Arms and legs swing, the music deafens, and the electricity surges – Jasper Ramirez-Aspy, a junior at Milwaukie High School, is watching the student-led band, My Unsaid Everything, perform live. 

“It’s a very chaotic environment, but it’s fun at the same time.” He says.

My Unsaid Everything is a PDX hardcore band that is completely student-ran with four members. They have played three shows in various hardcore venues around Portland, and are aiming to land more gigs at a specific venue, the High Limit Room in Southeast Portland.

Metalcore music isn’t for everyone, but if it’s something you like, My Unsaid Everything might be just right for you. “There is a very strong community,” says Ramirez-Aspy. “If you’re going to a hardcore show, you’re in a room full of people who are also there for that.”

Ramirez-Aspy says that this makes it very easy to make friends, and although he is just getting into the scene, he’s getting to know a lot of people. He believes that music is crucial to society, and it’s something everyone loves.

“Not everyone will like the same type, but it’s still music,” he says.

Cohen Van Sickle, the bass player for My Unsaid Everything, has a unique experience on the other side of the crowd. When he plays, he gets completely lost in the music, getting into the zone. He says that as a musician, you should have all of your music memorized, so that when you play you can just focus.

Van Sickle says that everyone in the scene is very interconnected; everyone knows everyone. In the five months they’ve been performing, he has learned all the bookers and venue owners by name. Van Sickle says this is because the hardcore scene has a very strong community. 

“It’s mostly just making connections,” he says. “You just have to be friends with everyone, and they’ll book you.”

For Van Sickle, one of the best things about performing is the opportunity to grow. A big moment for this was My Unsaid Everything playing with the band, asthelifeleavesyoureyes. Van Sickle has looked up to them since he got into the scene, and playing with them was a big goal.

The hardcore scene has a very intense community; Van Sickle describes the shows as violent, making some people view hardcore and punk scenes negatively. 

Ramirez-Aspy says that while moshing can hurt, and sometimes you get hit, it’s never for violent reasons: “It’s chill because the person that hits you will ask if you’re okay and they’ll apologize.” Even if the moshing is not intended to hurt someone, Ramirez Aspy recognizes that the scene is not for everyone.

“If you’re a very sensory sensitive person, going to a show might not be as fun.”

Despite this, hardcore shows, and the moshing that comes with them, continue to be very popular to people in the scene. “Some people call it ‘hate moshing’ – I call it fun,” says Van Sickle. He says that the intensity and adrenaline of the scene is an escape for many teens.

“You can leave everything behind…like generally, and with politics…it’s a very political space,” he says, noting his belief that the worse politics get, the harder the music goes. 

Ramirez-Aspy loves the hardcore scene for its community, the friendships that come from it, and the chaotic but still respectful environment.

“I think it gives a lot of students joy…music has definitely changed history,” he says. “…It connects people.”