The violence at a recent show in Joplin saw two bands come together and try to prevent another incident in the future.

On January 8th at the Keystone Lounge, Casey Clarkson, a freshman at Pittsburg State, was "suckerpunched" by a drunken assailant. Clarkson was struck in the face approximately 5 times, causing his tooth to rip through his lip.

The assailant was ejected from the show, and Clarkson, frontman of the Bay City Jeeps, sought medical attention. No charges were brought against the attacker, who later apologized to Clarkson for the attack. Regardless of the gesture, Clarkson was still the victim of a serious, unjustified injury.

The combination of alcohol, aggression, and claustrophobia in a small, loud club turned, what should have been an enjoyable evening, into a bloodbath. The Keystone Lounge, which has a maximum occupancy of 50, had nearly a hundred people crammed into a small, confined space. Tensions were running high this night and prior to the attack on Clarkson, several other fights nearly broke out.

"What went down that night was completely unacceptable," said Arik Gilbert, a senior at Missouri Southern and the drummer for Last Call. "I'm glad to see that people still stand up for those that have been with them through thick and thin."

Members of both Last Call and Powerstall, the two bands that played that evening, helped the Keystone staff break up the fight and remove aggressive individuals from the building.

"The guy who jumped Casey was not only out of line, but has also put future shows on a cautionary tone," said Gilbert. "Nobody wants to go to a show where they have to worry about being beat for having a good time."

Last Call and Powerstall have discussed the events and are working on ways to avoid future altercations. One solution is to not have shows in such a small venue, especially packed with aggressive people who have been drinking.

"The incident at the bar could have easily exploded into something much worse had not cooler heads prevailed," said Isaiah Smith, a junior at Southern and bassist for Last Call.

Luckily, there were enough rational people present to diffuse the situation and prevent it from becoming far worse.

"I may have been drunk," said Smith, "but I could see the clenched fists and snarled lips spitting forth obscenities."

People attending hardcore shows need to understand that the music is a release and not a soundtrack for violence. There is more to gain from a rising music scene than just starting fights.

"A scene survives because of the core people who understand how important it is to have a music scene," said Henry Garfield, a former Joplin resident who is the current guitarist for the Camorra from Springfield. "A local scene gives people the opportunity to be with the people who are like them. I have never understood the ones who can't understand that."

With upcoming shows in the future, Last Call and Powerstall hope that all that attend will come with an open mind and leave their attitudes at the door. Both bands would like to offer their deepest apologies to Clarkson, who did not deserve the thrashing he received.

"Violence is not a solution," said Smith. "Violence leads to violence, and that is not what the scene needs right now. End the violence and there might be something that people will want to come see and enjoy."