Punks Among Us

I will forever miss the time I spent at The Daily Grind, when it was still open between the Unicorn theater and Grand Emporium. Several nights a week I would go in to check out punk, ska, rock, and experimental bands. It also fell to the mighty swish of the Fire Marshall's pen.

The Daily Grind was the best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpvZoPGArIA

Jason, You said we closed the El Torreon to DIY Punk? We were huge supporters of the punk scene, we did many punk shows in the time we ran the place, and our label did 2 punk albums, The Skate O Masochists, and The Rippers(they broke up prior to release), we also recorded under the black sails, and many others, we averaged at least one punk show a week,and the turnouts averaged about 10 - 15 at best. There needs to be a crowd to support a scene, and the reality is this scene goes to house parties. The main reason these house parties and stuff do so well is simple, Teenagers CAN GET DRUNK!!! Thats the reason no "all ages" venue will ever be able to compete with a big house party, you can't drink. The same thing used to go on in the West Bottoms "back in the day" with bands like Mortal Reign and Banshee in the metal scene, and Cretin 66 et al in the punk scene. HUGE underground parties. So they play house parties, thats where the kids are, no public place will ever be able to compete.... unless they drop the drinking age back to 18????

In response to Drew: The idea that access to alcohol is the reason All Ages venues don't last is hilarious. Look at the picture for this article. It was taken at El Torreon. No alcohol was served or allowed inside at that show. Looks like at least a few more than 10-15 people. Both Valhalla and the Anchor were alcohol free All Ages venues and both hosted huge shows. There was a recent all local punk and hardcore show at a rented VFW hall that was all ages and alcohol free; there were nearly 200 kids there for the show. If shows are booked and nobody shows up it sounds like maybe a management issue to me. Maybe charging too much at the door? Maybe no promotion? It's definitely not because kids won't come out unless they can get drunk.

Goddamn... I didn't even know El Torreon was closed. I guess the last show I went to was the xBISHOPx show last Feb.? I saw some of the best concerts of my life there, it was my favorite venue. You were right there with the band, hanging out. In summer it was burning up, in winter it was fucking freezing. That was part of the magic of El Torreon. Thanks for the memories I guess... Now where the fuck am I going to see good concerts?

Jason, I thought you wrote an excellent article. I appreciate you and The Pitch paying attention to what people really want. The point of your article--the way I read it--had very little to do with needing a venue that makes big money and everyone gets fucked up and smashes things and the youth of the world get a little more dilusioned(or dilusional, in my case, back-in-the-day) and cynical. Everything you said in the article, and the thoughtfulness it took to remind us of what the punk-rock "theme" (that might get my ass kicked, what fucking "theme," really?)was summed up when you asked the reader to take a look at the picture, and gave us a guided tour of the crowd, pointing out the details that really meant something...that really "says" something. A place to say what it is you want to say dressed how you want to dress and ALWAYS feeling sexy-as-hell while discussing society's "ills" ("goods" are just to boring and well, good) shouldn't be too hard to find if everyone just thought a little differently...ya know, take a job when you don't have to work or just decide one day ya ain't wearing a tie I don't care what everyone else is doing. "If a punk doesn't say it, who will?" Well, you just did. Congratulations kid. And how can I get aholda that picture? It's going over my bed.