Dan Samhold of Future Breed ( Instagram & Twitter @ftrbreed )

Could you introduce yourself to anyone who doesn’t already know you?

First, thank you so much for asking me to be a part of this! My name is Dan, and I started a little website called Future Breed about 20 years ago when I lived in New England and got into show photography soon after. I'm also a computer programmer, and in my day job, I currently work on the game engine that runs the video game Minecraft. It's pretty wild and a really fun gig. My wife and I go hiking a lot, and we have a cat named Arnold Palmer who is very sassy.

What was your introduction to punk and hardcore? 

My brothers are the very first people in my life to introduce me to punk, grunge, metal, and hardcore. My parents also put on a rock station in the radio a lot, which exposed me to the grunge that was getting mainstream at the time in the 90s. I got really into old school hardcore punk when I was in elementary school because my brother got a cassette tape with Circle Jerks, Black Flag, The Meatmen, and some others on it. My first show was a fest up in Quebec City in 2002 which Reel Big Fish and Grade played. I remember a lot of drunk Canadians chugging Molson and Reel Big Fish teaching everyone how to pogo.

You've been taking photos and documenting shows for a long time. Could you tell me what inspired you to start taking photos at shows?

First time I took photos at any music thing was at Warped Tour 2003. I didn't know if they'd let me in with a camera so I straight-up taped disposable cameras to the inside of my legs, and they didn't pat me down so I was fine. I really wanted just to have some photos to remember the day because it was my 15th birthday, and my brothers and cousin took me out so I could see some of my favorite bands at the time. I ended up liking it a lot so I did the same thing for Warped Tour the next year, and then in 2005, I started getting into the photo pass thing starting on my 17th birthday (really, birthdays apparently are milestones for this photo thing, weird).

What are some of your favorite memories and shows?

There are so, so, so many shows on my top list that it feels impossible to choose. A few stand-out ones in my mind.... Have Heart, Verse, Down To Nothing, Ceremony, Sinking Ships, Allegiance, Soul Control, and I Rise in an art gallery in Rhode Island in 2007. Converge, Hope Con, Ceremony, Rise & Fall, Coliseum, and Pulling Teeth at the ICC in Boston in 2009. Lots of last shows, despite all of them pretty much doing reunions since then. Have Heart and Verse last shows were especially fun. The only time I got to see Last Lights before Dom passed is one that'll always stick with me. My first Rainfest out here in 2010 was so special in so many ways, and I remember sets from Power, Dangers, Punch, Vanguard, Disembodied, Sabertooth Zombie.... That was such a good year. I got to see and photograph The Adicts with my wife a few years ago when we were first dating, and that was really special to us both and really fun to see a band that's been doing it since the 70s and still bring such a tight show.

You moved out here from the east coast a number of years ago, and I remember seeing your photos from out here starting around 2010 or 2011 i think. What made you move to the northwest and how does the scene out here differ from the east coast?

I started visiting out here at Rainfest 2010 because the guys in Word For Word and Hammer Bros said it was honestly their favorite fest going on at that time. I had an absolute blast when I came out, and honestly the number of bands I had never heard of before just blew my mind. The Pacific Northwest was this tight-knit community and these bands were just not getting out to the east coast and not being seen by the labels out there at all. I kept coming out, and then in 2014, I decided to do a bit of a career change from more boring programming stuff to working in the video game industry. I got a job at Xbox and moved out to the west coast on April Fools, and I've been here ever since!

In terms of what's different.... Fewer American Legion / VFW / church shows, that's for sure. I'd say the Boston scene had a lot quicker revolving door of folks coming in, checking things out for a year or two, and disappearing from the scene forever since it was a college town. Rainfest liked to circle pit a hell of a lot more than any shows I went to in Boston (though Outbreak in Maine? LOVES a circle pit). I think the east coast had a lot of folks who took shows for granted because of all the labels based out there always bringing folks through. The Northwest doesn't get every tour by a longshot, and I feel like people try to make it worth it when bands do come here. So bands, do more Northwest weekends please.

Who are some of the favorite bands you've been able to get photos of? And what are some of your favorite shots?

There are a lot of bands I miss and feel really fortunate I got to see and shoot like Government Warning, Righteous Jams, Outbreak, Verse, New Lows, Last Lights, The First Step, Swamp Thing, Allegiance, and so many more. Here are a few shots I've liked over the years which I don't feel too embarrassed to show

What are some of your favorite memories and shows from your time out here so far?

Visiting the Pacific Northwest for Rainfest before I moved out here was really special to me and really a highlight every year. I'm really fortunate I got to experience it at the Viaduct before that spot closed down (and ya'll better be supporting Real Art in that space!). It's absolutely bonkers I got to see The Proletariat play a garage show in Tacoma (This Is Boston Not LA is in my top 5 comps ever). The G.L.O.S.S., Pure Disgust, Firewalker, Lowest Priority show at Black Lodge is up there as one of the best DIY shows I've seen out here. I don't think I've ducked for most stagedivers coming at me than when Turnstile played Chop Suey with Basement. Also I miss that coffee shop up in Everett that was doing shows for a while. Appreciate the venues you have while they last and respect the space!

Who are your favorite current locals or bands you think people might be sleeping on?

I've been coming back cautiously into the music scene after a few years break since Covid broke out, and honestly I'm getting caught up on what I've missed and whether certain bands even stayed together through the pandemic. I like the new Denial of Life record a lot but haven't seen in them in person yet. It's awesome seeing End of Dayz blow up a bit (last show I shot pre-pandemic was their first show). I recently saw a new band called T.I.T. (Torment in Tyranny) that was chaotic fun and really fast. I always love seeing Electric Chair and Bib when I can. My listen-during-work playlist has mostly consisted of Scalp, Ingrown, Terror, Life of Agony, High Command, Excel, and Gang Green.

What would you like to see from the scene currently?

It's been a while since I've seen zines floating around, always a fan of that coming back. There was a cool concept of a show in Boston where if you brought your own zine to swap with other people, you'd get some $ off the door charge for the show. Someone should borrow that idea here! Same venue in Boston also used to do a special show every year which was exclusively new bands only (often first shows of new bands), and I thought that was a cool way to try and foster a scene. I always love to see more people booking shows, more people playing in bands, more people participating in all ways whether it's doing photos, making a zine, making stickers for bands, whatever. Overall, make people know you appreciate the work they put in and help out where you can. Hardcore punk is DIY, and it's really on us to make it happen or let it fall apart. Also, more boogie board stage diving.

Is there anything you’d like to leave people with?

We're in a pretty tough transitional time in the world. COVID isn't gone despite everyone's wishcasting that it is. I've still got friends and family being hospitalized with it, and folks are still dying out there. A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet, and the pandemic has not helped at all with that. Please show kindness to others out there and support each other. A lot of folks in the music scene have got businesses started up, are doing things freelance on the side, and they absolutely deserve your attention and support. If you have a platform, help lift up causes, businesses, and folks who could use the extra volume. Building anything from the ground up is hard, and people showing their appreciation for what you're doing can really made a difference. Thanks again for the opportunity to do this, and support your local music scene and venues that are willing to take a chance and give us the space to do our thing.