“I maintain against the grain.”

In addition to being one of my favorite Bad Religion lyrics, it is, I believe the unfulfilled wish of punk rock. At least this generation of punk rock, Conformity has become the new norm of punk. Where as the punk came out of the desire to swim against the tide, it slowly turned the tide to the point where the new generation of punk bands dominates the hard rock charts and radio stations.

The dress code for punk set long ago, has maintained to this day. It’s like a uniform you get when you buy your first punk CD. If you go to a punk show as I did last night (Bad Religion and Pennywise at the new Nokia Theatre) the overwhelming majority of those in the crowd are in uniform and those that aren’t, are normally segregated to the sides and rear of the venue.

The worst of the conformity comes from the thought police. The Lefts control on punk is absolute. Those that dare defy them are as marginalized and insulted, as most punks are in the general population of your average high school. Where as “think different” could be used to sum up the early philosophy of punk (think Johnny Rotten walking down the streets of England in a “I Hate Pink Floyd” shirt) now those that do dare think differently, and not just about politics, are objects of ridicule from those born of ridicule.

I hope it strikes others as much as it does me, that I feel more punk being a 27 New York Jew, who is politically conservative, wearing jeans and polo shirt at a show, then most of the kids there?

# posted by UCScottB4U @ 12:00 PM