Tragedy are humorless, stoic bastards dead set on their own agenda.
Well…not really. But the enigma surrounding the band and the severity of both their music and lyrics tends to pigeonhole them as such.
The band was born in Memphis around the turn of the century. Soon after, Trag found a new home (along with every other punk in the country) in Portland, OR. Building on the sound that they created in His Hero is Gone, the band almost immediately started releasing records to an extremely receptive audience.
The band maintains a near-celebrity status amongst the punk and hardcore circles without a website, MySpace page or any of the other crap most would have you believe you need to get your music out to people. Aside from the idea that this is a clear and abrupt "screw you!" to the modern age, I feel it also adds a unique appeal and mystique to a band that is already pretty intriguing to begin with. In an age where it's possible to find dirt on your favourite bands, a little mystery definitely feels good.
Basically, Tragedy are an awesome band.
All words and photos by Justin Rosenthal