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Kid Dynamite

Four Years in One Gulp DVD (2006)
Jade Tree Records

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Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on February 21st 2006

A stringy-haired Steve Evetts looks into a handheld camera held by Kid Dynamite guitarist Dan Yemin. In his hands he grips a small piece of paper with a 2-letter word on it and a punctuation mark at the end. It's no larger than 4" x 4", but the font is bold-faced, so you can read it clearly as Evetts presses it against the mixing board. "Dan: This is for your benefit. Note the well-placed 'GO.'" There is Kid Dynamite's existence summed up in one small, intentionally metaphorical action: Abbreviated but aggressive. Short but impacting. Brief but powerful. A duration that lasted no more than 4 years, but one that turned heads, and continues to do so today.

Four Years in One Gulp, the melodic hardcore legends' first full-length feature DVD, captures the band's history in a chronological fashion with candid looks inside the story of their history. Jade Tree presents an absolutely wonderful collaboration of talking heads' stories, crisp photos, direct narration from lead singer Jason Shevchuk, a bit of tour footage and a diverse array of interspersed live clips from over the years. The entire sequence leads from the ex-Lifetime members starting to collaborate on the band all the way to the heartbreaking end of the band, and with a look at the band's reunion shows in 2003.

The major players in terms of the talking heads are the collective band themselves, hanging out in a living room and reminscing of practices and tour occurrences. Jade Tree co-owner and former roadie Darren Walters spills the juice on "inside the van" tidbits, as does former roadies Dave Hause (now singing and playing guitar for the Loved Ones) and Colin McGinnus (now in None More Black), who get plenty of face time themselves with their plethora of stories ("and Spider ate some rancid Doritos...," "they were wrestling in the nude..."). A number of other area band members get their say in, as well.

The sound for the videos are not at their respective maximums, but they suffice well and match the sometimes mildly grainy footage perfectly. The very first shown, "Pacifier," is appropriately from the band's first ever show, which is hilarious in aspects. Shevchuk looks like he walked out of a chemistry final, while the entirety of the band seemingly refuses to shy away from facing the crowd, including a barefoot, gym clothes-covered Dan Yemin. Temporary bassist Ernie Parada (Grey Area), only played a few shows with the band, but footage is included, which is a great clip of "Shiner," shot from a profile view, but one in which the crowd is right up front and whose faces are clearly visible; everyone from the frumpy-looking but pleased as punch fangirl to the spiky haired fellow who doesn't seem to know any words but is enjoying himself regardless get their cameos in. Even included is a latter-era clip of the band's cover of Black Flag's "Rise Above," taken from the last show of KD's last tour.

While it tends to solely involve the band killing time, including Yemin deeply concentrated on a round of Mortal Kombat, studio footage from the "recording" of the band's self-titled debut is here and engaging nonetheless, if not just for Dave Wagenshutz's 'STRAIGHT EDGE ISN'T COOL ANYMORE' shirt.

The DVD briefly looks at the 2003 reunion shows as well, with some rather candid footage of the band in the rehearsal space, practicing for the forthcoming shows. This section of the DVD even manages to include a clip of "Fuckuturn," taken from a secret show played as a warmup a number of days before the official shows at Philadelphia's First Unitarian Church. The "Heart a Tact" clip here is one of the best on the disc.

Slight mention is even made of the CBGBs benefit from this past August 2005, photos of which are lovely to see.

The extras are worth at least glances, as well. From a quick glimpse, the band commentary appears to be both informative and humorous, which is all you can ask for when it comes to that usually ignored area of DVDs, while Hause and McGinnus team up for more stories.

I have a feeling Kid Dynamite will long be remembered in the minds of all who regard punk rock as an important branch of rock. In the scope of the musical stratosphere, they may be but a blip on the radar, but in hardcore punk, they were kings. The East Coast stalwarts were a band who took an old hat and wore it on their heads like it was the greatest thrift store find of all time. Visual proof is in Four Years in One Gulp, which is a perfect assurance that both Kid Dynamite's songs and passion for recreating an atmosphere of pure, unbridled punk rock created legacy that will long go unmatched.

