Wagner's Writings

  *As a little preface note, this is blog post is either for people just approaching 30 or approaching 40, but I think everyone can take a little something from this one.  I finished up my last paper for college - a proposal essay on how adults should go after making some new hobbies. I won’t be posting that essay here because I totally phoned it in. I only got an A because I just followed the rubric closely. But that’s just my theory. Maybe I will. You know, for the CONTENT.  But the subject sticks with me. Especially since next year I’ll be 30. A big year if you’re younger than 30 since it’s the first indicator of ‘the end.’ Which isn’t true by the way, since 30 is still so damn young. You place just about any achievement with “… at age 30,” and suddenly it becomes exceptional. “Wrote a book at 30,” “Died at the age of 30,” “Became President of the United States at age 30.” You look at those possible headlines at figure, “Damn! That person was young!” Yeah, because 30...

  Mala Sangre are a hardcore punk band from Erie, Pennsylvania. They’re also most likely your favorite local band’s favorite local band.  Consisting of Carlos Rivera (guitar/vocals), Eliezer Rivera (bass/vocals), and Mike Lozano (drums), they’re a powerhouse trio and their shows are an onslaught of energy, speed, and vigor with a healthy amount of ball busting to go around. And last month they put out their sixth album, Mata Mata.  For a little background, Mala was one of the bands Massive Denial opened for when we had our first show as a group, which was also my first show in six years after a sabbatical from performing music live. It was them, us, Maniacial Device, Requiem for Oblivion during a particularly hot July day in 2021 where I performed a good portion of my gigs - Basement Transmissions. I get off the stage and up comes Mala Sangre.  The only thing I’d known about them at that point was that they’re an old school hardcore punk band and their guitarist/l...