Street Fashionista: Nate Gillies

The city is aflutter with the buzz of guitars and walking bass lines. Good time rock 'n' roll is upon us, helping Erie to kick off the summer in punk-rock style.

With the entree of Black Flag at the crooked i June 11, I thought it best to look back on thrasher / skateboard style. God knows I spent enough time sitting curbside smoking a cigarette watching my favorite guys do kick flips and ollies.

It's all about movement. No restrictions on the street and as well as in life. These boys don't like to be held back.

So jeans are key here; they protect and are durable – for the most part. There is much military inspiration – camo pants, army jackets – you could say they are regulars at the local Army Surplus store.

Often times there will be a concert tee or a skateboard company worn across their chests proudly. My guy (who still skates around town – now nursing a bad ankle from said sport) just sold all of his old skateboard tees on eBay to some lucky devils in Thailand; these garments are still highly sought after.

There's also lots of flannel, loose khakis, the perfect ball cap, and a comfortable pair of skate shoes.

I think many of us may recall the Powell Peralta Bones Brigade tour that came through in '89 and set up in the McDonald's on Peninsula. I was there, and there were tons of thrasher style and bounties of bangs in the eyes. Those boys had the asymmetrical side bang that would give Bieber a run for his infamous hair flip.

What a mega cool event for our tiny town back then reverberated off the lips of many, even to this day. What a monumental moment that was for us kids.Kind of reminds me of when All played at the Continental Ballroom. I went with my brother. I felt like a pretty tough turd.

Ladies, here's your uniform: cut-off denim shorts with tights underneath, a pair of floral Doc Martens, a baggy T-shirt, and a super cute knit cap. Big huge smile and a wicked personality not included – supply your own.

Who? Nate Gillies

Where? In front of the beloved crooked i

Why Nate? Nate embodies the thrasher style. Totally rocking the Canadian tuxedo and being coy with his pop of color: bright red suede sneaks. Awesomeness abounds.

What We Want to Know:

Describe your style.

Poor slob chic.

What is your philosophy on fashion?

If it covers your privates, it's okay.

You were around during the Continental Ballroom days. What was your take on the zeitgeist of the time, the vibe of it all?

I was at the Continental Ballroom every Sunday for two years. It changed my life and showed me what local scene could be. CB was an old hall (think Forward Hall but punk-rock) at 20th and Plum existing between the '80s and '90s where kids of all ages could go listen to live music. It started out punk-rock and then all of a sudden turned straight edge. As an impressionable 14-year old, I went through that phase. I saw some great shows there: Thin White Line, NOFX, All, MDC, Supernova, Urge Overkill, and so many others. It was awesome.

Fill in the blank,  punk is to me______.

Rock 'n' Roll and not really caring what people think of your riffs.

What is your favorite outfit, or if you could wear one thing or item forever, what would it be?

I just got these cool striped jeans, and I really like my "Ghostbusters'" shirt.

When he came to Erie recently and performed his "This Filthy World" at the campus of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, you asked John Waters if he still parties. Do you?

Not as much as I used to, but yeah, I party.

Are you attending the Black Flag show? What did the band mean to you as a kid?

I am going to the Black Flag show. I was a BMX/Skater kid, so we listened to BF a lot back in the day.

Why do you love Erie?

I love Erie because of the people, sled riding, and good pizza.

What pisses you off socially?

The amounts of people that love cover bands in this town. There's so much good talent here – what's with all the cover bands?

Tell me about your band.

My band is The Couchriders. We are an instrumental, surfish, spooky rock bank. All originals and we improv pretty well. Basically, we sound like your favorite band.

What music is playing in your head right now?

Right now the song "Hard Times in this Crazy Town" is constantly playing in my head. I don't know the artist though (could this be sung by Baby Huey?). I have it on a mix tape that my buddy gave me. I always remember Nate having some super cool boy style, rocking the sweatbands and wristbands. Tune into Fazed Cookies on Wednesday June 5 to hear Nate and the gang, and catch The Couchriders at the crooked i opening for Blowfly June 7. Find them and like them on at Facebook.com/TheCouchriders.

Find me out on the town and challenge yourself to get noticed by the Erie Reader!