Features

Decline at Programme Skate and Sound, Fullerton, CA, 2017. (Photo: Dan Rawe)

On August 4, 2018, Fubar in St. Louis will be hosting Dig the Well, a gathering of some of the best hardcore bands from the Midwest. "I wanted to do a showcase that honored the legacy of St. Louis and Midwestern hardcore as a whole," promoter Carli Littlejohn tells me about the genesis behind the event. "St. Louis has a history of great hardcore shows, and I want to feed off that legacy while also pushing it into the future. That's why we're looking at young, up-and-coming bands from all over the Midwest.

Dig the Well will feature New Heart, Lowered AD, Decline, Devils Den, Contrast, Forced Impact, Transgression, Constraint, Pryss, Treason, Terminal Nation, Death Card, Wits End, True Self, Better Days, Polterguts, Give Up, and Time & Pressure.

Designed by Chris Mollet for Youth Energy Designs

But I asked one of the event's other promoters, Drew Maxey, what the story was behind its name: "The name 'Dig the Well' is inspired by a quote from Paul Mahern (Zero Boys). In the American Hardcore documentary, he introduces the Midwest by saying (and I'm paraphrasing), 'In a larger city, it's like there's this stream of energy going, and all you have to do is jump into that stream and get wet. In the middle of the Midwest, you have to dig the fucking well.' Essentially, he's saying you have to work harder because no one is going to be willing to help unless you're very lucky. That has always resonated with me, and it became the philosophy behind the shows that Carli, James, our other partner [James Carroll], and I book."

Forced Impact (Photo found on Facebook)

Get your tickets for Dig the Well at this link, and follow St. Louis Hardcore Shows on Instagram.

Tagged: better days, decline, new heart, terminal nation, treason