Straight edge is a perspective: abstinence with the purpose rooted in the betterment of one's self or community. Most notably, straight edge refers to abstinence from drugs, but it can also extend to animal products. The casual sex thing was up for debate as to its real popularity. Since 1981, the straight edge movement has developed its own community within the punk scene. As a way to celebrate that community, Ten Yard Fight hosted their final ever show at the now-defunct Karma nightclub in Boston on October 17th, 1999. Since that day, 10/17 has been known as Edge Day. Bridge Nine’s straight edge roots run deep, and to celebrate 27 years of Edge Day, we wanted to take you down memory lane with 6 pieces of straight edge memorabilia we have in our archives.
#1- Anime SXE Shirt
These shirts are a re-print of Bridge Nine’s first ever shirt; the ‘Anime Straight Edge’ design! First printed thirty years ago, Bridge Nine started its merch journey with a visual representation of edge. The kanji letters roughly translate to “Against Bad Drugs.” These designs were made available again last year, but we still have a few laying around for posterity’s sake. If you have an original print of this shirt, you’ve got yourself a piece of straight edge history.
A print of the Anime B9 shirt from 1997.
#2- The Swatch
The main visual identifier of a straight-edge punk is the X. Usually on the backs of hands, the X is meant to signify that the wearer’s hands aren’t to touch any alcohol. It’s a visual cue to those around you that you aren’t drinking, and it’s one of the main ways straight-edge punks identify themselves. If you’ve ever been to a show where you’ve gotten X’ed, you know how quickly that sharpie can wash off your hands, especially if you’re sweating and moshing. The original SXE watch was the Swatch X-Rated. Although not originally intended to be adopted by the straight edge punk community, they quickly became a part of the community’s wardrobe. The watches have since been discontinued, so these original swatches are hard to come by. We’re sure we’ve got an original swatch hanging around somewhere, but it’s buried deep within the archive. For now, we’ve got this replica on display with some other very cool memorabilia.
Our resident swatch, located in the B9 Basement.
#3- ‘True By Faith’ Issue #1: The Straight Edge Archives featuring an interview w/ H2O (circa 1996)
Whilst digging through Bridge Nine’s extensive zine archive, we uncovered a gem. True By Faith issue #1 was a little thing, printed on 8.5x11 printer paper in black and white. Our archive seeks to catalog all of the things B9 itself or our bands have been featured in, and this zine features two interviews: one with Good Riddance and another with H2O when the zine’s creator, Doug, caught them on their tour with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in Georgia. This zine captures a lot of what the mentality surrounding straight edge was in the 90s. Referencing Minor Threat, tonally shifting back and forth between being super macho/in your face to measured reassurance that this lifestyle doesn’t have to be for everyone, and rave reviews of bands like Ten Yard Fight and AFI. This zine is a hallmark of what it means to be young and finding your place in the world through a straight edge lens. There are great interview answers, funny quips, and some nice layout choices, but the editor also admits that he isn’t very happy with how the interviews went, and he uses a cheesy graphic in the zine’s final page that he sheepishly apologizes for on the same page. It’s charming and youthful, and it captures the raw intensity of straight edge in a very pure form. That’s why these zines are important, they reflect a part of our community right from the source.
Cover page for True By Faith Issue #1: The Straight Edge Archives.
#4- Test Press of Have Heart’s ‘Songs To Scream At The Sun’ (B9R096)
Have Heart are one of the most prevalent bands to rise from the straight-edge movement. Their 2008 release, “Songs To Scream At The Sun” is one of Bridge Nine’s most re-pressed albums, and the narrative of the album is one that most of us growing up and finding the straight-edge community can relate to. Frontman Pat Flynn has described the album as a coming-of-age story that reflects on the ruin that alcoholism can have on a family, decorated with the backdrop of Boston. In all these ways, Have Heart speaks to the origin of straight edge, and they have been unflinching in claiming that label throughout that career. This test pressing represents the beginning of an era for the band; it was the record that gave them the platform they now have.
The real thing from the B9 archives.
#5- ‘I’m Not Holding Your Coat’ by Nancy Barile
Nancy Barile has been one of the major contributors to the East coast punk scene, and she reflected on her years of managing, booking, and loving punk in her 2021 memoir, I’m Not Holding Your Coat. Nancy’s closest collaborator and husband, Al Barile of SS Decontrol, was the man who brought straight edge to life in the Boston community, arguably being the first to truly adopt the lifestyle. Nancy herself is straight edge, and tells some great stories about the beginnings of the scene in Boston, Philly, and the greater East coast with some prominent characters such as Ian Mackaye and H.R.
Nancy’s book, I’m Not Holding Your Coat, as it appears in the B9 record store.
#6- B9 Crimson Ghost Drug Free patches on the Podcast set
One hidden detail on the B9 set you may not have noticed is our Drug-Free Crimson Ghost patches, in their little ornamental frame. This was another one of our earliest designs, dating back to ‘97. The Crimson Ghost is iconic, and we wanted to combine our view of punk with one of its most unifying figures. We do re-prints of this shirt and patch design semi-often, but this design has taken on a life of its own. We wanted to commemorate it on our set with one of these original patches.
B9 Drug Free Crimson Ghost patches, framed with a collage background of old show flyers on the B9 Podcast set.