Punk in Drublic – August 20th – Fiddler’s Green

*Photos by Johne Edge* *& Krista Brewer*

nos·tal·gia

/näˈstaljə, nəˈstaljə/
noun
noun: nostalgia; plural noun: nostalgias

“a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.”

A quick way to induce nostalgia is through music. I first experienced bands like The Circle Jerks, T.S.O.L, Dwarve s and the Adolescents when I was only a teenager hopping fences to skate empty pools in the backyards of houses that were for sale (at least until the cops came). In the 80’s I would see bands like these playing in lineups that would include five bands for five dollars. A lot of times they played at makeshift DIY venues: backyards, empty warehouses, and unused BPOE halls. There were no liquor licenses, so not-so-cold beers were brought in back packs and shared amongst the crowd and band members. If the mainstream had been right, and we were the latest generational threat to society, Punk should have faded away into obscurity like so many musical trends before it, but it didn’t.

Next, there was another wave of Punk that included bands like NOFX, Pennywise, and the Suicide Machines. The hardcore edge softened and the bands became a little more melodic. These bands belonged to someone else’s youth, not mine, but I still enjoyed them.

It seems like every decade or so there was a new, or “next wave,” of Punk. Each wave changing the genre by incorporating elements from other musical genres including Country, Folk and even Pop music. Wave after wave of new artists like Bad Cop Bad Cop, Bridge City Sinners, Pkew x 3, Cheap Perfume, and All Waffle Trick have kept Punk going. Each wave bringing in new listeners to the musical genre.

Many people have defined nostalgia as comparing the past with the present and saying, implicitly, that the past was better. Brew Ha Ha Productions and events like Punk in Drublic prove this to be wrong. It is not about one wave of Punk or another being the best. It is about the crowd, both young and old, brought together by nostalgia. Punk music gives the crowd musical roots and continuity and makes the audience feel good about itself and each other. Events like last Saturday’s festival continue to provide texture to our lives and help give us strength to move forward. See you next time in the pit.