The punk and hardcore scene is still alive and well in the Bay Area, if people are willing to seek it out. DVC fans need look no further than Berkeley, where the do-it-yourself (DIY) non-profit venue 924 Gilman hosts cheap punk shows.

Gilman is a notable Bay Area venue, having served as a kick starter to the careers of bands such as Green Day, the Offspring and Rancid. The venue is open to all ages.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, veteran hardcore outfits No Warning, Backtrack and Terror took to the 924 Gilman stage for a matinee performance. The performance’s opening bands consisted of U.K hardcore band Higher Power and the Massachusetts based Vein. Los Angeles-based band Twitching Tongues also lent their talent on the tour.

Surprisingly, no local bands opened for this tour, which is fairly uncommon for Gilman. However, this did not stop members of local bands from showing up to watch the performances of bands they admire.

Without an age restriction, hardcore fans young and old are able to enjoy the show and are able to take breathers outside if needed as the venue allows “ins and outs.”

924 Gilman street also has no barricade blocking off the stage from fans. “If you know the song, come up here and help sing it,” Scott Vogel, vocalist of Terror, said, welcoming stage divers onto the stage with him. It is almost customary to stage dive during shows like this, despite the ‘no stage diving’ sign above the stage.

During the set, Vogel allowed fans to clamber up onto the stage to scream into the mic, as long as they didn’t hog too much time.

While affordable Bay Area shows may be hard to come by, if you are a fan of hardcore or punk music, 924 Gilman Street may be the choice for you. They usually put on shows weekly, or sporadically during the week. It’s a great place to discover underground local artists trying to come up in the music world, and a welcoming environment for those who may be unfamiliar with the Bay Area hardcore and punk scene.