punk rock grandpa(s)

NoMeansNo, punk rock grandpas. sure, their "funk factor" isn't my favorite sound by any means, but when i saw them with a round of close friends in austin texas several years back, it was pure euphoria. every time i think of them, i smile. punk rock grandpas.

when i was 17 and first starting listening to indie/punk/(original) emo music, or even a couple years later when i played in a hardcore band, i never really understood what drew me to the music. well, let me rephrase that... i had an honest liking of the music (there was no self-imposed "scene cred" pressure to fit in by not fitting in) and i had always listened to stuff that wasn't really played on your everyday radio station. but i never really thought about punk music in terms of a larger context. and i don't mean the occasional early-twenties thoughts that were hilariously hyperbolic (these songs are going to save the world!!!). so here i am at 32, and i honestly think i'll still be buying these types of records when i'm a grandparent. i think i've come full-circle, back to something that is much more simple than any of that youthful idealism. but even though its simple, it's hard to write about concisely. so, what is it?...

• it's small DIY venues instead of large corporate arenas.
• it's $5 for four bands, and it's $3 dollar t-shirts.
• it's, at 24, meeting your favorite band at the time and going cliff diving with them in the middle of the black hills, south dakota, only to sprain your ankle and needing them basically carry you out of a gulch before the show starts later that night.
• it's SHARP skinheads, emo kids, and tough guy hardcore peeps dancing our asses off at a Gangster Fun ska show. in IOWA.
• it's... well, fuck... i could go on and on about memories.

i'm cracking up at how silly this sounds, but hey - i can't help it. i guess what i'm getting at is it's more personal. more attainable. more intimate. more tangible. more real. it's that simple.

for the very few people who read this blog - i'll probably edit this in a couple days. it doesn't sound quite right yet. we're off for a weekend getaway. toodaloo.