On October 18, 2000, Bridge Nine and Equal Vision Records released the Ten Yard Fight documentary The Only Way to coincide with National Edge Day. This was no coincidence, with the final Ten Yard Fight show held the year previously on October 17, 1999 now considered to be the first official National Edge Day.
The Only Way, originally released on VHS in a limited press of 1000 copies, briefly traces the bands journey to that historic date. With only a few interviews with members, some footage from a European tour and a set at the now defunct Showcase Theatre in Corona, CA, the bulk of the documentary focuses on that final concert.
Edge Fest, as it was originally known, across the street from Fenway Park at the Karma in Boston. The show featured solid opening sets from Boston locals Reach The Sky, In My Eyes, and Bane, all of whom have songs featured in the documentary. Ten Yard Fight especially delivered a well-executed, heartfelt set, with a surprise appearance by Mark Porter of New Jersey‘s Floorpunch.
Seen now, the video sheds little light on anything to do with Ten Yard Fight, its formation, or its members. Instead, it serves more as concert documentary on the inaugural Edge Day, a day that has become one of the most important days of the year for many straight edge kids.
For those making the trek to Fenway Park, the Karma nightclub is indeed gone now. However if you’re lucky, you might still be able to find some Silly String stuck behind some crack in the Lansdowne Pub.
