Arts & Entertainment

Hatetank Productions helps local scene grow

By Jason Gagnon
The Daily Cougar

The longstanding ethic of do-it-yourself shows and booking in punk rock remains intact in Houston because of the work of Hatetank Productions.

Sure, a couple of other groups in town work in the same fashion, bringing local and touring bands to the music-hungry masses, but Hatetank does its work with such enthusiasm for the music they love that it makes them stand out.

Willow Villarreal is the figurehead, and he began Hatetank out of selfish reasons, "because shows were skipping Houston and going just to Dallas and Austin," he said.

A couple of years ago, he moved to Houston from Victoria, where he would occasionally book shows. 

"Somehow, people still had my contact info when I moved, and I got asked to help out a band. We did one show and it just snowballed from there," Villarreal said.

With the aid of Madalyn Tunchez, Julie Lopez and a few more friends, Hatetank Productions was born. The collective books are mainly hardcore and metal shows, but Hatetank has no problem branching out. 

"We never said we were doing just hardcore. We do underground music, hardcore, indie, metal and punk. Just so that music comes here and it helps the scene grow," he said. That certainly has happened. Since Hatetank started, the crowds at their shows keep getting bigger and more diverse, with no sign of stopping. 

A big part of that has to do with the friendly atmosphere the group provides at their shows. Walk into any Hatetank show and, instead of stares and whispers from the regulars, youire more likely to find someone coming up to you and introducing themselves. 

"People come out to the show and itis just a big hangout," Tunchez said. 

Villarreal added, "Itis just a friendly vibe. In the hardcore scene, there is always a united feeling. A lot of times, our shows are like a party even though some kids donit like to drink." 

Donit think that booking bands and putting on shows is all fun and games. Hatetank Productionsi workers sacrifice a great deal of their own time and money to bring bands to Houston, and they rarely turn a profit. Aside from that, they often have to deal with unappreciative people who donit understand just how difficult it can be to put on a single show. 

"Kids complain about how much shows cost, and they take things for granted when bands come to town," Villarreal said. "If we werenit doing this, then a lot of bands that people listen to wouldnit be coming here."

Neither money nor recognition really matters to the individuals who keep Hatetank Productions going, they say. They are just a few kids who really love their local music scene and do what they can to make it grow. 

You can view a full list of their upcoming shows at www.hatetank.org.

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