Hardcore punk enthusiasts and musicians alike crammed into the Marsh Arts House, a dorm at Amherst College, for a free “Western Mass Attack” show at roughly 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12.

Western Massachusetts has a lively community of hardcore genre enthusiasts, with venues including the Marsh House, the Jones Library, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, the Rat Trap and the Hoff in Holyoke. The frequent shows held there draw a returning, dedicated and violent audience.