Old-school New York hardcore is, we can all agree, not a genre one normally thinks to enjoy at their computer. The beauty of classic hardcore and crossover is the kinetic physical experience, the roiling crowd and sweaty elbows and vague sense that you might get your ass handed to you. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and when NYHC legends Cro-Mags had their New York show with Body Count canceled earlier this month due to coronavirus, the band decided to record and livestream a set for their fans at home -- video of which you can watch below.
As mentioned above, the Cro-Mags' quarantine livestream does lack some of the more dangerous elements of a typical hardcore show. There's never a worry that frontman Harley Flanagan is going to reach through your screen, grab you by the collar, and scream the lyrics to World Peace directly into your face. But Harley's chorded neck and gurning still get across the band's unique brand of chaos and rage, and diehard fans will have their concrete hearts warmed to see the Mags soldiering onward despite the quarantine.