We kicked off our first Punk Black event of 2023 in Melbourne, FL. Surprisingly, not in a bigger city like Miami or Jacksonville, but we had the opportunity to work with Black Box Blackout. They are an organization for black creatives in Melbourne, ran by the wonderful Kristen Warren.
When we spoke to her on the fly, it was a great idea to bring Punk Black to a smaller city for Black History Month.
We didn’t know any poc bands in Melbourne, so we had bands travel from the surrounding areas. Hijas De La Muerte (Miami), Shevonne (Tampa), Pilot Jonezz (Tampa), and Being Hvman (Atlanta).
The show was held at a small space called Funk Dog Improv. This is where a majority of monthly shows pop off for Black History Month.
There was nothing but great vibes, respectful people, and flavorful home-cooked food by Chumley’s.
The show kicked off loud and heavy with the hardcore noise punk band Being Hvman. These guys have been known to get your blood pumping with wild stage presence, and they did just that.
Pilot Jonezz brought some great indie rock vibes with a mix of emo and early 2000s punk. They had soothing vocals and bass lines that could groove all night. Plus, they covered the Naruto theme from Asian Kung Fu Generation perfectly! Like wtf!
When you talk about groove, Shevonne and The Force had all of it! Shevonne had that feel good energy, on top of immense crowd control. She keeps her vocals on point with a tight knit band, and proves that she is pure rock & roll.
Headlining the show was the fearsome and fun Hijas De La Muerte. They played Melbourne once before, so they brought out quite the crowd. They got the people head-bobbing, dancing, and some light moshing to say the least. The 3-piece all femme punk band always brings good energy while slaying the stage.
