelt memoir of Ray Raghunath Cappo, a legendary hardcore punk musician-turned-monk—and pioneer of the straight-edge movement—told with warmth, candor, and humor.

Ray Cappo was a hardcore punk singer and pioneer of the straight-edge movement living on the Lower East Side of New York City in the ’80s, where his band Youth of Today played to packed clubs and touched thousands of people across the globe. But despite the accolades from fans, the popularity of his records, and the positivity he’d brought to the punk music scene, none of this success gave Ray joy. He felt stagnant, and he yearned for something more.

This, along with his father’s untimely death, led him to abruptly quit the band and buy a one-way ticket to India in pursuit of the answers to life’s great mysteries. Living as a monk in the sacred city of Vrindavan and traveling across the country on a series of train trips, Ray embraced the rich, spiritual culture he discovered there. As his unusual adventure unfolded, he encountered extraordinary characters, witnessed deep acts of devotion, and experienced profound moments of divine connection, leading to a radical transformation that was ego-crushing and blissful all at once.

Inspired to write music again, Ray returned to the US, where he and other monks founded Shelter, a band dedicated to spreading a message of faith, hope, and love.

Told with warmth, candor, and humor—and featuring a foreword by globally renowned musician Moby—this heartfelt memoir chronicles Ray’s emotional and spiritual journey from punk to monk and beyond.

Video courtesy of Adam Tanner

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Bridge Nine had fifty copies of Ray’s book on hand, and each copy was personalized with our special B9xHC rubber stamp and signed by Ray.

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From left to right: Chris Wrenn, Jaime Sciarappa (SSD / Slapshot / The Long Wait), Ray Cappo (Youth Of Today / Shelter), Larry Kelley, Lori Dawn (Women of the Pit), Drew Stone (Incendiary Device, The NYHC Chronicles), and Mark McKay (Slapshot / The Long Wait). Photo courtesy of Adam Tanner

Record Store Day at Bridge Nine Records this Saturday, April 20th!

If you’re in the greater Boston area, make sure you stop by Bridge Nine in Beverly, Massachusetts on Saturday! We are opening early at 8am and will have hundreds of RSD exclusives. As a record store we lean towards the hard and heavy, but on RSD we have a little bit of everything! We will also be joined by our friends at Iodine Recordings who will have a table at B9, so come say hi!

At 2pm, our good friend Drew Stone (Incendiary Device, The New York Hardcore Chronicles) will be moderating a Q&A with punk frontman Ray Cappo (Youth of Today, Shelter) about his new book, From Punk To Monk. Copies will be available for sale and Ray will be signing them, so come say hello and pick one up!

Saturday night we’re turning our warehouse over to our friends at MOON Booking (Music Organizers Of the Northshore) and they’re hosting a handful of bands, including Smooth Brain, 5ever, Return Address and Hyber. Looking for something to do? Come check out some new bands! Doors at 6, show at 7 pm! Tickets are available in advance online here or at the door!

Everything you need to know about our record store (directions, upcoming events, address, etc) can be found HERE!

Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids) Living Room Tour 2024 at Bridge Nine Records 5/24

***UPDATE: SOLD OUT!***

Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams) will be performing at the Bridge Nine record store in Beverly, Massachusetts as part of his “Living Room Tour 2024” next month, on Friday, May 24th! Matt will be playing songs and telling stories from his first book, Red Letter Days. Secure your tickets HERE (make sure to choose the Beverly, MA 5/24 show from the pulldown menu!)

Death Before Dishonor • European Summer Tour 2024 Announced

Death Before Dishonor is headed back across the Atlantic Ocean for their Summer 2024 European tour, courtesy of Stronger Bookings! Check out these dates and make sure to hit the one closest to you!

Candy Hearts is Reuniting at Fest (Gainesville, FL) in October 2024!

Candy Hearts is reuniting for the 10th anniversary of their album All The Ways You Let Me Down, and will be performing at Fest #22 in Gainesville, Florida this October! Check out this list of bands that will be joining them that weekend:

THIS IS HARDCORE 2024... Tickets on sale this Friday!

Joe Hardcore and the TIHC crew have unveiled the 2024 festival lineup! Tickets go on sale this Friday!

Vinnie Stigma's memoir... Coming Soon via Permuted Press

Run, don’t walk to pre-order Vinnie Stigmas’s new memoir: Vinnie Stigma, The Most Interesting Man in the World. With a foreword by Roger Miret, available here and in stores on September 10th:

Amazon: amzn.to/49SryOZ
B&N: bit.ly/Stigma_BN

HEAVYHEX Support Stand Still in June

Bridge Nine’s newest band, HEAVYHEX, will be supporting Stand Still for two shows this June! See them June 8th at Static Era Records in Milford, CT and on June 9th at Tunes Records in Vorhees, NJ.

