Punk Rock Witch

I mostly post about the weather, I know, and the differences I've noticed between MA and NC, where I moved from, and there are plenty. Even 3 years in, I still feel like I'm in a foreign country, often.

Did y'all know I was a punk rock drummer back in the day? Okay, so I am 56 years young, and in 1979 or so, I was at college, and I was asked to play drums in a new band that my friends were trying to form. I had a set of drums because I had gotten a wild hair a couple months prior (bought from an ad on the grocery store bulletin board), but I didn't do anything with it. My brother mostly played them.

So, being punk, they said "Bring the drums here,  and learn how, and you can be our drummer!" So I did.
I took lessons at the same time the band was writing songs and learning how to be a band. I had to tell the drum teacher "I need to learn how to play the drums right now, because I'm already in a band". He honestly tried to teach me paradiddles and such, alongside 4/4 beats, but I never did learn the rudiments. I did, however, play in that band on stage within four months, and did a fair job of it, if I do say so myself.

And then continued on to play in more bands, till I moved to NC in 1988 and had another band for awhile, which I thought rather s*cked compared to my prior bands, but it was fun. And then I mostly stopped.

But THANK ALL THE GODS FOR THE INTERNET, because in '07 there was a reunion party, which I went to, and then in 2014 there was a huge one, and way more sophisticatedly run, with 12 of the orignal bands from back in the day. Including my first band, Distortion. The one I mentioned above. It was the most amazing time ever.

And then, just this past Sunday, there was another one. I didn't play this one, but it was even more amazing than the last one, if that is possible.

Here is my account of that, copied and pasted from a Facebook group I'm on:

Back in ‘79-80 or so was the beginning of punk rock, more or less. I played drums for punk bands in Syracuse, NY. It was an amazing scene, bands supporting each other, ones that were more popular giving newer, inexperienced bands a chance to be the opening band, so they’d get practice and exposure.

There had to be some 150 people strong, or more, at any given time. We all went out to see whichever band, every night, and they would come see us.

HUGE, tight scene. Everyone knew everyone else’s name.

Fast fwd to 2007, there was a reunion of sorts in Syracuse, and I was at my brother’s in upstate NY for Christmas. They kept my son overnight and I hopped over to Syracuse for that. It was amazing.
In 2014, there was a HUGE reunion. Twelve of the original bands that formed and played in ‘79-80 graced the stage. My first band, Distortion, was one of the honored guests. It was the most amazing night of my life, probably ever.

And then this past Sunday night was another one. I didn't play this time, but there were a whole bunch of good and loyal punk rockers from back in the day.
Thank all the gods for internet. My whole punk scene, all 150-odd, is and has been back in touch and we all love one another so, so much, still.

Oh! And Tom Kenny, the voice of Sponge Bob, was one of our original scene. He was there last night. I haven’t seen him in 25 years, though I have been able to sort of keep up with his awesome success thru the media. And my son got a pic with him so he can name drop at school 😉 He hasn't changed since back in the day. None of us really have, I think! We were all transformed to the 16-25yo’s that we once were.

People say you can’t go back again. I say HELL yes, you can!