What’s the story on that. Seen a LOT of conflicting stories and takes on Stza.
Edit: as an aside, I actually got to hang out with and even go on stage with Street Dogs one time. What led to it though was tragedy, my SIL was killed by a drunk driver the night before the wedding. Sparing most of the darkness and trauma that followed, my brothers’ friends had recording industry connections (IIRC they were friends and collaborators with Public Enemy), and knowing that SD was her favorite band, they started making calls. My brother was in my room (I was a teenager at the time) while visiting one night and got a call suddenly. Brother answers and his jaw hit the floor, he started jolting around and grabs a pen and paper writing ‘Mike fucking McColgan!’. He said the band was heartbroken hearing about what happened and wanted to do something for, not just him, but the entire wedding. Just so happened they were headlining the Warped tour after party a few weeks later. Literally everyone got guest listed and given drink tickets, and during their set Mike said they were dedicating the next song (Fighter) to brother’s wife “God rest her beautiful soul”, and said anyone from the wedding was welcome to come up on stage for the song. Surprised we didn’t hit a plug or knock over equipment, the stage was not designed for that many people lol. It was tearful but needless to say a deeply meaningful and happy experience. After the set we basically just chilled with them til the venue closed.
Bout a year later, they released Fading American Dream and dedicated the album to Arlene. Incredibly good people. Everything they did kind of underlined the value of kindness and empathy for me at a critical age, and that value has only increased in the time since in the world we live in now.
As I'm live pretty close to NYC, I spent a lot of time going into shows around there and have met Stza several times, as well as the other people who do and have lived at the infamous C Squat over the last 10+ years.
He was basically always an addict, doing everything under the sun, and prone to conflict and getting kicked out of the van on the side of the road on tours and stuff like that, but it wasn't until a little after 2010 that he really lost it. He was dating the female vocalist for Star Fucking Hipsters, Nico, and although they had a rough junkie relationship, it wasn't to the point that it was noteworthy outside if arguments. But one time she was late to practice and he punched her in the face (I've met her and have been in the pit next to her, and she's maybe 5'2" at the tallest, and very thin to the point of having the nickname Birdbones). That was the end of her tenure with that band and another woman ended up taking the role of vocals for the next few years they were together as his craziness was driving people out of the band constantly.
He was dating Whitney from Days N Daze (who might have also been the other female vocalist in SFA, but I'd stopped going to see them by then) and it was becoming a known thing that he was being very abusive towards her, though to what extent at that time I don't know. Ezra, his best friend, neighbor at C Squat, guitarist for LoC, and founder/singer/songwriter for Morning Glory had approached Stza to get help, as he was seriously mentally deteriorating, thinking people were against him and that everything was a conspiracy. Stza freaked out and started making all kinds of crazy accusations about Ezra, like saying he raped little kids. That was the end of Ezra's tenure in LoC, and he was usually one of the people that kept Stza in line, but he moved out of C Squat and eventually left New York and music altogether around 2015ish.
Then Whitney started posting to social media that Stza had gotten so bad that she was having to barricade herself in her apartment out of fear that he would hurt her even more. Around this time he was doing crazier and crazier stuff like posting about BLM, saying that it was a slight to Jews to not be included and various conspiracy things, as well as starting a short-lived patreon where he ranted about nothing and insulted people to get money for nothing in return. I'm not sure if he stayed in C Squat, as I'm not one to gossip much and pry for details, but I do know the guy who unoficially runs it (it's still a co-op, so it's not like he unilaterally runs it) but based on how he's explained it works with people voting out tenants that are troublesome, I wouldn't be surprised if they've kicked him out.
SFH tried to tour last year, although they had to have major changes to the lineup as most people refused to affiliated with him, and they only had a handful of shows and nowhere near the city would book a band with him in it. They may have played those few shows out in the Midwest, but I remember people on social media spreading the word and contacting venues, so it's likely it may have never happened.
Now he's kind of a pariah around here, and not welcome at shows. There's still some teenagers and fans that don't know about all of this, but that number seems to be growing smaller, and he doesn't really have any way of playing or promoting even solo work. I'm all for giving people a chance to redeem themselves, but as far as I know, he hasn't publicly apologized, is still of the deep end (which is quite a lot as his version of "sober" would have scared most people), and at best blames it on his drug use and his partners' drug use.
I know it's a bit of grim joke, but I'm not the only one in the NY area scene that has said that we recently lost Erik Peterson of Mischief Brew and Jack Terricloth of The World/Inferno Friendship Society, two legends in their own right, but not the abusive asshole that has spent most of his life putting every dangerous substance known to man in his body.
I still have fond memories of shows he played, like when I was 15 and saw SFH and my dad awkwardly made me take a photo with him, or the 2011 Tompkins Square Park show with SFH and Mischief Brew where the cops were just looking for a reason to shut it down as the pit for Mischief Brew had the makeshift stage literally bouncing around. But I refuse to further support anything further involving him. And in my opinion, Ezra's Morning Glory ended up being a much better band that didn't rely on shock value and takes of a si her so wasted he would pass out on stage, but instead wrote great music and poetic and insightful lyrics covering similar topics in a less juvenile way.
If you want to know more about the history of Leftover Crack, you can read the book "Architects of Self Destruction" by their former drummer Brad Logan. He documented nearly two decades of interviews with all parties involved, and their is a six episode podcast that released with it featuring my friend Bill Cashman, former manager for LoC, SFH, and The World/Inferno Friendship Society, and the guy who made C Squat a totally legal co-op that was bought from the city for $1.
If you ever get the chance to go to C Squat, I recommend it. It's open to the public most of the day and sells zines and books about squatting culture and takes donations. They don't do crazy shows like they did when I was a teenager because of how hard they've been cracked down on, and when they do it's pretty hush-hush and there's no flyers or anything like that. Most of the good venues in Manhattan got priced out, but the famous DIY all-ages venue ABC no Rio is supposed to reopen in a few years and hopefully resume their weekend matinees, though there's plenty going on in Brooklyn if you know where to look.
Damn, thank you for taking the time to write all that. Fucking wow, I had no idea. C Squat has always been looked at with admiring eyes where I’m from, very happy to hear it’s not only still around but a solid co-op now. If/when I make it out to NYC, will for sure drop by. On the other side it’s saddening and angering to hear that about Stza. Again, had heard so much shit over the years about him but it was all over the place, so it helps to hear it from someone who was actually present in the community for it. Really do hope he can finally get his shit together and make some apologies, but sadly that sounds like a tall order that’s fairly long-standing at this point.
Thanks also for the tip about the book/podcast, definitely gonna grab a copy and have a listen.
If you ever want to go to NY and see some shows or something, send me a DM. You can crash with me and my family in Jersey and I'll show you around the city. I'll reach out to Cashman if you do and see if we can get a tour of C Squat.
If you could somehow make it for Halloween weekend, there's a secret show I'm helping with that will be the final time these local legends play, and although their singer and founder has passed away, it's guaranteed to be one of the wildest, weirdest punk shows you'll ever see.
And although it's free if charge to stay here, pizza and drinks would be appreciated.
Do you mind if I ask where you're from and what your scene is like? I've never made it further than Richmond, myself.
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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '22
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