HEAVYHEX will also be playing two record release shows in May: Saturday, May 25th at the VFW in Massapequa, NY with support from Spite House, Dead Last, Last Laugh, High Reach, and Sunday, May 26th at the Bridge Nine Warehouse in Beverly, MA with support from Spite House and The Promised End.

Vegan Mini-Market coming to the B9 Warehouse: May 18th!

The last Vegan Mini Market that we hosted here at B9 back in March was such a hit, that we’re doing it again in May! Saturday, May 18th make sure to stop by the B9HQ between 11am and 3pm to check out a warehouse full of amazing vegan food vendors! More info on the event can be found HERE!

Chris B9 on the One Life One Chance Podcast with H2O's Toby Morse

Chris Wrenn was this week’s guest on Toby Morse of H2O’s One Life One Chance Podcast. Links to listen HERE! Today, April 8th, is also Toby’s birthday, so Toby, Happy Birthday!

Toby’s Kitchen / Podcast Studio

HEAVYHEX Announce "True To You" Record Release Shows for Long Island & B9 Warehouse

HEAVYHEX will be celebrating their debut album “True To You” with two record release shows this May:

HEAVYHEX Record Release Show (Long Island)
with Spite House, Dead Last, Last Laugh, High Reach
Saturday, May 25th
Doors: 6 pm / Show: 7pm
Massapequa VFW
Massapequa, NY
Tickets Available Here

HEAVYHEX Record Release Show (Beverly, MA)
with Spite House, The Promised End
Sunday, May 26th
Doors: 6 pm / Show: 7pm
Bridge Nine Records Warehouse
Beverly, MA (about 35 min north of Boston. Easily accessible by public transportation MBTA)
Tickets Available Here

If you haven’t already, make sure to pre-order “True To You”, out everywhere May 3rd!

HEAVYHEX Announce Debut Album 'True To You' out May 3rd, Share Music Video for Title Track

Today, Long Island, NY based band HEAVYHEX announce their debut album, True To You, set for release May 3rd on Bridge Nine Records. The ten songs on the album dive deep into the realm of personal struggles, societal issues, and the demand for equality. Collaborating with producer Jay Maas (Love Letter, Defeater), the band channeled their collective energy and creativity to shape guitar tones that strike a balance of aggression, clarity and emotion, accompanied by fast and hard-hitting percussion. Having teased with early single “You Can’t Stay Here,” HEAVYHEX now unleash the title track “True To You.” The song builds off high-energy guitars and impassioned vocals with a raw edge before driving into lush melodies.

The video for the song was directed by Richie Duque, and on it vocalist Dave Gastiaburo comments: "The video closely follows the theme of the song. It’s about the importance of not folding to the pressure of your 9 to 5, while continuing to prioritize the things that you are passionate about. To stay true to yourself."

You can watch the video for “True To You” above or on YouTube HERE, stream the single HERE, and the album is available on vinyl for preorder now through the Bridge Nine Records webstore.

Formed in 2020, HEAVYHEX released their debut EP, Stare, in 2022, followed by a two song single, Give Yourself Away, that same year. The band is a part of the blossoming Long Island melodic hardcore scene alongside bands including Stand Still, Koyo, and Private Mind. The band’s captivating, sing-a-long ready live show has allowed them to share the stage with acts like Silent Majority, Militarie Gun, Soul Glo, I Am The Avalanche, and Spite House. HEAVYHEX is the newest addition to Bridge Nine Records, joining the long running home to hardcore, which started in 1995 and has put out releases for Have Heart, American Nightmare, New Found Glory, Ceremony, Agnostic Front, H2O, Defeater, Crime In Stereo, and Strike Anywhere to name a few.

HEAVYHEX is Daniel Lukach (Guitar & Vocals), David Gastiaburo (Vocals), Cody Hermann (Bass), Jeremy Gardiner (Guitar), and Michael DiLello (Drums).

True To You Tracklist:

1. Asymmetry
2. You Can’t Stay Here
3. Glare
4. True To You
5. Give Yourself Away
6. Worthwhile
7. Constant War
8. Falling
9. Whatever It Takes
10. Every Thought Of You

Stay connected with HEAVYHEX!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavyhexli/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/heavyhexli

Bandcamp: https://heavyhexli.bandcamp.com/

Press Inquiries & Advances: Alexa Gallo - alexa@wordlesspr.com

Photo credit: Cody Ganzer

UNDERDOG Has Some Shows Coming Up (May/June 2024)

The mighty UNDERDOG has some shows coming up in May and June courtesy of Wired Booking!