Punk Paradise Lost

continued

John and Joe are too. "I had some of the best times of my life at that house," John says, "and it is a shame that it's gone." But they have moved on--and, some might say, grown up.

With friends, they're now renting a house on North Main. "We're trying to keep the same spirit but without all of the problems of the RAW," John says. "We all learned a lot about living in a house, and we're trying not to fall into the same traps."

They've already avoided one. When John's band, FAS, wanted to play a show there, they got a noise permit from the city beforehand--and promised to shut the music down by 10 p.m.

Predictably, their new neighbors called to complain. But this time, when the cops showed up, they saw the permit, smiled, and wished them a good evening.   

[Originally published in November, 2009.]