ADDENDUM: Some friends and readers have alterted me that the bonus section also includes a number of songs from the CBGBs reunion performance, with solid video and spectacular audio quality. I believe my score is fully justified.

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Anonymous (May 3, 2006)

That gay story may have been the funniest thing i've seen on this site ever. Outof the blue comic genious, now I would never read that but it was pretty funny.

Anonymous (May 3, 2006)

Hmm... Finally got this DVD today. Its so fucking good. Hause and Colin are outrageously funny and I love the live videos, production is perfect for it.

Anonymous (February 27, 2006)

These guys suck. Overated bullshit. WAAAAAY overated.

Anonymous (February 26, 2006)

why is that one sentence with a "but" in there to connect the two?

you're a piece of shit.

Anonymous (February 26, 2006)

DVD rocks, but is Spider gay?

Anonymous (February 26, 2006)

You guys remember Bad dudes? I believe it was made for arcades and the original Nintendo??? Now that was a fucking game.

---Trav.

Inspection12e (February 24, 2006)

"I'll play you in Halo 2 for your copy P-Fresh or Kirby.

Halo 2? That's sooooo original XBOX. I've moved onto the 360.

- Kirby

(Yes, I am aware it will play on it, but I traded the game in)"

That was lame. Why you gonnoa do something like that? Actually
more importantly how did you acquire an XBOX 360?

kevin_hare (February 24, 2006)

Best part of the dvd is when the two dudes from Grey Area are sitting on the street, someone yells to them, then the one dude just starts yelling Tito Jackson.

Anonymous (February 24, 2006)

anyone that thinks mortal kombat is better than streetfighter (any version) needs their head examined. sf is, and always will be, the greatest 2d fighting game ever created.

score is for streetfighter

Anonymous (February 23, 2006)

Dave Hause is the funniest dude on this video, roadie stories are worth it alone

etwiels88 (February 23, 2006)

God, I could not beat this one guy in Killer Instinct on 64. Granted it was years ago, but I tried forever and just gave up.

greenerton (February 23, 2006)

Last page in "Bookworms" section, at the bottom. Click the Bookworm lyrics.

Anonymous (February 23, 2006)

am I just an idiot....but why can't I find the CBGB videos on my dvd?

where are they located?

psychoos231 (February 23, 2006)

Mortal Kombat was too slow and Tekken sucked.
I'm not really a fan of 3D fighters, it was always about the 2D magic.

fox82 (February 23, 2006)

Yeah, Killer Instinct could have been massive, but Nintendo just let it fucking go... But seriously, Mortal Kombat II is *the* best 2-d beat-em-up you could get on a 16-bit console, end of story. As much as I liked the SF2 series, they were just too generic and "disney" for my taste. Apart from Blanka. He was fucking hardcore.

someoneanonymous (February 23, 2006)

I wish they would release a decent version of the original Killer Instinct. Snes one doesnt really cut it.

skaboom (February 23, 2006)

Im glad you took the time to search online and read through gay erotica to find that story. Douchebag.

Anonymous (February 23, 2006)

We decided to do the massage on the floor in the living room. So I closed the shades and told him to go get the oil out of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom upstairs. I had already laid out a blanket on the floor and had brought over a hand towel and a bath towel. I got undressed down to my boxer briefs, debating in my mind whether or not to take them off too. I told myself that professional massages are usually done nude under a towel or sheet so I took them off. That was a good rationalization, but my cock started to stir after I took them off and was naked in my living room. I laid face down on the floor and reached for the bath towel to cover up. But on second thought, I took the hand towel and just covered my ass with that.

My cock was still swelling as I started to wonder what this massage would lead to. I had a feeling that if I give Wade the go signal he would be all over me. I admit that I was a bit curious, but I didn't really know what I would be willing to do.

I was laid down with my head turned to the side looking away from the staircase when he came in.

"OK, I found the oil, you look ready to get started." He said.

Then he dimmed the lights and kneeled down beside me. " Are you sure you want to keep that towel on?" He asked with a giggle.

