Waco's Punk Rock Past Part 2

Continuing on in the last couple months of 1999, Korc74 had a lineup change. Our lead singer had left to do missionary work, but this presented an opportunity to change things up. Adam Johnson, the bass player for Scattered Souls, joined Korc74 as our new guitarist. His first show with us was December 10th 1999. This date was important for a few reasons. It was just a 2 band show, The Paperclip Pirates and Korc74. What wasn't known to us at that time was who was in the crowd. Two high school boys from Bruceville Eddy, named Shay Scranton and Roberto Ramirez. That night was the first show they had ever been to. That night changed the course of their lives forever, but we will come back to that.

Crowds were growing, kids were hungry for more and we were ready to feed them. Just a few weeks later, right before the new year, TPCP and Korc played once more. The Pirates didn't know it yet but this would be their last show. Another show, another influenced young mind. Paul Whitney had been a fan of both Korc and the Pirates from the beginning, but that night his friend Geoffrey was with him. That night they decided to form a band, it would be another year before they played, but that was the night Decibelz was born.

The next show was truly a bridge between the old crowd and the new. Just as Shay, Berto, Paul, and Geoff were being inspired by us, we had been inspired by those that had been playing the Waco punk scene well before us. Astroblast, ADD, and the American Culture Experiments played at Nelson's coffee shop. This was the first show that really melded the old crowd and new. I remember there being a problem with the sound system during the ACX set, but the show went on. ACX was an experience. I had never seen a show like theirs. Tv static, black and white clips playing behind them, smudged eye makeup, and sometimes the singer would just scream. It was exhilarating! I was hooked.

Soon came another member change to Korc74. The Paperclip Pirates had called it quits and our drummer had left, so Aaron Young joined Korc and that was the beginning of a musical relationship between he and I that would last for years. As always the scene was growing but it would still be about a year before it really blew up.