FWHC: Home of North Texas Hardcore
Introduction
Born and raised in Dallas, I viewed as Fort Worth as the less pretentious sibling with a country accent. In my early 20’s , I assumed anything west of Arlington was a far away land full of cowboys, bbq, and rednecks with strange area codes. It was funny to realize after a few years later, my assumption wasn’t far from the truth. Back then I didn’t have much business making the journey to the other side of town. I do remember the only time I visited Fort Worth; I was attending a hardcore show at The Door. This was back in the day when The Door had two locations: one in Deep Ellum and the other one was located in The Stockyards. I will never forget the night ending with Death Before Dishonor ending their set with '“Friends, Family, Forever. It was a spectacular night, one for the the books for sure. Nonetheless, I believed Dallas had it all. As far as I was concerned, Dallas is the home of North Texas Hardcore. When I became fully aware of 1919 (RIP), it sparked a solid reason for me to explore what was going on 55+ miles west. Upon my discovery, I felt ashamed at the fact I haven’t visited sooner. Under the same breath. I also realized a considerable amount of band members in the scene either reside or moved to Fort Worth.
From time to time I wondered, “ What’s so special about Fort Worth hardcore anyways?”. Curiosity struck but my actions didn’t follow through, until I moved to Denton. I was able to look at DFW from a different view. The level of intrigue began to rise along with respect I gained for Fort Worth and how important that part of DFW is to North Texas. From the deep cowboy history, music artists, Cowtown Coliseum, all the way down to the current state of NTXHC, Fort Worth seems to be the hub for everything north Texas. Don’t get me wrong, DFW as a whole is a strong force, but right now, Fort Worth is at the head of everything hardcore.
Cold Case’s latest single, Lucky
It’s safe to say that OZONE is leading the way
There’s ton of recent hardcore history in Fort Worth I am not totally privy to at the time of this article so It would not be wise to take a deep dive. Instead, this article is a bit of reflect of the current state of hardcore. When 1919 closed down years ago, I assume it to be an abrupt ending to 817 HC, not completely but a definite slow down. There was no way Denton was considered the main spot for hardcore and Dallas was lacking. Later on, I began to look at Dallas more when a conversation of punk or metal started. Under the same breath, a lot of shows ended up coming to up to Denton more often than before. In response, a small number of bands sprouted in Denton but didn’t stick, thus making Denton a mere college town to host more shows. What remained a constant was the consistent amount of FWHC kids showing up. Not much of a difference considered it’s still North Texas, just a mild observation. Enter the pandemic. During the pandemic, a slew of new bands popped up, giving the DFW scene a gigantic boost to the continuation of the culture. One of those bands who sprouted from the ashes was Ozone. In my opinion, it was their first show at the J&J’s pizza that only solidified their existence but was also the initiation to inadvertently carry the torch for modern hardcore in North Texas. From there on, show after show, release after release, the kings of Fort Worth brought light to the area after COVID and beyond. Their presence in the most southern state is one thing, but how they move around in other parts of the nation while metaphorically wearing the Texas flag is a different story. Recently, their FWHC pride has been displayed on festival stages across the land, including The Rumble in Chicago, Just Another Gig in Tacoma, Act Like You Know fest in Oklahoma, along with a variety of shows featuring heavyweight in HC that’s too many to name. Let’s not forget the band consists of two veterans of the scene, Ty “ The Godfather of FWHC” Yarborough and Joe “ Mr Onion Burger” Kelly. Those two gentleman together, along with the other handsome members of the bands, make up this distinctive HC powerhouse that fellow North Texans love and appreciate.
Aside from Rubber Gloves and Cheapsteaks, Fort Worth host a lot of cool shows as well
Before I go any further, I want to give my flowers to two venues outside of FW; Rubber Gloves in Denton and Cheapsteaks in Dallas. For the past year and a half, almost two years, those two respective venues helped catapult North Texas Hardcore. Hosting some of the nation’s leading hardcore bands, the venues allowed local bands to share the stage as they welcomed a new generation of HC kids and orchestrated the pit. Both venues have outside stages ( Rubber Gloves has an inside stage as well), accommodating the growing music scene. It would be a shame and a half to not mention these venues.
Other side of those two wonderful venues, Fort Worth has a handful of venues, hosting some awesome shows. I know what some of y’all are thinking when it comes down to venues in the area, especially one venue I refuse to name. The one thing we can agree on is both venues hosted some badass shows/festivals, unforgettable to say the least. As of now, it is safe to say Fort Worth has more venues hosting hardcore shows than the surrounding areas, give or take. A sizable handful of legendary acts have rolled through the cultural capital of the southwest to play some awesome shows including; Gorilla Biscuts, Scowl, Sunami, Gulch, Mindforce, Fugitive, Creeping Death and more to come. If its not Rubber Gloves or Cheapsteak, I bet your bottom dollar, a venue in Fort Worth (Tulips, Growl (Arlington), The Post, The South Side Bar, etc) will fill in the gap.
