H20 @ Nile Theater

Hardcore isn't just about dudes in camo shorts with X's on their hands. Take H20, for example, a band that typifies the "positive mental attitude" movement but never gets preachy about it. "Any kind of preaching we'd do would be pretty hypocritical," bassist Adam Blake says. "We have vegans in the band; we have a vegetarian in the band; a pescatarian; we have a meat eater in the band; we have a guy that smokes pot; a guy that drinks but doesn't smoke pot; a guy that drinks and does smoke pot; two guys that don't drink or do any drugs at all . . . [We say] try to treat yourself and other people with respect and try to make the world a better place by the fact that you're in it." The band is prepping a new record, a covers album featuring songs from the band's influences, including Bad Brains, Gorilla Biscuits, and Cro-Mags. "It's such a small selection. If we really did a comprehensive record of all our influences, it would be a triple-album or something. It's the stuff that is most connected to what we do now," Blake says. The band hasn't stopped by in the past couple years, but Blake is excited to see the band's O.G. fans, as long as they know not to get too rowdy. "We're not the band you should be getting that aggressive to. We're not a hard band . . . Don't punch people in the face when we're playing a love song. It's not the mood. That's my dance-floor wisdom," says Blake.