CIV rose from New York hardcore in the mid-90s, led by frontman Anthony Civarelli after his time with Gorilla Biscuits. The 30-year salute to Set Your Goals points back to a debut that mixed speed, bounce, and big, tuneful hooks.

Thirty years, still fast

Early on, Walter Schreifels helped shape the record, writing and producing key parts while the band locked in a tighter, brighter sound. Expect them to run the album in sequence, with anchor moments like Set Your Goals and Can't Wait One Minute More, plus encores such as Do Something or Secondhand Superstar. The room usually ranges from long-time NYHC heads to younger punk fans and skaters, with shared singing on gang parts and quick, respectful movement up front.

Who shows up and why it clicks

Trivia heads note the Revelation-to-major label path around that first album and CIV's long-running Lotus Tattoo shop on Long Island. Treat any set and production details here as educated forecasts rather than fixed plans.

CIV scene, from pit to merch wall

The floor fills with vintage Revelation tees, patched jackets, and a few crisp baseball caps from the era. You will hear warm-ups before the set, brief chants of CIV between songs, and the big line of cant wait one minute more yelled as a shared cue.

Signals from the pit

Pits are lively yet watchful, with quick hand-ups and space opened for smaller folks when the charge starts. Merch tends to favor clean fonts, the classic Statue logo, and anniversary vinyl of Set Your Goals in a special color.

Old habits, new faces

You might spot old laminates on keychains and tiny zines traded near the back, a quiet nod to how this scene circulates stories. Photo habits skew low key, with a few disposables and quick snaps during the chorus pile-ups, then phones away. It reads like a reunion that welcomes new faces, more about a shared pulse than dress codes.

CIV sound first: muscle and melody

CIV's voice stays gruff but tuneful, pushing just ahead of the beat while the gang vocals widen the choruses. Guitars use tight, percussive downstrokes and quick chord grabs, with simple lines that jump into hooky refrains.

Hooks that hit and quit

The rhythm section keeps songs near two minutes, stopping on a dime so the shouts feel like a release rather than a drone. Live, they often extend the final refrain by a few bars to let the crowd carry the last word. A neat quirk is how some transitions tag a two-bar drum break so the next riff lands as one clean punch.

Music first, lights second

Lighting is usually high contrast and clear, so the music reads first while banners nod to Set Your Goals art. That balance lets CIV stay edgy and brisk while still sounding bright and very singable.

CIV kindred on the road

Fans of Gorilla Biscuits are obvious neighbors, given shared members and the same sprinting, upbeat core. Quicksand fits too, since its melodic weight and Walter's songwriting DNA echo in Set Your Goals.

Kindred riffs, common roots

If you like H2O, you will recognize the clean, catchy shout-along choruses and straight-ahead tempos. Sick of It All brings a harder edge, but the crowd energy and call-and-response feel overlap with CIV's shows. Many The Bouncing Souls fans cross over because of the bright, street-punk melody and scrappy positivity.

If you like this, you will like that

All of these bands favor short songs, big hooks, and community-minded rooms that welcome singalongs. If those names sit on your playlists, this night will feel like the same block, just a different doorbell.