Nick Traina Memorial Show
Slim's in San Francisco, California
May 16, 1998
Written by Stacy Wong

You! You have to back the fuck off!" screamed the lead singer of the Hoods at a rather belligerent young lad in the pit. The guitarist joined in angrily: "This show is different than others! There are a lot of different kids here tonight: punks, skins, ska, straight edge, vegans..." The young lad ultimately was escorted out of the club.

What brought such a varied mix of kids together this night was Nick Traina, lead vocalist of Link 80, who passed away last year. The tragedy didn't bring very much attention in the media, maybe a handful of articles that noted novelist Danielle Steele's 19-year-old son had overdosed from drug abuse. Just another rock star death. However, to those who knew Nick, his enthusiasm and his generosity, his death is an indescribable loss. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and fans alike.

This memorial show, more than anything, was a celebration of Nick Traina's life, a celebration in the form Nick loved: a live show with a great line-up. From OBHC to more ska-ish sounds, it was an eclectic and excellent mix of bands, an indication of how many different people Nick had touched in his short life.

The Blast Bandits were first up, an adorably young ska-punk band that looked a bit nervous, but their music was energetic even for ska-punk, which is saying a lot. The sound was doing absolutely no justice to the horns for any band that night, but ignoring that, the Blast Bandits were pretty impressive.

Berkeley favorites Subincision looked like an 80s flashback, played a couple of punk songs that sounded like they were from the 80s, but played a more or less pit-inducing hardcore set. Very nice. They were joined for one song by that guy who I always see at MTX shows and once at a Pennywise/H2O show in San Diego: an older gentleman with glasses and a dog collar. Anyone with information on this guy please email me; my curiosity is piqued...

All Bets Off, the Hoods and Powerhouse warmed the crowd up properly with an onslaught of Northern California hardcore (yes, there is such a creature, and it's alive and throbbing). I wish I could say more about them, but I was busy deflecting flying feet. It sucks being tall. It was also at this point that a fire-hazard number of blonde children were noticeably present at the wings, including Nick's little brother.

Link 80 was next with the new lead vocalist Stoney who had been the band's roadie. I never saw Link 80 live with Nick, so I couldn't make any comparisons, but as for my impressions of the new guy: good God almighty, this is a happy man. While some others beg and plead a crowd to move, this guy assumes it, wills it, and if you don't... well, you must've entered the wrong building. Requests for some of Link 80's more popular songs like "Turn It Around" went unanswered for some reason. My guess is this Link 80 is trying to distinguish itself from the Nick fronted Link 80, which it could never be. Well, despite the inevitable comparisons, the crowd loved it all and, for me, it was the Stoney's sheer force of personality that was most memorable, a force that was present even in other bands' sets, including the next one.

The Mike Park Band is MU330 playing Mike Park's songs from both Skankin' Pickle and the Bruce Lee Band and MU330 is Mike Park drifting back with the trombones and guitarist Dan Potthast taking over lead vocals and singing MU330 songs (and making me form a crush on him. If you know him, tell him to give me a call). Confused? That's OK. Just dance and it'll all be fine.

Mike selected a few goodies for that evening, including "Gerry is Strong," "I'm in Love with a Girl Named Spike," and that song about how being Asian doesn't mean being smart (I would be living proof of that song). MU330 followed promptly and let me just say that they go over so much better as a live band than in recording. Despite a trombone mike dying and a drummer forgetting how one song went, MU330 performed well in both sets, pounding out some very bouncy, punky ska, including the song "Tune Me Out." Very danceable. Besides, I can't complain about bands that have drop references to "Degrassi Junior High" and "Baywatch" in their songs.

"Nearly every person who knew and loved Nick is here tonight," Nick's mother had said earlier to kick off the evening. The show would not have been possible without her support. From getting all the bands together to getting the free buttons and t-shirts made, Danielle had a direct hand in making this evening possible. The bands that performed also showed overwhelming respect and love for Nick; every band had a story to tell of his kindness and generosity, and many of the sets that night were spiked with Nick's favorite songs. No band sold merch that night, or plugged their latest album or next show. This night was truly a celebration of Nick Traina's life. He will be missed.