Media Mondays! (A new series) PUNK IS NOT DEAD!!!

May 20, 2019

By: Cailin Conroy

I’ve never understood why throughout my life I have always seen this phrase in various places…

PUNK IS DEAD!

Punk music has always been one of my favorite genres of music, if not my most favorite! I love all music (except for country, don’t even get me started, some southern rock is cool but whatever….) , it’s by far my biggest passion and the very broad “punk genre” has always been super high on the list!

I initially got into punk music shortly before I entered high school if I had to guess? I know for sure by the time I entered high school is what like my entire life revolved around at the time. I hung out with all the “punk” kids, was always going to shows (both local and otherwise), and was even in a few of my own punk bands over the years.

Punk is such an amazing genre of music that I feel is often misunderstood by some who may have never had much exposure or experience with it? Not to say that’s the norm or anything but yea, moving on!

I feel like Punk in general whether you are referring to the varying music styles or the “fashion” is for the most part, in my experience, completely different than what your average “regular everyday person” may think.

Punk if nothing else I believe is about COMMUNITY!

I guess most “niche” or less “mainstream” than other interests tend to stress this more than most sometimes. The punk community if nothing else, in the simplest terms, is a gathering of “misfits!” I mean that in the greatest possible way mind you! A group of individuals from all walks of life, coming together to mutually appreciate music they love and their respective artists!

If you’ve ever been to a punk show before this should be more than enough to make this clear!

And I’m not talking about every show you’ll ever go to because some can tend to be a touch more “hardcore” but just average run of the mill punk show, ha ha!

Every single person in the crowd at a punk show (excluding random a-holes!) is constantly looking out for each other!

You lost your shoe?

I’m sure everyone around you is trying to help you find it and hopefully you do!

(I’ve personally finished a show in just socks for the record…)

O, NO! You fell down in the PIT!

Typically, people will form a “circle of protection” around you until someone else helps you get back up!

These are just two super quick examples but ones I’m sure we have all experienced or witnessed if a punk show has been a previous pleasure of yours.

Punk is about nothing more than appreciation of music and a great sense of community at it’s core! It’s about plenty of others things, of course, but I believe this sums it up in it’s simplest terms.

Punk often I feel has this connotation of “violence” tagged to it which is in most cases not the case at all in my opinion. Sure, some level has and always will imply with it some level of “revolution” but don’t many types of other genres tend to also share similar themes, don’t they?

This brings me back to my original point….

How is it exactly that “Punk is Dead?”

I mean if it’s one of my favorite musical genres and one that I have shared with plenty of others?

Is this just from people who really wanted like “anarchy” or something like that?

I truly don’t understand at all….

If, plenty of artists and creators are still alive and well, constantly still performing and the like.

Why do you think this?

If anyone has any input I would seriously, no joke, love to hear about it so leave me a comment if you like!

I’m going to leave you with this…

Punk is about a lot more than just fashion, world views, or anything else for that matter!

First and foremost, it’s about MUSIC!

Not to say that punk doesn’t tend to carry with it a “certain mentality” I feel like from my experience. I don’t think it matters if your someone rocking the biggest mohawk I’ve ever seen with ripped jeans or maybe you’ve grow up a bit and find yourself now rocking a suit and tie most days for work!

You’re still PUNK as hell if you still have that music appreciation and mentality alive in your HEART!