Posted by m1s1n (66.62.152.10) on June 26, 2002 at 15:46:44:
To start this topic I will recall the events of last night. First I'd like to give props to dev's band The Creeps for playing their hearts out to an audience that wasn't there, and playing a great set anyway.
Onto the tale==
Last night I took the three hour drive to Portland to see The Creeps play at the Satyricon. Mixed conversations in town led me to believe that no one goes there, and that it's kind of a shithole, but decided that I'd rather go see Dev then not at all. So I made the drive at 5 o'clock in the afternoon to make it to the 9 o'clock show. Did I mention in 94 degrees of sweltering heat? Without any water?
Finally I arrived in the metropolis known as Portland (or P-Town to the hip) already feeling the effect of heat exhaustion, but this is for Dev after all. Upon arriving at the club I park (and get swindled by the old rascally parking guy who overcharged me three-dollars) and head to the show. Eventually the Creeps show up and we have a short (but interesting none the less) conversation about what it means to be punk. At this point I realize that part of being punk is striving to meet the expectations of punk, while not admitting to actually working at it. The punk ideal seems to be a culture that is set in denial, self gratification, and finger pointing.
To quote Devin "Being punk is just idiocy."
This becomes more and more relivant the longer you try to hold a conversation with a 'punker.'
Everyone who's made money on punk has sold-out. You won't sell out. But you want that record contract. In fact, you feel that record contract coming around the corner. But you know you won't sell out. Not like the Misfits, AFI, or Greenday.
To tie this into religion I raise an interesting question on culture. It seems that everyone who claims to be a 'punker' has followed the general form in being a punker. This has created the 'punk culture' which has set a standard for living and thinking. Do you think that most religions followed this culture-group path to becoming a major religion?
And how is it that someone could be so disillusioned to the vast dichotemy that they are living (such as being a punker who wants to make money without selling out)?
Testify!
Oh yea, to finish the story. I left the show at about midnight feeling like hell in a handbasket from my heat exhaustion, and now hearing an insationable ring in both ears. After getting lost in downtown Portland (and almost being hit twice) I finally found my way onto the 26, which eventually leads home. An hour later I found myself hurling on the side of the road, so I curled up in the back seat and slept for two hours. I finished the rest of the trip in less than an hour--meaning I was traveling at speeds that put the Mach 5 to shame.