Editor's note: This article originally appeared in 2014 to mark 10 years since the incident. We're republishing it in honor of the 20th anniversary.
It's been 10 years since "the punch," and I'd be lying if I told you I hated it. You see, I was in local punk act North Side Kings, and now-legendary Glenn Danzig slayer Danny Marianino was my bandmate in 2004 (and is still my friend today). I was there in Tuba City, on the Navajo Nation, and what follows is the truth.
For me, it was a thing of ridiculous beauty. I never liked the Misfits — Danzig's legendary horror-punk group — growing up. I found them too boring, cartoonish and repetitive to take seriously. I think even less of Danzig's solo material. So, in my opinion at the time, Glenn Danzig was a joke, and the opportunity to open for him was merely another notch on the gig belt for me. In 2004, North Side Kings were on the cusp of our best work, and even if the band sounded nothing like Danzig, we knew the kids of the Navajo Nation would be into it. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to find out.
On the day of the show, I drove up to Tuba City with Rudy "Rude-T" Reilly, who often traveled with us and did our sound. We followed the rest of the band, which included guitar players Ryan Butler and Luke Lanham, drummer Richie Gallen and a few other friends who were in a van we borrowed for the trip. Once we got to the venue, things started to unravel.
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