For many years now, the Bay Area has had one of the biggest and busiest hardcore scenes on the planet. In 2021, just as pandemic restrictions were starting to lift, the Bay Area bands Gulch, Drain, Sunami, and Scowl played an outdoor show in San Jose, and thousands of people showed up. That gig, presented as Real Bay Shit, has become a part of hardcore lore, and the RBS banner has united bands from across the Bay Area’s hardcore, punk, and metal spectrum. Now, 17 different Bay Area bands have contributed unreleased tracks to a new benefit compilation that’s raising money for Crossthread, a nonprofit that aims to open an all-ages DIY space in San Jose.
