Tears of Frustration

THE RESURRECTION OF TEARS OF FRUSTRATION
by Jason Walsh

Four guys came together in the mid 90s in Bergen County to play music that they believed spoke out against all that they felt was wrong in the nation. Growing up in Jersey, they were heavily influenced by the neighboring New York hardcore scene. Vocalist Joe Frustration said it was bands like Agnostic Front and the Cro-Mags that developed his passion at an early age.

“I remember I was in junior high school when I saw Agnostic Front live on the Uncle Floyd Show,” Frustration said. “Back then is when I really first got into Agnostic Front and now today I am playing with them.”

Now more than ten years later, Tears of Frustration are playing the biggest hardcore event of the year, the Black ‘n Blue Bowl, not only alongside their peers, but those who played a big part in influencing them as a band. Guitarist Justin “Smoky” Rowand attributes the strength of the scene to those who strive to keep it alive.

“The first Superbowl of Hardcore I think was in like 1988,” Rowand said. “It’s twenty years later and they’re still having them and that speaks for itself to me. There’s still people involved who care and who are still keeping it going. It’ll never die. I don’t think it’ll ever die.”

The night’s performance also marks the band’s first show together with the core lineup in eight years.

“This is basically our first show back with our original bass player, Chris, since 2000,” Frustration said. “This is like our reunion.”

The band did play a show a few years ago, minus Chris O’ Brien, in Manhattan.

“We did one show at CBGB’s, but with a different bass player, in 2006, a couple months before it closed,” Rowand said. “This is the first show where everybody that’s been a part of the band for a long time is together again.”

They state that even after the Black ‘n Blue Bowl, they will continue to play together and are looking to record a new CD. However, as an independent band, they rely on themselves and not a label commitment to complete such a project.

“What we usually do is we usually record it, front the money, and then pass it out and say ‘if you want to put it out you can put it out, if not we’ll do it ourselves.’” Frustration said. “That’s how we do it.”

Frustration cites that although the band is important to all of them, they realize they won’t be quitting their day jobs anytime soon.

“This isn’t something for our careers. We all work our own specific jobs. We play music because we enjoy it. We don’t do it for a career.”

Drummer Joe “Foot” Calvito echoed the sentiment. As a longshoreman, he relies on that income to continue his passion of playing in the band.

“I can’t afford to quit my job to do this,” Calvito said. “There really isn’t enough money in this to do it full time. In fact, my job usually pays for my recording.”

Tears of Frustration has been on numerous compilations, released several 7” records, and a couple CDs. Most of these obscure releases are hard, if not impossible, to find. Their last release, “Lost Identity,” is still available from On The Rise Records. They aren’t worried about big label deals or contracts. They do this because to them, it is still fun.

“I don’t like to worry about the whole business aspect of music,” Frustration said. “I think that takes away from the artistic integrity of the music.”

They were all very excited about being a part of such an important event. Frustration said that some of the problems of the past in the NYHC scene are no longer an issue today.

“This scene has had a lot of violence in it,” he said. “It seems everybody’s kind of grown up a little bit. You don’t really have to worry about that much anymore which is good.”

Rowand had one final word to add that summed it all up.

“Three generations of New York hardcore and it’s still going strong.”