AUTOMAT0M: A Dream Punk Show

In connection with Recording the Ride: The Rise of Street-Style Skate Videos, MoMI presents a free punk show featuring the cyberpunk, hardcore music of Automat0m! As heard in the soundtrack selections of many skate videos in the exhibition, the fast tempos of punk music were an essential part of ’80s and ’90s skate culture and influenced the editing of skate videos. 

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. During the event, food and beverages will be available for purchase at Mon Amour Café. 

About the Band 

Automat0m is a New York City–based alternative rock band featuring singer-songwriter Ernest G. D’Amaso, singer-keyboardist Debbie Chou, guitarists Jason Coscia and Stephen Woodzell, and drummer Dan Kramer. It was formed in January 2022; D’Amaso previously fronted the retro pop soul act Ernest Ernie and the Sincerities until the COVID-19 pandemic. During lockdown in 2020, D’Amaso reconnected with his love of hard rock music and started writing songs reminiscent of his ’90s youth. The name Automat0m was chosen for the imagery conjured up with the alternate spelling: the 0m is a reference to the Hindu mantra “Om” but with a characteristically cyberpunk substitution of the letter o for number zero. The songs’ lyrical themes delve into an array of issues of the day, including identity, incels, and internet meme culture. The band’s sound is a feedback-drenched blend of hardcore punk and anthemic shoe-gazey hard rock complete with the melodiously frenzied vocal interplay of Ernest G. D’Amaso and Debbie Chou. Automat0m have released two EPs, The Memeing of Life (July 2023) and Portrait Mode (May 2024). They plan to record their first full-length album in early 2025.