Mohawks Along The Hudson — The Casualties, Stolen Wheelchairs, Rotten Stitches & Male Patterns @ Empire Underground, 02/17/2022

By Leif Zurmuhlen On Feb 18, 2022

One glance at the listing for Rotten Stitches, Stolen Wheelchairs, and The Casualties and you might have thought you’d be in for a seminar on America’s failing health care system, but it turned out to be just the adrenaline needle to the heart needed to jolt you out of two-plus years of Covid hibernation.

In the subterranean concrete bunker that is Empire Underground Albany’s Male Patterns gave the show a strong hardcore kickstart, quickly followed by “Hate City Street Punx” Rotten Stitches from Atlanta, Georgia who took the volume and the hair game to the next level and started some movement out on the floor. Next up were “The Robinhoods of Health Care” South Philly punks Stolen Wheelchairs who came out high energy and never stopped their head-on assault. New York City’s hardcore punks The Casualties immediately got the floor war swirling, the moshers moshing, and a crowd surfer surfing. “We are few, but we are true!”, guitarist Jake Kolatis told the crowd as vocalist David Rodriguez traded singing duties with the eager mob and lured most of the remaining audience up on stage to end the night.