> Tommy Ashcraft of Shred City

BGN- Are you from the North Shore originally?

Tommy: I am originally from Medford

BGN- When did you get into music?

Tommy: I got into SC/DC, Motley Crue, Led Zeppelin in 7th grade and Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax in high school.

BGN- When did you specifically get interested in punk music?

BGN- What were the music places (Clubs/Record Stores/music stores) in your area?

Tommy: Growing up in Medford we had Strawberries and record town in the mall (i used to go in and talk to Gary Cherone when they were the Dream) i took guitar lessons at Antonelli's music center which had minimal lame gear but it was in high school me and my buddies used to skip school and go to Daddys Junky music and Wurlitzer in Boston. The Rat was the first club i ever got into

BGN- What began your road into owning a music store?

You got everyone's attention with the Rat stage recreation. Who thought of that?

BGN- How did you do it?

BGN- You have a front door that has the Van Halen Frankenstein guitar pattern. Who's thinking of these things? Again, how it that done?

Tommy: The door was wifey's idea, it was this ugly big red door and she said you could make that into Eddys (her favorite guitar player) guitar. So I bought some gorilla tape and went off of the OG Frakenstein.

Talk about Shred City and what's going on there.

Tommy: Half of the music store is cds, vinyl, comics, cool shit, 70s wood paneled like your buddy's basement in high school. I sound proofed most of the place so people could come in and crank it, to really try some gear out (not get dirty looks like some places).
I got little shredders who come in and wail Megadeth and Metallica for hours and i love it and I encourage it (upon entry they are instructed what new gear to try). I actually hired a kid to change strings and play because he was so good.

BGN- When did you start the live music?

> Thomas Ashcraft and Mike from Goon Platoon

BGN- How did the idea with this big show with Tree and other bands start?

Tommy: I started an Instagram for the shop a few months ago and i listen to all the local bands. It's honestly like 30 years ago with the amount of awesome bands out there. I message every band i like and tell them to come check the place out. Brendan from Neighborhood Shit came by and bought a guitar and turned me onto Goon Platoon (Facebook page) old time HC. Nate from Goonplatoon and E from Stone the Oracle came by and checked out the place and said yes we want to play here. So we started working on a show and Nate said he knew Dave Tree which was funny because I've been talking to Dave for months about playing there. Dave was onboard and i heard this amazingly, nasty gutter HC band called Scümbari and they had to play. Ian the drummer had already been to the shop so they were down.

BGN- Will there be other shows in the future?

Tommy: We got bands booked every Saturday for the next three months, all different genres and styles. There's nothing like live right in your face music and i want the young kids who can't go to shows yet to be able to experience it. I think music did a full circle and I want to be a part of it.

Owner of Shred City Tommy Ashcraft

Jonah, Tommy and Nico on the Rat Stage

Jonah and Nico from Paint by Number

Jonah, Tommy and Nico on the Rat stage