LT1K Followers Reviewed DCxPC Live Vol. 12 Fortitude Live at Lou’s
By Audio Mirage
As we embark on a new year during these strange and troubling times, a lot of people are taking the time to reflect on what was, what is, and what is to be. My two cents: one would be best served by going in and being in “tune with your star player,” as that one comedian mused that one time. Alas, I implore you fine independent music lovers to remain steadfast and greet this new year with Fortitude. Both figuratively and literally. DCxPC is on board. And thus! Volume 12 of their live punk rock vinyl series has emerged for presale.
And it does indeed feature the Florida based hardcore band Fortitude, live from the iconic Uncle Lou’s Entertainment Hall in Orlando. The 11-song set on this record kicks your arse from beginning to end and carries an ethos of unity, inclusiveness, and understanding. This to me, is what hardcore is all about. In my mind, these are the fundamental roots. The sound of hardcore, as it is perceived, takes on a litany of variation in sound. From Circle Jerks to Bad Religion to The Dicks to Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys, to Earth Crisis on and on and on, it’s bands like Fortitude that carry a common denominator in hardcore music. Attitude.
Now, don’t confuse what I mean by “attitude” with edge lord stuff, internet trolls, and the grossness of your average Twitter thread these days. I’m talking about the spirit of being against the grain for all the right reasons. It used to frustrate me quite a bit when I was a younger fella, and people would say things like, “I don’t want to listen to music that screams at me.” My retort was always something like, “they’re not screaming at you, they’re screaming for you. And they should be screaming WITH you.” The band has coined a phrase “Old Ethics Hardcore” in reference to their ethos and sound.
The bill also featured bands Years From Now and Christopher Walken. Years later and via the word of mouth from mutuals in the band Two-Man Advantage, Fortitude linked up with the DCxPC record label to produce this record. It’s a really neat “full circle” type of moment and you can somehow feel that energy come through on the record.
Although this is Volume 12 in the over-arching DCxPC catalog, it was actually a long-awaited release. At the time of recording, it was only the second show ever recorded live in front of an audience (as opposed to livestreams) by the label. That’s incredibly noteworthy considering where DCxPC is today with several releases published and new product lines such as the Live/Dead vinyl series starting up. Knowing that when listening to this record adds a layer of tension and energy.
Was Josh Dobbs going to continue to risk his valuable equipment in order to capture more live punk rock music? Was DCxPC going to be able to sustain this concept of a live vinyl series? At the time of recording, these types of things were unknowns. I can only imagine the headspace and energy in the room at the time. What they did know, was that they were going to show up, throw down, and do their thing. Talk about fortitude! The record is special in that respect, an interesting time capsule.
The lead off single from the record, currently released to streaming services, is “Star Spangled Hate,” a song written in 1999. The band opens their set with this smashing song about civilian casualties in military strikes. The fact that is was written in 1999 and is still relevant today as ever, has me teetering on the fence between finding it remarkable and being saddened by the notion. A stunning opener. We’re currently spinning this tune on AMS Radio during LT1KF Indie Hour and Punked time slots.
Fortitude follows the opener with a track called “Return of the Real.” The song is certainly a crowd mover riddled with gang vocals speaking to unity within the Hardcore community. Ironically enough, I think you can hear the singer Pat telling the audience that he’d rather have them listen to the lyrics than “beat the sh*t out of each other,” or something to that effect. Why not both, I say?
“Red Aunt Riot” call out racism and the band also reinforces their stance with their signature song called “Old Ethics.” The album being 11 tracks in length, I feel like I could be here writing a paragraph about each one, but I’d rather have you stop reading my ramblings about it and go check out the record!
We got through the weekend to pre-order and get in on the raffle. I encourage you to do the same. DCxPC had described Fortitude as “NYHC meets Posi-core like 7 Seconds.” I couldn’t agree more, that’s a perfect depiction. If I were to throw my two cents in there about what I catch by my ear, I would say that Fortitude is a great recommendation for fans of bands like Agnostic Front and Hatebreed in their prime.
Production Credits
As with nearly every DCxPC release, this album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Joshua Dobbs. Check out Danger Room Recording:
Facebook: Danger Room Recording Service
Instagram: Joshua Danger Dobbs
Don’t forget to support this project and follow DC x PC Live on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, Fortitud on Apple Music, and Spotify. You can also visit their official website. If you enjoy their music and can provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Sickest & Dopest, Unknown But Essentials!, Debut Bands (Off The Radar), and Only Punk.
Remember that you can always find me here AMS Radio for all my social media and collaborations.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and brand-new music, subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers, and follow the Playlist with all the artists we have presented here!
If you enjoy this track don’t forget to give it a green heart when you’re on Spotify and add it to your favorite playlist. This little action not only saves the track on your music library but also will help the artist, you know that the game’s name for us is “support”. Thank you!!!
