Margin Walker - Fugazi

I hate you all. Seriously.

I hate the 2 faced fake fucks. I loathe the sycophantic ass kissers. Hipsters make me wanna puke. I love Kool-Aid but I don't drink it. It makes me sad that so many people here in Vegas just put their blinders on and mingle with the herd, hoping that by associating themselves with something 'youthful', 'cool', or  'relevant', that it will somehow justify their miserable existence and relevance for a few years more. I hate that nobody questions anything anymore. Just open your maw and swallow what's given to you. Wouldn't want your friends to think you're weird, now would you? Nope! I hate that nobody calls anybody out on anything. "Turn the other cheek". "Be the bigger man." "Avoid the Drama". Fuck that. Sometimes Drama can't be avoided and it needs to be addressed ASAP. Nothing to fear but the conflict. I fear nothing. Never have, never will.

Whatever happened to doubting everything? Question Authority - anyone remember that song by that band when they were good? Yeah, me too. Nobody questions anything anymore. If it's on the Internet it must be true, right? Sad.

No cynical old jaded guy here. I'm a Realist by nature. I'm not growing a beard trying to be youthful in appearance or to hide my facial irregularities. I love the bands I love, always support my friends bands, no matter how mediocre, and if your band is good, I'll love them too. No blind acceptance here. Respect is given when it's earned. This isn't Facebook land, no matter how much you would all like it to be. It's OK to say something sucks, it's OK not to like everything. I know some websites here in town do that, like everything blindly and print exactly what some PR person sends them via email, and that's fine. Explains a lot as to why I'm ranting like I am. Your happy, smiley, Punk Rock scene is a bore. Acoustic guitars and beards aren't Punk, no matter how much you'd like it to be. What happened to Punk Rock being dangerous? Threatening? What happened to having an opinion and being brave enough to stand behind it? Remember when music labels would put out music that was good? Relevant? Exciting? Yeah, me too. I miss those days, but I don't let nostalgia rule my world. Well, sort of. ;-)

Everybody put out a 'Best Of' list this year, and they were all the same. Pathetic, weak, cookie cutter Emo Beardcore bullshit passing itself off as good music. Phooey. I wanted to put out a list of the Most Disappointing Things of 2014, but I didn't have enough time or want to make it happen. I miss going to gigs and being hyped on my friends bands playing. Seems like I just go now out of blind support and loyalty, not because I'm looking forward to hearing some good music. The fact that the talentless, pathetic bands here in town are celebrated instead of vilified for their boring assaults upon the senses is maddening. Oh well. There are some good bands here in town - don't get me wrong - but most of you won't give a shit about them until they're opening up the show at Punk Rock Posing, providing background music while the sheep are being led into the pen for fleecing. Weak... oh so weak.

It's a good thing there's someone out there willing to call them on their bullshit. It's a good thing that there is a website here in town that will give you an honest opinion, for better or for worse, of what's going on here in the Las Vegas Punk Rock music scene. It's needed badly, and I wish I could read it myself instead of write it. When did being Honest become a bad thing? Being opinionated is a bad thing now? Why? I dunno, but it's a sad day indeed that it has happened. Whatever.

We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled.
And I will keep doing it, long after most of you have grown up, grown out, and moved on to bigger and better things with your Life. Yup!

Happy New Year everyone. Let's hope all the cool clubs, bars, and bands get blown up, blow apart, or blow the fuck out of town, so that our 2015 is nothing like our 2014. Hopefully.

Always forever Optimistic.

:-)