John Joseph

But I mean, it's gonna be amazing to see th-that version of the Cro Mags.

You know, I, I've only seen the John Joseph version of the Cro Mags.

Like, Axis got to open for them.

It was one-- I've talked about it before, it was one, one of my, my, my biggest moments in hardcore to say, like, I opened for a, a legendary band.

You know, my band opened for a legendary band.

That, that was a big deal.

And, and, you know, all his insanity aside, John Joseph is a funny character.

He's interesting.

So why does that make him the toughest guy I know? because he went to group homes and orphanages.

So who got picked on? You know, you go through those stories, you got John Joseph and his stories, you got Tyson and his stories, but you don't have this little skinny guy with no ears.

So, you know, he had to put up with what he had.

And then he moved to 7th Street between C and D.

But before you get ahead of yourself, remember that The Age of Quarrel wasn't an isolated project.

The Cro-Mags lineup was made up of Harley Flanagan on bass and later vocals, guitarist Paris Mayhew, drummer Mackie Jason, and vocalist John Joseph, who at the time was a 20-year-old with a background in both the New York hardcore underground and the Hare Krishna community that had started to seep into parts of the scene as Krishna Corps.

John's presence gave the band an ideological anchor because he was vocal about his devotion, and this spirituality actually found its way onto the record's cover art and lyrical references.

This blend of faith-based punk ideologies with aggressive metal riffing meant that the Cro-Mags were pushing back against mainstream religious narratives as much as they were fighting corporate music companies, a dual front that only amplified their status in an era where authenticity was king and everything was judged on how real you felt you were.

You'd think once the music got it all nailed down, you'd have no more to say.

Yet The Cro-Mags’ later releases such as Best Wishes and Alpha Omega showed how they evolved the sound while staying true to their hardcore roots.

On Best Wishes, you see a clearer production that still uses the same aggressive riffs but adds a melodic vocal line for John Joseph.

This gave fans something fresh yet recognizably punk.

I can squeeze you in for New Year's Eve, December 30th.

I just saw on, I don't know that it's going to happen that way, but online it said John Joseph will be the comedian on board.

I'll be the comedian on board.

Peter Haworth, who was the lead singer of the Hollies, he'll be there.