Josh Kalis

In the same timeless, classic vein as "CLOSURE", the video retrospective of Dan Wolfe's works throughout the years that LIVE also shared recently, but with a more accute emphasis on the Philadelphia and New Jersey scenes this time (with some San Francisco still thrown in the mix for good measure), and far less renowned: that is "ABSTRACT", by Vern Laird. That first video effort of his came out just in time for the beginning of the twenty-first century after having been filmed (on both a VX-1000 and a VX-3) between 1997 and 1999, and judging from the impeccable roster, Vern knew the right talents to pick: bear witness to just that, a historical section by Tim Achille (for the longest time, the only one available online), a part for Rich Adler then in developing embryo form, an insane friends section featuring all the epoch's monarchs (from Bobby Puleo to Jake Rupp without forgetting about Tony Cox, Josh Kalis and Stevie Williams - already an iconic duo, Brian Wenning, Andre Page, Pat Corcoran, A.J. Mazzu, Sergei Trudnowski, Will Harmon or even Rob Pluhowski...), accompanying footage of quite the speedy, aggressive yet original Damian Smith and of Brennan John, claiming the curtains to a Bad Brains song. Oh and Vern has his own segment, too! All for a VHS that only came in five hundred copies, and the content of which only just recently reached the shores of the Internet. Now, what a relief for the culture!