PUNK ROCK 101: Posers

By Skippy Rodman

Standing outside a club in Asbury Park recently, an
individual with a mohawk and a punk rock sense of style
asked me what type of music I preferred. I said I
listened mostly to punk and used some examples of my
favorite bands that included the Bouncing Souls and the
Descendents. Naturally, he knew of the Bouncing Souls.
After all, we were in Asbury and unless you live under
a rock in that area I’m sure you’ve heard of them once
or twice (there is sarcasm in that statement). To my
surprise, though, there was a blank stare as I spoke of
the Descendents being one of my favorite bands. After
having a very unsatisfying conversation with this
individual, I turned to my friend and said, “This guy
had no idea who the Descendents were.” My friend agreed
and I went on one of my rants.
My most current rant… Everyone dresses all punk rock,
but really doesn’t know the music or has any passion for
the scene. Try walking through the mall on a Friday
night. You’ll see a bunch of “I’m so punk rock and
cool” kids walking around. Why aren’t they at a show?
At that age, I was at a show on a Friday night. Then
there’s individuals who go to shows, but don’t actually
watch any bands. They just hang outside. These are the
people that get dressed up in their best “Hot Topic”
clothes, pay to get into a show, and don’t watch any
bands.
It bothers me that so many kids don’t know the roots
to our scene. If you like a band, read about their
influences. It will open a whole new punk rock door to
your life. For instance, if you love Green Day you
should know that they used to be on a little label
called Lookout Records and then you will discover
Operation Ivy. If you are a hardcore fan, do some
research on it’s history and you may just stumble upon
a band called Minor Threat. And finally just for me…
look up the Descendents! They have influenced some of
the biggest pop punk bands of today.