Listen Up #3

my friend Mickey is doing issue 3 of his zine Listen Up in time for the Burning Fight weekend. he asked several people to name 5 elements of punk and hardcore that have made an impact on them. and i said...

1. road trips and making friends in far off places- i've seen corners of this country (and canada!) that i don't believe i would've been drawn to had it not been to see bands. it never fails that when i travel for shows, there are a lot of people doing the same and it makes for such an interesting stew of tired but anxious fans that the shows end up going through the roof in terms of fun and energy. i've been put up by some of the most friendly folks, always eager to show me anything new and stuff my face with their own food or local goodies. and there's such simple fun in hitting the yellow pages for record shops in towns on the road and coming up with some treasures.

2. helping to organize ClitFest 08- not to be a shithead, but i didn't have much confidence in the success of Chicago ClitFest. i thought it would be stressful and unproductive and i'd probably witness or contribute to some silly arguments. but it's a great feeling to be proven so, so wrong. this was organized by two dozen-ish ladies from chicago from all points along the feminist spectrum. i'm not attached to feminism, or any "ism" and i wanted to challenge myself against some ideas that aren't normally floating around my own head. but the beautiful thing to evolve was that there was no challenge to speak of since we had such a rad goal in mind and that was to raise money and awareness of the Chicago Women's Health Center (unbelievable place, but really busy because they are that unbelievable) and everyone was masterfully focused on that. goal achieved, personal differences pushed aside, if not celebrated and learned from.


3. shows at the Odum- this was like the half way point between club shows and basement gigs. some people hated this place. i loved every inch. loved standing on shaky wooden theater seats to watch Erba naked and bleeding. loved the polish drunk punks that made everyone laugh. loved having to close every available escape for air so the neighbors wouldn't be bothered and suffering through the sweat slime on the floors and the walls as consequence. it smelled, i loved it. it was tiny, i loved it. it was over an hour from where i lived, i loved it. it was packed with shit breathing crusties at times who spilled beer all over me, and i still loved it.


4. the Double Negative lp- this is adult crash hardcore. could NOT have fallen on my ears at a more appropriate time; existentialist "what am i DOING and who am i doing it FOR" rambling amongst introverted poetry. it's nonsensical but ends up making so much sense (like Crowley books)! four men with astounding taste in music that spans far beyond punk still finding a place for punk as an outlet. it reassured me that this music will always be a necessity though it may gather some dust from time to time. and the guitars sound like your face going through a blender. brutally. like pulse, pause for a second, pulse, pause for a second, pulse...


5. exposing me to DIY economy- it's pretty simple. i know where my money is going.