Anarcho-punk had a strong and very active base on Long Island from around 2001 to 2005. These four years gave rise to venues like Freespace and networks such as Food Not Bombs.
Influences
Long Island Punk was stupid and left wing. End of story
Artists
Many different subgenres of punk rock were associated and supported within the counterculture. Venues like the "sandlot" - literally, an empty lot of sand complete with electricity and a makeshift stage - would house local talent regardless of their sound or influences. The Sandlot saw its end when the first "Scene unity" fest's booker Jeremy Polit ran away with 15 million dollars of the money made, and spent it on a new computer.
This venue saw artists from as far as New Jersey, and was home for names like the (grindcore/noise) Fornicate and the Dropdeads - two largely influential bands that never gained large commercial success. But these big influential bands never actually played at the sandlot until 2 of Long Islands most sucessful promoters Jeremy Polit and Will Puntarich decided to help out.
'Scene Unity' fests would bill crust bands like Treason with such diverse bands as 1905. It was also normal for many Riotfolk artists to attend.
Left-leaning students, initially fueled by albums like "Reinventing Axl Rose" were introduced to many groups from the Plan-it X label. To this day, groups like the politically-charged Ghost Mice and Defiance, Ohio remain largely influential to local artists. If it was not for the previously stated festivals, then a majority of long island would of never heard of such bands until they appeared in hot topic.
People
There were many people that contributed to the long island scene, among these people were:
Jeremy Polit(Long Johnson) - A major promoter, and venue starter. Booked over 30 shows with notable bands like 1905, Allergic To Whores, A Life Once Lost, The Banner, Daughters, Leftover Crack, MDC, Mischief Brew, Toxic Narcotic, Two Man Advantage and Witchhunt. He was the front band for Fornicate, a local thrash band that always brought a room full of people to their shows. Although he was never loved by the majority of the punk scene, He was what brought the scene together, though from time to time he is asked by famed punk rock idol and known philanderer Erik Skum for his 10 bucks Jeremy didn't give him for playing a show. Jeremy Polit now lives in Portland Oregon where he makes art with his body and sells raccoon pelt caps to make ends meat.
Will Puntarich - Now lives in Brighton Massachusetts and is studying Advertising, Graphic Design and Law. He is the process of creating his own creative "think tank" company called "thebrainseed".
John Vanek - Was another staple in the Long Island Punk Scene, most notable for his band "The Oblivious". He also was a guest singer for Endangered Feces at CBGB's. You can find John Vanek living in Saint James NY with is wife Belinda Maverak from the band Killface and Limpa, they rent a nice and cozy studio apartment where they share a bed with their dog Vomit. John Vanek is still Straight Edge as far as we know, but people speculate he may or may not be a robot.
Joe Franzese - Drummer of the Oblivious and founder of the website LIPUNX. You can find Joe Franzese working at a waste managment facility somewhere on the island. People still wonder when Joe was quoted saying " One day I'm gonna kill all your motherfuckers, I'm'a be all up in your shit" to several underage drinkers, that he already knew what line of work he'd be in today.
The Movement Fractures
As typical for a group committed to Anarchism, the decline of this particular movement was largely attributed to landlord and property issues.
Even at festivals dedicated to "unity", there were endless physical confrontations and factional differences. Many venues were lost to fights.
Subsequently, the Ronkonkoma Freespace became increasingly hard to finance. The location of the venue was also quite inconvenient during the rise of police presence at the LIRR after 9-11.
Though the venues may not be around, many local artists appear to continue to support radical politics in one way or another. Though the anarcho-punk movement had fallen, it has given rise to several different, unique and undefinable countercultures still seen on Long Island to this day. Unless the villian of the Punk scene Matt Rammalkamp burned them down.