“Good Good Things” with DRAIN.

The California hardcore band makes a splash on tour with Knocked Loose and announces a new record coming in 2025.

“DRAIN is NOT responsible for anything you do in the next 30 minutes,” reads the banner hanging behind the Santa Cruz-based hardcore band. Lead singer Sammy Ciaramitaro paces back and forth with a grin, egging on the crowd as a gnarly riff chugs behind him. “EVERYBODY SURF!” A sea of bodies ascends from the floor of the San Jose Civic ballroom, heads and feet knocking as they claw their way to the barricade. Just behind, a black pit of ninja-kicking vans and windmilling fists threatens onlookers. A dude in a Suicidal Tendencies shirt winds up before lunging into the surrounding circle pit wall, boomeranging back and forth like an air hockey puck in a rink. In an era plagued by strict concert security and unstirring crowd members with eyes glued to their phones, DRAIN has distinguished itself as a harbinger of complete chaos.

The band has been out touring their latest album, LIVING PROOF in support of Kentucky hardcore band Knocked Loose. A powerhouse of head-banging riffs, groovy drums, and guttural screams, the album has this infectious energy that just makes you want to two-step in your bedroom. Fronted by cartoon doodles of a shoreline, the album pays a clear homage to their surfer hometown. The California vibe is embraced by fans, who line DRAIN’s barricades clad in shark costumes and toss beach balls onto stage (which you can even buy on their website). Ciaramitaro remarks in an interview with NME, “[Santa Cruz] just has a certain kind of energy. That salty ocean air just infects your brain, and that chaotic energy breeds people like us and music like ours.”

DRAIN’s rise to popularity was far from typical. They're still, in a way, debuting their first album, California Cursed, released in the fittingly cursed month of April 2020. Even before the pandemic, Santa Cruz did not always boast a deep hardcore history, and DRAIN had to spearhead a scene from the get-go. As live shows gradually returned, they scoured for venues, kickstarting DIY shows at a local cafe and leaning on a close-knit music community.

However, their efforts were certainly not in vain. The band has racked up a dedicated fan base, especially in their Bay Area hometown. The region has been ground zero for a number of hardcore powerhouses recently, including fellow Santa Cruz’s Scowl and San Jose’s Sunami. After two years of California’s strict lockdown policies, everyone was itching to release that pent-up frustration. It’s no wonder that the cathartic and lawless culture of hardcore shows has gained traction. “Twenty-five minutes to feel fucking alive,” as Ciaramitaro puts it in an interview with Stereogum, “so we can purge the bad shit and embrace spontaneity/immediacy the way we can’t quite in polite society.”

With a sly smirk, Ciaramitaro asks, “Who knows the words?” before nonchalantly tossing the microphone to fans during “Feel the Pressure.” The singer boasts kind eyes and a beaming smile–even as he cusses out the crowd to start a circle pit, it feels more like a polite suggestion. In typical metal fashion, he dives into the crowd as they clamor and scream along with him, and he warmly welcomes the participation.

Rejecting the artist-fan division has long been a hallmark of alternative subcultures, but fans jumping on drum kits or dancing alongside mainstream artists seems a long-forgotten sight. Hardcore may be one of the last genres to satisfy those fans craving a sense of community with their favorite artists, even the famous ones. “As the band gets bigger, I try and keep that feeling alive,” remarks the singer in an interview with Grand Haven Tribune. “Every night I set up the merch and run it until it’s time to play. I want to be the guy that everyone says hello to. I want to thank every single kid that comes out for being there.” 

As they launch into their cover of Descendents’ pop-punk classic, “Good Good Things,” the band ignites a kind of positive anarchy. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, with tattoo-covered dudes an inch away from socking you in the nose but also gleefully skipping to “I’ve been thinking good good things about you.” Though DRAIN’s heavy thrash sound is a far cry from the 70’s feel-good skater punk, the song fits right in on California Cursed. “Thematically, I feel like ‘Good Good Things’ kind of ties in with what I’m all about, y’know?” Ciaramitaro explains in an interview with Stereogum. “Some people are like ‘Dude, buddy, I don’t fuck with anybody until they’ve earned my respect.’ I’m like nah man, straight nah: the opposite. Everybody’s my friend until they give me reason not to be.”

As the band wraps up their tour with Knocked Loose, they assure fans that new music is just around the corner: “Good news is we’re gonna lay low for a bit,” they joke on a recent Instagram post. “Bad news is we got a new record coming out in 2025 😈🌀.”