Munoz Stock 2018 was one of the most creative and original festivals that I have attended. It is a music, art & video game festival hosted by Punk Rock band, The Muckrakers and Co-Produced by Skuby Media. Originally set to be at Molloy College, Munoz Stock had to change location to Station Sports Family Fun Center in Huntington, NY. Despite being a family oriented location, that didn’t stop any band from rocking out and putting on an amazing show. Munoz Stock was stacked with a variety of music, from Ska to Pop Punk to Alternative to Hardcore all in one action packed festival!
Before I start talking about bands, I want to start by saying that I did not get the chance to watch every band’s set. If I don’t mention your set here, it isn’t because I disliked it in any way; I just didn’t get to watch it! While I was at Munoz Stock, I got to catch Dino Skatepark, Scared20, Ü Blue and Nonstop to Cairo. Each of these bands played their hearts out in one of the hottest and most humid days of the summer. For that alone, I give each band so much credit. I was melting just watching them perform, I can’t imagine how hot they all were.
The first band that I watched was Dino Skatepark. They are a six-piece Progressive Rock/Ska/Pop Punk band out of Long Island. This is not the first time I’ve seen Dino Skatepark live and they blew their previous performance I saw out of the water. In the beginning of their set, the band was faced with sound issues, including the bass not being audible for a considerable amount of time during the second song of their set. Lukcily, Dino Skatepark compensated for this and came with a ton of energy! From dancing around stage to jumping off and getting involved with the crowd, Dino Skatepark made sure everyone was engaged in the show. Once the sound issues were taken care of, the band was really able to shine.
Some songs that really stood out to me during Dino Skatepark’s set were How Many More Parsecs Until Home?, All in my Head and East Quoque. How Many More Parsecs Until Home? is one of my favorite songs. Watching the band perform this song is awesome because they incorporate so much into one song. If I had to compare it to any band, I immediately go to Streetlight Manifesto. I love the way Dino Skatepark was able to incorporate the typical Ska elements with the horn section and then throw it down with some hard Pop Punk guitar riffs and vocals! The band continued with All in my Head. This song consists of lyrics that most of us can easily relate to. “My nightmares and my fantasies, My hopes my fears and all my dreams are blurring with reality, I need someone to help me see. What’s real what’s fake, am I awake?! Oh, how much longer can I take?! Living in my head I’m gonna break, Yeah! Maybe it’s all in my head, All this useless paranoia and the things they never said. Wasting all this time on a threat, That never existed…” We’ve all done it before. Got something stuck in our head that it becomes reality for us, but only us. We get stuck thinking of the worst case scenarios when in reality, there’s nothing to worry about. It is so easy for us to get wrapped up in drama and paranoia and I love that Dino Skatepark was able to utilize that and bring it to life in an awesome song!
Dino Skatepark finished their set with East Quoque, an ode to a small town on the east end of Long Island. This song is by far my favorite song of Dino Skatepark’s because it demonstrates the growth the band has gone through. When you compare this song to their older material, you can hear the difference. The band has honed in on their craft with East Quogue and it sounded amazing live! Between the awesome vocals, the fun Pop Punk style and the horns that compliment it so well, Dino Skatepark hit a homerun with this single! Everyone should add this song to all of their playlists!
A little after Dino Skatepark, local Pop Punk band, Scared20 took the stage. Since starting this blog, I have witnessed a huge transformation within the band. Scared20 opened up one of the first shows I went to when I started this blog, playing only cover songs. A great opening band to get a crowd moving, but little originality. Since that show, the band has released one of the best EP’s of the year and have built a huge support system of die hard fans that sing along to every song. In my opinion, Scared20 should be a headliner for every show they play now!
Just like Dino Skatepark, Scared20 was met with sound issues during the beginning of their set. Despite that, the band continued on rocking until it was fixed. I always look to see how a band reacts to an issue while on stage, and from watching Scared20, you would never know something was wrong. They didn’t let up once and made sure they still killed it!
Scared20 is a band that has such a strong stage presence. They interact with the crowd between each song, aren’t afraid to jump off stage and have some fun with their fans and mess with each other throughout most of the set. Besides the fact that they sound perfect live, their actions on stage will ensure everyone is having a great time. Scared20 began their set with R U F F, the first song off of their debut EP, “More Punk Than Pop”. This was the perfect song to kick off their set. It’s fast and loud and gets everyone moving immediately. It is very reminiscent to a Blink 182 song, a band that basically everyone loves. R U F F contains lyrics that resonate with me. “It’s nights like these, you just can’t waste, an adult life at a teenage pace. I’ll never learn, I’ll never break, let’s take a trip down old memory lane”. It’s no secret that being an adult can suck. We try to hold on to our fond memories of the past so much, and live our lives like when we were teenagers.
Scared20 continued their set with Semi-Ordinary Girl. This is one of my favorite songs of theirs. This is the song that will be the catchy tune that all of their fans can easily sing along too. Most people have had a relationship or two that you both know isn’t the healthiest, yet they stay together and fight through the hardships. Scared20 does an amazing job painting a picture of this tough situation, something fans love! “And I don’t wanna waste my time with you, don’t wanna do the things you do, I think I really need to think this through. And you, you wanna put your hurt on me, I think I’m starting to see, I might be wasting my…!”
Each time I have seen Scared20, they have performed a cover song or two. Typically, a band will stick to a few cover songs that they perform well and know will get a strong reaction out of the crowd. Scared20 isn’t afraid to change gears, as they have played a different cover song each show. During their set, the band did a complete 180 from their typical music, covering Shout! by the Isley Brothers and then She by Green Day. Shout! got the crowd moving and had every person singing at the top of their lungs. They immediately went into She, one of my top three Green Day songs. Andrew Arifakis’ vocals shined on this one. She is a softly sang song throughout the verses and picks up the tempo during the chorus. Arifakis nailed the vocals on this one; Green Day would be proud!
