This is Just a Punk Rock Show....... Or is it?

This may sound odd, but nothing restores my faith in humanity like a good punk rock show. Sure, most of the time the lyrics are terrible (I know, there are a few exceptions here) and forget trying to have meaningful conversation with anyone (the music is way to loud for any of the conventional forms of communication). However, in my opinion, you will never find a more diverse and accepting crowd of people than the audience at a punk rock show. Nowhere else will you see a guy with a 2 foot tall blue Mohawk enjoying the company of a guy that looks like he belongs in a Banana Republic advertisement.

A lot of people believe that punk shows are just for kids, and perhaps adults that have a lot of growing up to do, but I really disagree. Sure, there is a lot of chaos in a punk mosh pit at its height of revelry and sure, things can sometimes go wrong, but I always know that at a Punk Rock show, if I go down, I am always surrounded by complete strangers that will instantly help me back up. In a world where a person will walk by another who is begging for help (even if it's just a dollar to pay for a hot meal) without even acknowledging their existence, I think there is a lot to learn from the sort of community that can be had at a good punk show. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the philharmonic or the opera as much as the next guy but I know that when I am there, I am isolated, only in the company of those that I came with.

In the words of The Dropkick Murphy's "It doesn't take a big man to knock somebody down, just a little courage to lift him of the ground"