Local punk bands get together and let loose in weekly shows at Europe Gyro

There are certain conventions in our society that are generally understood because they contain a bit of truth. One of these truths is that Monday, more than any other day of the week, is a rotten, miserable day.

And it looks like some local punks have a case of the Mondays.

Every week, a tight-knit group of local punk rock bands gets together at Europe Gyro downtown to play music, drink beer and let out some of that Monday frustration at a good ol’ punk show, appropriately deemed “I Hate Mondays.”

The bands begin playing at about 9 p.m. Before the shows, Europe Gyro also adopts a strictly punk playlist, which is controlled by the bands and starts at 6 p.m.

The Kilroys, The Fairhill Hooligans, Ellen Degenerate and The Coffin Riders make up the four-band rotation that generally takes the stage for “I Hate Mondays.” A normal Monday show features two of the bands. The line-up can be found at www.myspace.com/ihatepunkmondays.

Vern Bentley, guitarist and vocalist for The Fairhill Hooligans, said Monday actually might be the perfect night for a punk show.

“It may be Monday night, and it is rough for everybody,” Bentley said. “And we’re all either pissed off about one thing or another, but we get to come here, drink and have a good time on a Monday.”

Though “I Hate Mondays” has only seen various combinations of the four bands since it began four months ago, the bands say they are always looking to get new local punk bands on the bill. Any punk band looking to blow off some hot air on a Monday night can contact one of the bands about playing.

Dylan Pachta, bassist for The Kilroys, said “I Hate Mondays” is also a good way to get the younger punks out and involved in the local scene.

Pachta said not everyone has to come down just to drink away a Monday. He said there are plenty of local, young punks who should come out to the shows.

“I’m all about that all-ages thing,” Pachta said. “Get the kids from middle school, high school, and get ’em here.”

Jon Zeit, guitarist and vocalist for The Kilroys, added the repetitiveness of a weekly show fades when the bands see new audience members for the first time.

“Every time we see new faces it’s a new show,” Zeit said. “That’s what’s gonna make it not get old.”

Zig Gmerek, drummer for Ellen Degenerate, said the shows are not just for the punk rockers. The bands welcome the opportunity to expand their fan base, along with the minds of people who never listen to punk rock.

“Even if you’re not into punk rock, I mean, just expand your mind a little bit,” Gmerek said. “And just come out and have a good time. You might like it.”

According to the bands, the camaraderie of the Kent punk scene makes it worth coming together each week to put on a show.

Ellen Degenerate singer, Adam Burr, better known as Jimmy Beautiful, is a former Kent State student. He said the togetherness of the Kent punk scene isn’t something you find in every scene.

“I went to a show in Cleveland, like a local show,” he said. “I walked in the place, there were people over there, people over there,” he said while motioning to either side. “It was like a high school dance. In Kent, we’re all hanging out, having a good time.”

He said while punk rock may occasionally look to offend even its fans, the point is, not just a bunch of punks pissing and moaning about Mondays. It’s about pissing and moaning together, as a community.

“We all may be sarcastic, we may be angry, we may be whatever,” Beautiful said. “But we just wanna give people a place where they can feel comfortable.”

When asked why Kent needed a weekly punk rock show, Beautiful’s eyes lit up.

“Why does Kent need a regular punk show?” he repeated as a sly smile spread across his face. “Have you run into how many hippies are here?”

Contact off-campus entertainment reporter Nick Baker at [email protected].