Wastoid Rides Hardcore Wave Driven by Mike Smith’s Energy
From the ceiling to the crowd
Some bands are greater than the sum of their parts, representing something larger than just music. Cultivating a special bond with their fans and respect from their fellow musicians, Wastoid has earned a revered place in the Charlotte music scene.
Wastoid began as a duo in 2021 when frontman Mike Smith and friend Jarret Mintz wrote their first song together, inspired by a Black Lives Matter protest they attended where police trapped and tear-gassed protesters.
Following several personnel changes, the hard-rock group has arrived at what could be considered its quintessential lineup of Smith (vocals), Lane Claffee (guitar), Grace Nelson (bass), and Andrew “Tommy” Knockenhauer (drums).
The band’s early albums, including 2022’s Government Sanctioned Weaponized Fem Boys, contain songs written when the band was still a duo, including several crowd favorites like “Glass Pack” and “4am.” Those early songs contained the initial Wastoid spark, but the music really caught fire when the full band came together, as it did to create its latest album, Occur Everywhere.
It only takes a few minutes into any given Wastoid show to catch on to the free feeling that Smith embodies on stage. He might be hanging from the ceiling one moment and jumping into the crowd the next.
“You literally just let your body convulse in any direction you want to,” says Smith. “It’s like the only form of freedom I really have in life. It’s the one time where you can get up there and everything’s on your terms for 25 minutes.”
Whether you call it hardcore, sludge or punk, Wastoid’s sound is raw, loud and relentless. Though certainly comfortable in the hardcore landscape, Wastoid can’t be constrained by any one genre.
Claffee, Nelson and Knockenhauer weave in elements of metal, post-punk and experimental music, giving Smith a wide musical palette to work with. Smith’s rabid and visceral vocals are often delivered at a blistering pace, but in other moments can be more quiet and subdued.
No matter what decibel level Smith sings at, there is no denying the humanity and vulnerability in his delivery and lyrics, as on the song “Human Error.”
“How many days should I sleep in before it gets better?/ It won’t get better/ I don’t wanna live here/ Or anywhere…”
Fans at Wastoid shows connect with Smith, feeling heard and understood in a world where that can be a rarity. Combine this with loud guitars, heavy amounts of sweat, and aggressive moshing and the emotional intensity is palpable. Far from just entertainment, this is catharsis.
In many ways, Wastoid represents the antithesis of our modern woes, providing authenticity in a society that encourages artificiality; community in a capitalistic system that promotes isolation and an accepting; and an inclusive environment existing in a judgemental, social media-driven world.
“I was always someone on the outskirts,” says Smith. “I was always a reject. I was always someone that wasn’t a part of the scene. We welcome the rejects. We welcome the people who weren’t cool enough because we have never been cool enough, and we will never be cool enough.”
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