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
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.
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