March 22, 2001
St. Andrew's Hall
7:00 pm
The Vandals, Lagwagon, The Ataris

By Tony Boling

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the sold-out Vandals/Lagwagons show at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit. The Ataris were the opening band. I listen to the Ataris every now and then, but I wouldnt consider myself a huge fan or anything. A little too emo for me, but hey, to each his own right? They played a good set and there were a lot of kids out to see them considering they've never played in Detroit. They have played in Michigan before - Grand Rapids & "somewhere near a tank" they said. As soon as the Ataris set started, the crowd went off.

This is not however a concert review. No, its more of a gripe.

I stood on the main floor, fairly close to the front and just to the right side as not to get sucked into the pit. There were these two kids, about 17 or 18, standing infront of me. One of the kids wore a Ford workshirt and had his hair cut pretty close in an inverted mohawk fashion. The other wore a Bouncing Souls "hoodie" and had jet black hair that was all in about one and a half inch spikes. As they stood there, they weren't listening to the Ataris and I assumed they weren't fans. Thats fine - I wasnt there to see the Ataris either, but to see a fun Vandals show.

What really pissed me off the condescending manner in which they looked at the kids in the pit. I could see them commenting on they way kids were dancing. I could see them mention "pogo-ing" and laughing - pointing at the crowd and laughing.

Everyone has a different reason for getting into punk rock, but they all share a common thread. At some point they were "persecuted", for lack of a better word, for something they believed in. Possibly either a political view, a or a status-quo view. They experienced prejudice for who they were because they went against the grain.

Those kids (Johnny-more-punk-than-you) criticizing everyone for liking a band they didn't, or they didnt consider "punk rock" enough, embodied everything that punk rock kids were against. It's that elitist attitude that really puts a damper on how people look at other punk rock kids. They are rotten apples of the scene. They have become what their enemies are. I had to hold back my primal urge to grab one of them by the neck and beat the shit out of him! How dare he stand there and judge his peers! Thats NOT what its all about. Then I realized how much violence is associated with punk and how wrong of an assumption that is.

I moved quietly to the other side of the stage, and actually got a better view. I sw the same two kids later on joining in the pit with the kids they were making fun of earlier. I guess they were acceptable now since they were moshing to a band that the two "Johnny's" liked.

Does anyone else see the same shit at shows?