Chaos, acid, tragedy…Tempe’s own Yucca Tap Room had all this under the same roof on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Not the literal sense. This was not some sort of safety incident; it was a gathering of hardcore punk music, fashion, and, of course, moshing!
Double headliners Total Chaos and Acidez brought along the perfect atmosphere for local punks. Not only that, but they also brought along fellow punk rock groups TV Tragedy, Ass Wipe Junkies, and Ingrate.
With the music portion covered by the bands, the fashion was covered by the crowd. Jean jackets and liberty spikes, piercings and spiked jewelry…it seemed like everyone in attendance was covered from head to steel toe. Combat boots were on full display by the moshers as well. Not just for looks, the boots kept the moshers on their feet while in the circle pit and the jackets offered some protection from elbow slams.
Contrary to conventional views of punk rockers, even though the mosh pit may seem violent, the intensity did not lead to any medical issues at this event. Punks may be punks, but they still look out for each other and are not trying to intentionally cause serious injury.
It was an energy-filled night. With music being able to cross international borders and bring rockers together, there was not a single moment the floor was empty. Between sets, everyone regained their stamina for the next round of moshing and prepped their ears for some more sick music.
For the elder punks who needed more than just a set change to up their stamina, they could jump over to Moodie Blacks and order some mean Tex-Mex. While I did not try everything on the menu, I did try the selection of tacos on the menu.
I started with the green chili chicken taco and added the provided green salsa. The stewed chicken and potatoes with slices of pickled jalapeño in a handcrafted tortilla was a juicy, flavorful, and perfect introduction for what was to come.
Next up was the vegan death taco. This taco had no business being this delicious, especially with the provided red salsa. It was loaded with fried cauliflower, salsa macha vinegar, guacamole (though I ordered mine without), fried brussels, garlic, Japanese peanuts, Moodie Blacks’ slaw, and crispy hatch chili quinioa, all wrapped in a handcrafted tortilla. Looking at the list of ingredients one might think it’s too busy, but no, all of the flavors meshed so well together and the textures had a mosh pit of their own in every bite.
Finishing off with the carnitas taco was a clean conclusion to my meal. Adding the provided red salsa to the slow braised pork butt, cilantro, and chopped onions really sealed the deal as a trifecta. And guess what it was wrapped in? You guessed it, a handcrafted flour tortilla. Each bite oozing with flavor, I used the tortillas to soak up the juices that flowed from the taco after each bite and made sure to not waste a single drop of liquid love.
If you or a loved one are suffering from an empty stomach, head over to Moodie Blacks at the Yucca Tap Room and give it a shot. The menu is straight business, no fluff; just names, ingredients, and prices. No need to fill the page when trying to fill your stomach.
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