Grath Madden (The Steinways, House Boat)
SPB: What was the first punk show you attended?
Madden: Does Green Day with Riverdales at the Baltimore Arena count? ‘Cause probably not, but, yeah, it was that. When I was first starting to go see bands, I wasn't interested in "punk shows" as much as I was into "Mighty Mighty Bosstones concerts." I can neither confirm nor deny that I owned 8 Bosstones t-shirts, one Bosstones jacket and a handful of pairs of my dad's plaid pants. The first show I went to that wasn't that was some basement show in Baltimore featuring some bands who have proven to be completely unmemorable. I think I only lasted down there like 20 minutes. I didn't know anyone, and my way-less-interested-in-punk-rock friends wouldn't even come in. So, yeah, after standing awkwardly behind a water heater while watching 2/3rds of set's worth of some angular, loud, Baltimore-y punk rock, I ran off into the night. I always figured that once I started going seeing bands I actually liked, I'd feel way more comfortable at shows, but almost 20 years later, that still has proven to be entirely untrue. Punk rock shows make me nervous.
