As part of our Nostalgia & History series, in this essay, Will Gallagher revisits Staten Island’s early 2000s punk scene through the eyes of a South Shore kid discovering his voice. From the quiet streets of Rossville to the life-changing night at L’Amour’s Battle of the Bands, this story captures how one night of local music transformed isolation into belonging—and how Staten Island’s underground culture continues to shape lives far beyond the stage.

Remembering Guy Klucevsek, composer and accordionist, who called Staten Island home.