Scared20 finished their set with We Killed Punk Rock and Runaway Song. These two songs are a great way to end it, because it emulates everything that is Punk Rock. Both songs are filled with fast paced, hard hitting guitar chords, drumming that will keep you dancing along and Andrew’s pristine vocals. Scared20 is a band that I will always support and everyone should too! It’s only a matter of time before they blow up!
Later on in the festival, I got to watch Ü Blue perform. They are a six piece Experimental Rock band. This is a band I’ve heard a lot about and have been eagerly waiting to catch live. All of the good things I heard about Ü Blue were one hundred percent true. They threw down one of the best hardcore/alternative sets I’ve seen! Ü Blue began their set with a strong intro that led into Backseat Bingo. The song began with Sean Ragoobir’s emotion filled vocals and led into the full band. “It’s those words of affirmation that I need to get through this ordeal, and it’s those words of confirmation that you know I need to hear. ‘Cause I care more than anybody, just need to hear you tell me that you love me”.
Ü Blue labels themselves as Experimental Rock, and that is the perfect way to describe them. It is amazing how many different elements they can include into one set and make it sound so well and keep everyone engaged! Throughout the set, the band continued to switch between soft vocals and instrumentals to hardcore throw downs and sick screaming/growling. Even within one song, the band is able to switch the flow up so much. They came with such an original sound and intensity that they were astounding. Sean Ragoobir spent most of his time in front of the stage, singing along with the crowd and occasionally jumping in with the pit that was forming in front of him. It is amazing to watch any performer that isn’t afraid to get up close and personal with their fans and give the people exactly what they want!
Another song stood out to me during Ü Blue’s set, #SlingingSlasher. This song was so much fun to watch the band perform. The song begins with Ragoobir singing along softer instrumentals and easily transitions into the entire band throwing down and going wild. Ragoobir changed gears and beginnings screaming his vocals and the guitar chords and drumming matched it perfectly. “I’VE BEEN STAYING AWAY ALL THESE NIGHTS, THINKING ABOUT ALL MY MISTAKES!” If I learned anything from watching Ü Blue perform, it’s that I need to immerse myself in their music. They are a band that has put out some quality music that deserves being heard! Make sure to get to a Ü Blue show ASAP; you won’t be disappointed!
The final band that I watched perform was Nonstop to Cairo, a five piece Ska/Hip Hop band representing Long Island . If you’re new to following the blog, I am a HUGE fan of this band. Their music is irresistible, they have put on some of the most fun shows I’ve ever been to and they’re all genuinely awesome people. They began their set with Fridge Ian, a song that is filled with hard instrumentals that will get you dancing immediately. Each member of the band is able to show off their talents on this intro song, as every instrument is highlighted and each member gets a small solo. Typically, a band will allow each member to gain the spotlight intermittently throughout a show. I love that Nonstop to Cairo starts off with this instead. The way the instrumentals create a Funk/Hip Hop sound that is impossible to not rock along to is incredible.
Nonstop to Cairo transitions from the intro to Influenzska, a song that incorporates all of the Ska elements while keeping the Hip Hop tone. The song starts off with what I think are the most powerful lyrics they have written. “Always give them more than they expected. Coming to you live in your direction. Surely to be legends on our exit”. This line couldn’t be more true. Nonstop to Cairo joined this festival’s lineup with a bunch of bands from a genre that they don’t typically perform with. Despite playing for a crowd that was mainly there for Punk Rock and harder Rock music, Nonstop to Cairo gave the crowd everything they got and won them over easily. When the band took the stage, there weren’t many people watching the show. I was actually shocked with how small the crowd was for them. Luckily, Nonstop to Cairo is one of the best bands out there, and after about thirty seconds of playing, the crowd was packed in front of the stage. These guys know how to engage a crowd and I am more impressed with them each time I see them perform.
Later on in the set, the band played July 8th, one of their most fun songs. This song has the perfect Ska/Reggae vibe that forces you to dance along. The way that August and Nick are able to effortlessly switch vocals is something that every band should strive to be able to do. It isn’t easy to transition from rap vocals to singing, but Nonstop to Cairo make it sound so good! At the end of this song, the whole band rocks out with one of the best guitar riffs and an amazing horn section that matches the drumming perfectly. During this, Matt Ezzo (bass) jumped off stage and danced around with the crowd, making sure every person was moving and enjoying the show. It’s one thing for members of the band to dance around with their guitars on stage, but to be able to dance around the crowd and continue playing so well is impressive!
Nonstop to Cairo finished their set with Not Allison and Chicken in My Oats. Nick Diamond’s vocals were perfect during Not Allison. “I don’t like problems I can’t solve. I don’t like anything at all, yeah, I take this life from a different view, I don’t deserve it but you, take these shackles off of me, open my eyes I can’t see, yeah. Take this life from a different view, I don’t deserve it but, every time I see you girl, I’m going straight outta my mind”. From there, the song goes into full Ska mode and the entire band began dancing all around the stage. Chicken in My Oats, a fan favorite, was the final song of the set. The song is filled with soft verses and ended with one of the best jam sessions ever. Nonstop to Cairo, as always, blew me away and put on an amazing show.
Dino Skatepark, Scared20, Ü Blue and Nonstop to Cairo all put on amazing performances. Each band had to deal with the extreme heat and audio issues and all did it with ease. All of these Long Island bands, as well as the ones I didn’t get to see, deserve all the support they can get! Make sure you get to as many local shows as possible and attend Munoz Stock next year! Each band now has music featured on the blog’s playlist, including The Muckrakers, so make sure you check it out!