D.R.I. (short for Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) is a giant in the cultish underground world of hardcore punk. When the band performs in the Lehigh Valley for the first time at an all-ages show on Monday night, it won’t be at the expected venue — say, the Airport Music Hall or Agricultural Hall in Allentown — where bands can play as loud as they like and fans can slam dance to their hearts’ content.
No, D.R.I. is playing at the Acorn Courtyard, a place known more for booking jazz bands, reggae groups, comedians and the occasional oldies act like Dave Mason or the Platters.
In the last year, the Acorn has had problems with nearby residents who complained about bands’ noise emanating from the courtyard. This led to dozens of citations from the city and state police Liquor Control Enforcement and numerous court dates.
The Liquor Control Board refused to renew the bar’s liquor license in January because of repeated noise violations. The Acorn remains open pending an appeal.
The LCE issued notices of violation June 6 and June 12. Cpl. William Hairston promised the LCE would be on hand to observe Monday night.
Neighbor complaints have been reduced this summer, partly through an informal agreement between Acorn owners and residents. Allentown police have not cited the tavern this season.
So, does Monday’s show, which besides D.R.I., includes Sick Of It All and Anacrusis, represent a risk for the Acorn?
Acorn owner Dennis Atiyeh doesn’t think so. “Foghat (which played in mid-July) was loud, but everything was over at 11,” Atiyeh said. “The promoters, the city, the act, ourselves –everyone’s stuck to the letter of the original agreement.”
Atiyeh remarked that he enjoys staging all kinds of music at his establishment. “I think that musicians should be allowed to do their own thing in Allentown, either here or at the Music Hall or at The Fairgrounds.
“People are people, whether they have long hair or shaved heads. I’ve always wanted to open to all kinds of music, all genres.”
Since fans of hardcore punk tend to engage in a rough communal dance known as “moshing,” Sam Younes, the local promoter bringing D.R.I. to Allentown, said that “the Acorn Courtyard’s usual seating will be removed.”
Younes has had success recently booking hardcore bands like Murphy’s Law and The Cro-Mags at Allentown’s Airport Music Hall. He predicted in a recent interview that although the show is slated for a Monday night, “750-800 kids will show up.”
Younes’ optimistic prediction rests upon the fact that fans of hardcore punk are known to travel great distances to see favorite acts.
“We have a 250-mile exclusion clause in the contract,” he said, adding that since D.R.I. is prohibited from appearing in Philadelphia or New York City on this leg of their tour, fans are expected to travel from both metropolitan areas.
Oliver J’s, a now-closed Allentown nightspot, often drew hardcore fans from as far away as New York City and Philadelphia when it staged punk rock bands.
D.R.I., on tour in support of a new LP, “The Thrash Zone,” will be accompanied by Sick Of It All, a brutal-sounding hardcore quartet from New York City.
D.R.I. sprang out of Texas in the early part of the 1980s with a 13-song, self-made eponymously titled EP which clocked in at just under 13 minutes. Although almost unlistenable in comparison to the band’s latest fare, the record set a standard for hundreds of garage-thrash acts nationwide.
The band relocated to San Francisco, was signed by the large independent, Metal Blade Records, and became underground favorites capable of filling 1,500 to 3,000-seat venues nationwide.
Sick Of It All performed in the Valley in May. The band drew close to 500 people at the Music Hall.
D.R.I., Sick Of It All and Anacrusis perform on Monday at The Acorn Courtyard, 451 Lehigh St., Allentown. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are expected to be available for this Five Star concert. For information, call 437-1180.
