Photos by Alex Lunsford.

Hailing from Charlotte, straightedge hardcore/punk band Refocus played their very first show this past Saturday, Sept. 26. It was also Trudge (Boone, NC) and Substance’s (Charlotte) first show. So, as you could imagine, it was all the hype for these new bands. The crowd could not stand still for a single second of any band’s set. It was a very high-energy environment. Several members of these recently established bands have played in other local bands in the past, making a name for themselves in the North Carolina music scene, so many people were eager to hear what their new stuff is all about. Refocus and Substance both include members attending school here at UNC Charlotte. Other act included Future Primitive from Greensboro. Future Primitive has played many shows all over the state within the past year, after the release of their first demo “The Shred” in July of 2014. Though, the night was not so monotonous for them, since it was their album release show for “Over It” which dropped on Sept. 21. Their first demo had a skate punk feel to it similar to Dag Nasty and other early ’90s skate bands, but their new work has developed more of a thrash hardcore style similar to Power Trip, a modern thrash band from Texas.

This show was all the hype for Refocus since they have been putting in time practicing since February, making finishing touches on their work these past couple of months. They have created a solid sound that mimics an early youth crew foundation like Judge and Youth of Today, but adds a modern heavier vibe to it. All members of Refocus are active members of the straightedge community, taking a stand against bullying within the scene and publicly choosing to live a drug-free lifestyle. By releasing their demo, they have laid a foundation as a youth crew-sounding band, but they plan to progress to a more melodic sound that resembles Champion and Guns Up!, which are two mid-2000s hardcore bands. They intend on playing all around the state the rest of this year, then putting out an EP this upcoming spring and following that with a northeast tour in the summer. They mainly appeal to straightedge show-goers in the hardcore scene, but are open to playing anywhere. They are even opening for the well-known metal band Fit for an Autopsy next month in Fayetteville. Links to the bands’ music are listed below.

https://refocus.bandcamp.com/releases

https://futurexprimitive.bandcamp.com/album/over-it