Erode the Dream summons the mystical and mythical Genrevolta at Tin Roof for a special one-night-only show on May 18
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
For old music heads around town, the name Genrevolta carries some serious heft. A band that was so unconventional that it became almost mythical around the local music scene. Remembered as much for their raw, visceral live shows as for the music itself, Genrevolta was part punk/indie rock and part performance art. And then, like all true mythical creatures, it was gone and only the legend remained.
Over the years, there have been the occasional rumors and whispers of sightings here and there, but Genrevolta always seemed to disappear into the ether before we could get a good glimpse.
“I remember going to see them 20 years ago when they used to play Big John’s and Cumberland’s,” recalls West Ashley resident Jonathan Stout. Like so many music fans of a certain age, Stout has plenty of Genrevolta stories. The difference is he also has the receipts, or in this case, the photographic evidence. Stout, a musician himself, is also a renowned local photographer who goes by the moniker BadJon. Not known for snapping gentile images of colorful houses along Rainbow Row or church steeples poking through the blue skies of Charleston, Stout uses his lens to document Charleston’s more underground scene and those characters who dwell in the dark corners of dive bars, under the fluorescent lights of local tattoo shops, and the smoke-filled stages of some of Charleston’s more infamous rock clubs.
Last year, after Stout’s metal band Serpent Church dissolved, he began exploring other musical outlets. In late 2023, he and fellow local Gen X rockers Ryan Martin (lead guitar), Robbie Weise (bass), and Steven Wilson (drums) got together and began to hash out some ideas. The quartet honed in on a grungier sound than their previous projects, with straight-ahead punk passages broken up by atmospheric washes of guitar noise. With a heavy sound that Stout describes as “grunge” or “post-grunge,” Erode the Dream was born. Stout, who plays rhythm guitar, says the only thing the band lacked was a true frontman/vocalist. That’s when fellow local photographer Steve Aycock told Stout about Mauricio Sánchez Rengifo, a Colombian-born architect and visual artist who goes by Masáre. Folks in West Ashley probably know Masáre best from his large-scale and highly-visible murals on the side of the old Krispy Kreme building in Avondale, which was most recently home to D.B.’s Cheesesteaks.
Back home in Colombia, Masáre played in two bands, one a progressive rock outfit, the other a more experimental, industrial electronic project. So, when he and the rest of Erode the Dream guys got together, it was clear there was a musical kinship. As a member of the band, Masáre brings the seasoned vocals of an old-school metal frontman who’s not afraid to wail, in English or in Spanish.
“He sings like Layne Staley from Alice in Chains,” says Stout. “And then I have this weird stoner vibe with a loud playing style. Everybody brings a little something different to the band, and it all kind of works together.”
According to Stout, once Masáre and the band made some adjustments and got a couple of songs under their belts, they started to lay some tracks and record some tunes. On April 16, Erode the Day released their self-produced and recorded debut single, “The Waiting.” Stout and company enlisted the services of Eric Rickert of Big Animal Studios to mix and master their recording, which is now available on all streaming outlets.
After playing together for several months and recording a few songs, Stout says that Erode the Dream was ready for their first live show. He reached out to Tin Roof owner Erin Tyler who was more than eager to get Erode the Day on stage and let Stout put together a three-band lineup.
“Starting at Tin Roof just made sense,” says Stout, adding that when putting a show together, he couldn’t think of anyone better to headline than his old buddies from his headbanging days, the ever-elusive, ever-evolving Genrevolta. The art-rock band came out of hiding last month to play a pop-up performance downtown at Hed-Hi Studios, where artist Kevin Taylor was debuting some of his new work.
While the May 18 show at Tin Roof will be the first gig ever for Erode the Dream, it is also the first club show in several years for Genrevolta. Local band Spartina will round out the three-band bill.
Genrevolta, Spartina, and Erode the Dream will play Saturday, May 18 at Tin Roof, located at 117 Magnolia Road. Tickets are $10, $15 for under 21. For more information, visit charlestontinroof.com.