Spit My Rage Demo 23 out now. Tap the image to listen
New bands come from FW or members of bands live in FW
There is no denying the fact a lot new bands are coming out of the 817 area, for those who are paying attention. Under the same breath, there is a considerable amount of band members from other established bands who live in Fort Worth. I can not pin point the reason why those two statements are true to an extent, all I can say is it’s the reality of hardcore in north Texas. This ultimately puts the spotlight on 817 as folks from out of state tend to confuse Dallas and Fort Worth as the same city ( can you really blame them though? I’m sure folks who are not from Texas look at our area as DFW. Its easy for them to say that as opposed to naming the specific region. I personally do not expect them to care much, to them it is still Texas).
Crucify 2023 Demo out now. Tap image below to listen
Here is a list of bands (forgive me if I miss some) that are either based in Fort Worth or has one or more members currently residing in FW;
Ozone ( and every band Ty Yarborough is apart including Burning, Deep Cover, etc)
Spit My Rage
Visions of Mortality
One in tha Chamber
Mass Appeal
Facing Worlds ( aye…where did y’all go anyways)
Cold Case
Creeping Death
Frozen Soul
Fugitive
Turfburner
Ballista/True Grit
Misanthrope/Deep Incision
Heat
Test My Will
Crucify
Since My Beloved
Gagging Order
Force of Will
Harcourt
I am sure there is more bands I may be missing on this list but you get the idea. Look at the list for a moment. This list makes up A LOT of the current state of NTXHC.
So what really makes FWHC so special?
There is going to be a number of people reading this article who are not from DFW. Taking a step further, there will be a number of people reading this article who are not from Texas. To take it a little bit further, there are people reading this article who are not from Texas and haven’t visited or do not plan on visiting Texas or DFW for that matter. This is the portion of the article where I’m talking to those who are not from here.
Everyone who takes pride in where they are from or what scene they represent carries their bias, its human nature. Its a beautiful thing to have because it becomes apart of your character that stands out amongst others in other communities, scenes, etc. Its equivalent to warriors wearing their tribal face paint; you are able to recognize what tribe they came from the distinct colors and characteristics. With that said, you may, or may not wonder, “ So what makes FWHC so special?” Let me explain.
1. Its time for 817 to shine
As I mentioned be, for a long while. Dallas was looked at as THE city for North Texas Hardcore, especially from an out- of- towner’s perspective. Back then, a majority of shows took place in Deep Ellum and its surrounding area, East Dallas, Oak Cliff, etc with a few shows sprinkled across Denton and Fort Worth. The two bands at the time Power Trip from Dallas and Wiccans from Denton. Those bands were the groups we all took enormous pride in. Suddenly, Power Trip became a crossover house hold name in hardcore, metal and punk all over the world, as we sat back with the pride on our backs. What a time it was. Every Power Trip I wore outside was worn with distinct pride and honor. It was almost the PT logo was my tribal face paint; if anything, one could tell my hometown bias. Before Riley’s passing, I was able to detect a shift from Dallas to Fort Worth. It was inevitable and for a while, it almost seemed as if the shift happened before I knew it. If anything, the shift was solidified after Riley passed away. From there on, It was clear to see it 817’s turn to hold it down for NTXHC as a whole and in many ways.
2. A town of hard working hardcore kids
The south relies on a few moral codes. Those moral codes are the backbone of its tradition and its roots; work hard, respect each other, protect each other, be apart of, contribute and take care of your community, honesty and loyalty. When observing the current DFW scene, 817HC is the embodiment of the southern moral code in hardcore. Accompanied by strong DIY overtone, FWHC is thriving off of the backbone of its members from every corner of the metroplex. From more bands popping up, large amount of shows happening, possessing the strong sense of resiliency, etc, 817 works hard maintaining the current state of the scene. The harder you work, the more pride you have in the results.
3. Overall inclusivity and atmosphere
For any newcomer or people out of town, the scene is as welcoming and inclusive as it can be during these times. Nevermind our twisted, red state laws, that is not what shapes the people. Its our southern hospitality, our welcoming spirit to newcomers , showing the out of town bands a good time and our ability make real friendships no matter where we are. Subconsciously, it seems mandatory to us to not only build within our community but make connections outside of the scene as well. Its a characteristic embedded in us, as if it was hereditary. With the scene, it is just as beautiful. The scene is growing a rapid pace. Shows are being filled with groups of new faces at every shows and the rate of newcomers is rising. On top of that, the current wave of newcomers are becoming more and more eccentric by the dozen. It amazes me at times to look out into a crowd of a packed show and see the many different styles, and personalities from different walks of life, coming together for the love of music and culture (for the most part). All the while feeling the social acceptance of being exact who you want to be. As long as the respect for others around you is there, one could become apart of the NTX scene and potential meet their new besties.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the current scene is the best it has ever been. Looking back, watching the growth and evolution of the culture is far from amazing. There is a real sense of community I wasn’t aware of before the past few years. Its a blessing to say I am apart of this scene and has been here long enough to witness a huge chunk of its modern history. Witnessing the many ways this scene is flourishing, one couldn’t be prouder. A large part of the reason the scene moves is due to importance we share of keeping it alive for the younger generation to become apart of and follow those footsteps. A large amount of people who spent over a decade of their lives in the scene has a piece of their heart connected to it all. For some of us, we would be different without it. 817HC.
