Hardcore rockers descend on Spokane for two-day, all-ages Crucial Times Fest
Two Two One Press broadens their geographical outreach as Crucial Times Fest channels the community-driven roots of punk and hardcore rock to benefit immigrant aid and defense.
Those at the local record label, including co-owner Brett Noble, have gradually been expanding events to include bands from outside Spokane’s DIY punk scene, but Two Two One Press wanted to hold one major, multiday push to represent the Pacific Northwest as a whole. Thus, a festival featuring bands like Operative from Missoula, TC Crew from the Tri-Cities, Bleach from Portland and many more was born.
“Both to kind of show off what we do in Spokane but also to try to create a fest that would be worth people coming from other areas to see,” Noble said. “We want to attract people from the rest of the area to come to Spokane to see a bunch of bands from all over the PNW.”
Although many festivals tend to call out to bands looking to apply to perform on their stage, Two Two One Press is more focused on curation. They usually have an established relationship with many of the bands on their bills, especially those from Spokane. To book those from outside the area, they either reach out to mutual friends or bands they simply want to hear live. For Crucial Times, they were heavily assisted by members of local band Kurb, who also book shows in the area and have worked with many from outside the scene.
“That’s really a key component of punk rock and hardcore, is that in the DIY scene you help people and they help you and you work for each other,” Noble said. “Almost all of the bands that are playing have some connection or, at the very least, are bands that we want to help facilitate that connection with because we value what they do and think it’s pretty cool.”
Although the event is focused on the general rock genre of “hardcore,” there are a slew of sub-genres within this broad title that Noble wants to represent. Screamo, deathcore, post-hardcore, metalcore and melodic-hardcore are just a few of the many more specific areas underneath the umbrella term.
“In a small scene like Spokane, you don’t have the necessity to have shows that are all one very distinct style, and we feel that’s for the best,” Noble said. “We want to see all types of music being played, all types of bands come together, but kind of share the same ethos.”
Seeing that this festival had become one of their biggest and has the potential reach a large group of hardcore fans, Noble and Two Two One Press decided there was no better fit for a benefit show assisting immigrant aid and defense.
Hardcore, punk scenes and the DIY lifestyle that Two Two One Press lives by have deep roots in politicized social issues, anti-establishment values and a sense of community. Noble wants to create a safe space for art and the punk ethos to be explored all while helping those in need through Crucial Times Fest.
“The attack on the rights of some are attacks on the rights of all,” Noble said. “Right now, I think that the world’s a scary place for a lot of people, especially marginalized groups, especially young people who feel out of place; on a regular basis right now there’s a lot of hostility and fear … we believe that you want to create the community you want to be a part of and that there’s safety in that community.”
The two-day, all-ages festival will be held across three sessions on Friday and Saturday at the Guardian, 1403 N. Washington St. The venue was once a church turned reception hall before being bought by Ashley Werner, who converted the building into an event space for aerial performances, raves, stage and cabaret shows and now concerts.
“Not everybody gets punk rock, not everybody gets loud music and craziness,” Noble said. “So, when you can find like-minded people that can appreciate weirdo art, you want to work with them.”