"Yeah I think I better," I said with a nervous laugh. "I don't want you to get any ideas."

"Too late for that! But don't worry, I'll be strictly professional like promised"

I closed my eyes as Wade rubbed the first bit of oil into my back. He used quite a bit of oil and got it spread over my back shoulders and neck in long strokes. It felt great and I started relaxing immediately. True to his word the massage was starting very professional and he was actually quite talented. He quickly found knots and took his time to work on them. He worked some oil into my left arm and massaged from the shoulder down to my hand. The massage on my hand was, while strictly professional, still very sensual. He took my hand between his and rubbed it with his palm and then massaged each finger individually. He stroked my middle finger up and down a few times almost like it was a cock. This image got stuck in my mind and I couldn't help but imaging him doing this to my dick. Sure enough I started getting hard again. He repeated the process on my other arm and gave me the same finger treatment on the other side.

I was definitely enjoying this, not only the great massage but also the sexual tension that was in the air. It was exciting.

Then he positioned himself so that he was kneeling on the floor in front of my head and ran his hands up and down my back with long strokes finishing just at the point where the towel covered my ass. It felt great. He continued like this a little more with every stroke going a little further down so that his fingers starting going under the towel slightly. The longer the stroked the more he was leaning over me and I felt his shirt brushing against my head as his fingertips started going over the very top off my ass. I wasn't sure how professional this was but it felt great and my hard-on was swelling even more. The last couple of strokes a finger slid down just the top of my ass crack, not enough to be obviously probing or anything but just enough so that we both were very aware of it.

I was kind of in a dreamy state when he said "OK, I'll move down to your legs now."

I found myself a bit disappointed that he didn't go a little farther, but I didn't say anything.

As he rubbed the oil into my legs he asked me if I was enjoying it so far.

"It's fantastic Wade, you've really got great hands"

"My mouth is even better, but you didn't want to bet for that," He said in his devious voice. I had my eyes closed but I could just see the grin on his face. I couldn't help smiling.

He started on my calves and really worked them over. Then he did my feet, which are normally very ticklish. But he had a firm grip and with the oil it didn't tickle at all. I found the foot massage very sensual like the hands and this did nothing to abate my hard-on, which was really starting to get uncomfortable.

After my feet he started in on my left hamstring and started long strokes up and down the muscles from the back of my knee right up to the bottom of my ass. I wasn't sure how much the little hand towel covered I was pretty sure he could look up between my legs and see my balls. He quickly started going higher on my leg with is thumbs digging in along the muscle and his fingers going up each side of my leg. His right hand was going high up between my legs and I was sure he was getting close to my balls. I was so hard at that moment. I wanted more. On his last stroke up my left leg his fingers brushed lightly against my balls and I inadvertently let out a little "umm"

He moved himself over to work on my right hamstring and as he was moving I spread my legs open further. I guess he took noticed this because this time he straddled my leg instead of kneeling next to it. He repeated the same types of strokes on this side but was even more bold going up onto the bottom of my ass with one hand and high up my in between my legs with the other. The tips of his fingers would just barely touch my nuts at the top of every stroke and I new that he was very aware of it. My breathing was getting heavy. My heart was beating fast and my cock was rock hard.

Anonymous (February 23, 2006)

I recently beat Street Fighter II using one move (not even a special move). Vega's jumps and jump-punches.

SF2 was an alright game, but, even in the arcades, the difference betwen it and Mortal Kombat was sort of the difference between SNES and Genesis.

Mortal Kombat was so much faster, more intelligent, more interesting, more sophisticated, and darker.

sickboi (February 23, 2006)

I was never too big on Street Fighter, but since they used its engine for the Marvel fighting game, I'm cool with it.

Nothing in the arcade will ever beat the orginal MK. Shit was just gnarly.

Anonymous (February 23, 2006)

Raul Hilberg's excellent book about the Holocaust was titled, Perpetrators Victims Bystanders : The Jewish Catastrophe 1933-1945.

