Creative Loafing Atlanta

On Friday, August 9, A Rippin’ Production kicks off a weekend of headbanging revelry at 529, celebrating five years of bringing only the finest in hardcore, punk, thrash, and metal mayhem to Atlanta. The story begins in 2014 when Amos Rifkin first tried his hand at the promotions game: He booked Manchester U.K.’s classic oi-punk and new wave group Slaughter and the Dogs to headline a show in Purgatory at the Masquerade’s original North Avenue location. Call it beginner’s luck, but Slaughter and the Dogs happened to be touring the States performing songs from the group’s undisputed masterpiece, 1978’s "Do It Doggystyle" LP. A perfectly calibrated set of openers for a Wednesday night — featuring like-minded local punks and rock ’n’ rollers Maggos Heros, Gunpowder Gray, Antagonizers, and Dinos Boys — filled out the rest of the bill for a riotous night of music. “For a minute I was innocent enough to think that all of my shows would be that magical,” Rifkin laughs. “For one brief moment, I was batting a thousa