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John imperio's avatar

I apologize for being "that guy" who feels the need to comment on everything but I find it refreshing that there are people in my age group (40s) that acknowledge that hXc is something that was and still is an important staple in their lives. Plus these interviews touch on subjects that I think a lot about to. (getting older being, anxiety about the future) But I read a great op-ed piece in the New York times the other day from 2017 entitled; "We aren't built to live in the moment" by Martin Seligman and John Tierney. They make a great observation that provided great comfort for me and I hope it does for people reading this; "What best distinguishes our species is an ability to contemplate the future. Our singular foresight created civilization and sustains society. It usually lifts our spirits, but it's also the source of most depression and anxiety, whether we're evaluating our own lives or worrying about the nation" (I know squirrels bury nuts for the winter but those behaviors are all instinctive) But great food for thought anyway.

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Mike Riley's avatar

As I approach 50 and still enjoy going to shows and seeking out new punk/hardcore bands, and still want to be in punk/hardcore bands performing live, I think about age a lot. Within the first few years of moving to Colorado I put out feelers about wanting to get a band going. A few folks got in touch and I was familiar with their current band. That was about all I knew about them. I was in my mid-40s at this point. We met up at a sandwich shop to get to know each other and it turned out they were all still teenagers living with their parents. Now, in the world of punk and hardcore, it's not all that strange for multiple generations of folks to be standing and slamming alongside each other at a show, but when I thought about being this person in his 40s and going to their parents' house for band practice, that was a bridge too far for me. I'm happy to say those kids are all still doing some of my favorite bands in the area (check out Direct Threat with an EP coming out soon on Iron Lung Records). I'm still trying to get that band going but finally meeting folks more around my age to make it happen.

One other bit that caught my eye was when Frank said "I also think there are elements of religious impulse that run through quite a lot of punk rock. That’s an unfashionable statement, but I think it’s true." This is a subject that Damian touches on quite often in his Turned Out a Punk podcast, and I agree. Between the various sects and ideologies and people we idealize and fetishize like deities (Ian, Henry, Ray, Sid, Joe...), there are a lot of similarities.

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