Mackenzie Menkins is a local community organizer in Olympia, WA. He puts on shows, gets people stoked about stuff, and helps make shows (and bands) about something bigger and more important.
Mack is one of those people that is so positive and excited about punk and hardcore, that it makes you more excited, too. Awesome!
- NEW DIRECTION FEST
I put a shitload of work into helping organize this two-day hardcore punk fest with a focus on radical politics that took place August 19th & 20th, and it was so great! 20 really incredible bands including MASAKARI (Ohio), ALPINIST (Germany), BRIGADA ROJA (Mexico), and RESIST AND EXIST (Los Angeles); as well as several insightful workshops and speakers all facilitated by punks striving for social justice. Get ready for NDF 2012! - OUTLOOK
My favorite NWHC band right now. Tons of energy live, crazy riffs, and relevant, politically driven lyrics you want to scream your lungs out to. They are taking off for a full U.S. tour this March along with releasing an LP called “Our Time Is Now”. Get stoked! - LEMURIA @ The Midnight Sun [OLY]
Hands down the best show I ever booked. Every band that played was incredible, including FOREST PARK (Portland), DOGJAW, SHARKPACT, and LUNG LIFE. The venue was packed, and Lemuria played a flawless set of all of my favorites by them. On top of that, my old friend Derek Neuland was on tour with them! - LIMP WRIST @ Branx [PDX]
One of my favorite hardcore bands, and after 5 years of loving them I FINALLY got to see them, and it was glorious. Portland punk shows are very hit-or-miss, but when punkstars like LEBENDEN TOTEN play with them, everyone goes wild! Then Limp Wrist came on, and it was even crazier! Most of their set was from their newer releases, but it is still ripping, sassy, and fierce as hell. I got a stagedive in during their self-titled track “Limp Wrist” and it was great. - NEUROSIS @ The Roseland Theater
Neurosis is hands-down the heaviest live band I have ever seen. They put so much cathartic emotions into their melodic yet crushing epics, as well as have beautiful and frightening visuals that match the music perfectly, their live show is seriously like witnessing the apocalypse, in the very best way possible.