By PaulySure
Back in 2012, Revelation Records was holding a weekend of shows to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary. It ended up being two weekends of shows, but when first announced Pamona, California, was the original announcement. Now, with Revelation being one of my all-time favorite labels, I was intrigued. With the announcement of Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today as the headliners, I thought “holy shit” I had to go. So as tickets went on sale, a few friends and I knew we had to see the Gorilla Biscuits headline, as they were the band we preferred the most.
When the weekend of the show arrived, we packed up the car, filled a cooler full of sandwich and snack supplies (being a handful of near broke hardcore kids) and made the trek to what was the equivalent of our hardcore pilgrimage. Getting to the show a bit late, due to L.A. traffic and a mix up with the opener, we walked in as NYHC legends Underdog (the second band of the night) was about midway through their set. Next up was Sick of It All, a group that I was pretty excited to see, but at the time not necessarily my reason for attending. That all changed the moment the band took the stage! Opening with a cover of Warzone’s “As One,” the Glasshouse erupted into a frenzy. A mosh pit over here, stage dives left and right, and band who knew how to use every inch of the stage. Sick of It All was so tight ripping through the set, with Armand being the human drum machine he is behind the kit, Pete Koller and Craig Ahead jumping around not missing a note as punk and hardcore royalty were running across the stage around them (including Davey Havok of AFI fame). But it was the ferocity, positivity, and stage banter of Lou Koller, that was just absolutely captivating. Had the set not been so infectious that I had to sing along, my jaw would have been on the floor. While the set was largely songs from Blood, Sweat, and No Tears, the band finished up playing “Scratch the Surface” and “Step Down.” With an amazing 17 songs in the set, it almost didn’t feel like enough.
When the set was done, I made the promise to myself that anytime Sick of it All came to my town, or was anywhere I was, I had to see them. Fortunately, I got a few more chances. Each time I saw them, it was so hard not to sing a long while also grinning ear to ear. Each time, I took a photo and posted it on Instagram, the band re-shared it; which as a very amateur photographer always felt like a huge honor to get the nod from the Alleyway Crew. It was something that always made me feel closer to the band in a way. Every time Lou just kept the positivity and fun going, the ultimate hardcore frontman for possibly the greatest hardcore band of all time. Frankly, he was my favorite!
In 2024, Lou announced that he had received a cancer diagnosis, and the hardcore community seemed to really show up for him. Every once in a while, he would post an update, and it seemed like the support was helping him stay positive. And for a moment, it really seemed to help, he had announced was cancer free around mid 2025. Unfortunately, the cancer seemed to come back stronger, and the treatments seemed to not be working as well. In July 2026, Lou lost his battle. It was an absolutely devastating loss to the punk and hardcore community, and a devastating loss as a fan. I spent the whole day in a bit of a funk, but the outpour of support and tributes was absolutely beautiful to see, and it helped to lessen the blow a bit. While it is tough to come to grips with the fact that I will never see Lou on stage conducting the crowd through Walls of Death and sing-a-longs, I will hold on to the memories of those shows and just how awesome Lou was. I really wish I had gotten a better chance to meet him and just say thank you for all the albums and memories. Instead, I’ll just throw on a record and dance around my living room. Rest in Power Lou! It’s Clobberin’ Time!
