A Tale of Two Cities – The Codefendants at Camp Punksylvania and The Knitting Factory at Baker Falls
The Codefendants are Sam King (Get Dead) and Ceschi Ramos. They came together through the most unusual circumstances – Ceschi was railroaded through the US justice system on a bogus cannabis intent to distribute charge, while Sam helped raise funds to help get him out of the prison system. Once out, Ceschi and King wrote a few songs about the inequities inherent in America, especially if one is not wealthy and privileged, took those few songs to Fat Mike from NOFX, and the result was “This Is Crime Wave,” one of the most brilliant albums to come out in 2023.
On July 5th The Codefendants took the stage at Camp Punksylvania, an outdoor festival in rural Gilbert, PA. They were backed by Venezuelan band Zeta, who provided all of the firepower for the unique blend of rap, hip hop and rock tunes delivered over their 30-minute set.
King and Ceschi appear on stage in suit and tie, as if ready for their court appearance in front of a judge. We are in the middle of one of Summer of 2024’s brutal heat waves and the temperature is 93F (34C). The show starts with “Def Cons,” the opening track on the album, and at about the 30-second mark, both men burst forth in a bout of frenetic energy that has come to mark their performances.
During the set King spots a 7-year-old boy down in front and hops down from the stage to make that young man the happiest kid on the planet, high-fiving, kneeling in front of him and singing together. The crowd has gathered from most of the campground and is clearly enthralled with this band, many having seen them in other venues during their short life as a group.
The Knitting Factory
Fast forward a week. The Codefendants have gone from a field in the broiling Pennsylvania sun to The Knitting Factory at Baker Falls, a small, 198-capacity club down on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. As the band is setting up Ceschi sings a couple of his songs, including a personal favorite “Say Something,” which describes the long court fight and concerns about prison life.
“How will the prison showers be
Will I have to punch somebody just to get clean
Will there be something for me to eat…”
Just heart-wrenching material. The band starts and plays most of “This is Crime Wave,” coming into the crowd a few times in the almost filled-to-capacity room. Watching King and his facial expressions during a show is, to me, one of the highlights of their performances, while Ceschi manhandles his guitar. If The Codefendants come anywhere near where you live this show is a must. I also HIGHLY recommend their 16-minute short available on YouTube that ties 5 songs together to tell this story together.
It’s a communal sing-along, with Zeta once again performing instrumental duties. I’m hoping they find a way to make that arrangement permanent. Other highlights included “Abscessed Tooth,” “Disaster Scenes,” and “Bad Business,” which was recorded after the album. Check them out for sure. Definitely, my pick to click for 2024.
Photo’s (c) David Fang
