Avail

"Last year's AZ show was so fucking epic that folks are traveling from far and wide to be there this year!" testifies "eastcoastpete" on Avail's MySpace page. That includes the hardcore punk icons themselves, who are flying in from their Richmond, Virginia, headquarters on Friday night, playing this special one-off show Saturday night, and then heading home early Sunday morning, all because their fans here rank as possibly the band's most passionate anywhere. Why is Avail so beloved among astute Arizona punks? Probably because singer Tim Barry and company -- who've done time on Lookout! and Fat Wreck Chords -- have never watered down their tight, scorching, D.C.-style hardcore (think Dag Nasty and Minor Threat, primarily) touched with hints of the New York scene (à la Sick of It All) over their 15 years together, and they put on legendarily fierce and sweaty shows. If you're one of the loyalists heading to this gig, be sure to share some of your love with the fine opening bands, too, especially long-running South Carolina melodic screamos Stretch Arm Strong.