Man, that whole "Save CBGBs" nonsense really made me realize that the Punks had become what they hated the most: The Hippies.
I remember circa 1986-89 or so, when the Grateful Dead released "Touch of Grey", the Freedom Rock commercial was playing often, and I think there was a 20th anniversary of Woodstock. That seemed like the first wave of boomer nostalgia and I tells ya, it has not ebbed one iota. I think there might even be a commercial now with Peter Fonda in his Easy Rider garb selling some compilation of music.
that being said, I have always had a resentment towards the whole "We were THERE man, and it was GREAT! Sex, drugs, music, revolution...but it's too bad that you weren't even born yet, because you missed out out the MOST IMPORTANT years of culture. In fact, don't even TRY to have anything authentic, because it will pale in comparison" deal.
well, fuck that noise.
for alot of misfits, weirdoes, posers and others who found the mass culture of our time not all that invigorating, maybe you discovered a Dead Milkmen tape at the mall. maybe your cool older cousin played you The Queen is Dead. hell, i would go as far as to say that REM was pretty damn Punk. So now we had our own special thing.
Time passes. People get older, bands break up. new bands form. new scenes develop. everyone has a chance at an authentic rebellion. sometimes, you gotta work for it.
I took a friend visiting from Vancouver down to nyc. we ended up at the Mars Bar one night. there was a dude at the bar who was pretty lit, and insisted on telling this long-winded story about a pool game he played with a stranger back in the 70s.
guy: "...and his name...was...Richard...Hell"
I swear that he even did a little toast thingy.
we just both were kinda like "um, well it probably wasn't THAT weird considering that he lived around here. you'd probably run into folks from the rock scene all the time"
I think that was the 1178th time that he told that story to a couple of tourists.
let it go, man.
