Hardcore Punk Music

Hardcore punk has inherited a rep for promoting violence that once belonged almost exclusively to rap. The four members of Boston's Tree know this all too well. The blue-collar punk group had been effectively banned from area shows for nearly two years, the aftermath of a stabbing at a 1997 Halloween show at Mama Kin.

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"The press focuses on gangs and fighting, but we're not about that junk," said singer Dave Conley, who goes by the name River. "We have fans who just hang out and enjoy the shows. That whole 'violence is strength' mentality makes us all look bad." Things have brightened for Tree. "Death Wish," the single from its CD "Our Day Will Come" (Wonderdrug), is getting airplay on WBCN and WAAF. The band starts a European tour with Gang Green next month. Tonight, Tree headlines a Middle East show with Sam Black Church, Honkeyball, D-Con, Claymore and Curb Feeler.

"Our Day Will Come" marks a leap in songwriting for the decade-old band - hardcore punk music. "The CD is all about keeping at it," said River, who admits to being a troublemaker growing up in Westwood but who still battled his way to a diploma. "If you think you can do something, go for it - do it, try it, work it." The album overflows with Tree's trademark social commentary, with the pro-pot "God Grows Grass," pro-environment "Pesticide," and "Burning Seed," inspired by U.S. troops' battles with chemical contamination. "Ammunition" tackles the incendiary subject of guns: "Your right to bear, I've got to bear that right, I reserve my right not to get shot tonight."

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