Come on, Brian. Sack up. Exert your agency. Do the right thing.

killyouridols (February 23, 2006)

are you all gone mental ?

street figthter is the best fighting game ever created
and this includes all the super turbo alpha tournament championship golden 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 japan usa special editions

you all know they are all fantastic

sickboi (February 23, 2006)

Tekken>Street Fighter

psychoos231 (February 23, 2006)

Street Fighter > Mortal Kombat

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

Bought it today, just finished watching it, slightly disappointing.
This could have been so much better.
Hause and CPM were pretty funny, and there was some pretty cool shit on here, but nothing extraordinary.
I'd give it a 6.

Oh yeah, is Spider gay? If he's not, he's one fuckin' FEMININE guy.

david_arquette (February 22, 2006)

MK Trilogy was incredible.

kevin_hare (February 22, 2006)

I got this yesterday. I watched it. It is fucking awesome. I think that I am going to watch it again tonight. Just one of those dvds that gets me stoked on music.

KirbyPuckett (February 22, 2006)

I'll play you in Halo 2 for your copy P-Fresh or Kirby.

Halo 2? That's sooooo original XBOX. I've moved onto the 360.

- Kirby

(Yes, I am aware it will play on it, but I traded the game in)

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

" Maybe I have a good taste in music and 90's emo hardcore hasn't aged too well."

Hahahaha...wow. You try really hard to be a prentenious dick don't ya? It's sad really, kid.

fox82 (February 22, 2006)

Look for MK Trilogy for the original PSX then. You get pretty much every single character from the first 3 MKs, inkluding the variants (like 3 different Scorpions)

sickboi (February 22, 2006)

That Midway collection doesn't have the original MK on it though.....

skolarx (February 22, 2006)

there is a company collection, mortal was on midway? that has i think 2 and 3 on it for ps2 i got it and played maybe twice before getting stuck on 1943 or something. nothing beats old school shooters

thirtyseconds (February 22, 2006)

No, like Dragonforce! I know my reviews bite but come on

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

Brian.... clearly you know what the right thing to do is.

But do you possess the fortitude to take the next step?

fox82 (February 22, 2006)

I had i think MK Trilogy, which had all the characters, bosses and levels from the first three MK games on the original Playstation, then I sold it. Look out for it, you could play like Goro and Shao Khan and stuff. Awesomeness.

sickboi (February 22, 2006)

MK II is the shit. That bicycle kick Lui Kang does is off the fucking charts.

Anyone know if there is a combined MK game for PS2 that includes the original versions of MK, MKII and MK 3?

fox82 (February 22, 2006)

Mortal Kombat II > Kid Dynamite

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

Of course it got a five, you'de be cast into hell if you gave it what it deserved.

-sirens

crackpotdemagogue (February 22, 2006)

Kid Dynamite are fucking awesome, and so is this. Buy it or die!

inagreendase (February 22, 2006)

Brian needs a copy editor and a bag of courage to post reviews for more balls to the wall releases

Ah, like Hilary Duff?

branden (February 22, 2006)

i picked up s/t around christmas as an introduction to kd cause i never really got into them back in the day. maybe i expected too much, but i was dissapointed a little. theyre a good band, but for somethin so influencial i guess i thought itd be a little less... standard

punkphil (February 22, 2006)

overrated band, their only good album was their first one.

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

Brian needs a copy editor and a bag of courage to post reviews for more balls to the wall releases. This dvd slays, but he's a coward when it comes to that which is not socially acceptable.

Inspection12e (February 22, 2006)

I'll play you in Halo 2 for your copy P-Fresh or Kirby.

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

youre just clueless

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

good review, its nice to see some insight going into the reviews lately, props especially to Brian (for this review) and Anchors (for just about every review they have done...I don't think you're aping pitchfork, unfortunately you have talent and that makes people jealous)

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

I could never get into this band, nor any of their post projects. I must not like melodic hardcore. Wait, I don't like melodic hardcore at all. Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

-Ken

Anonymous (February 22, 2006)

Chicago is completely SOLD OUT of this DVD. What the fucking fuck????

I got 3 stores holding for me once they re-stock.

Again, what the fuck!?!?!?!?!?!?!