7 Seconds Show Part 1: How mediocrity makes punk exceptional...

I hadn't seen a show since the Subhumans back on Election Day, so I was pretty psyched to see 7 Seconds at the Ottobar last night. After all, they were a really important band to me for years (I bought the Crew 20 years ago). Kill Your Idols, Champion and the Sparks also played and while I wasn't as excited about seeing them, each made me think of something to blog about, so I'll take the next few days and cover the whole thing.

I'll start with the opener, a Baltmore hardcore band called the Spark. They were same old hardcore that has been pounding audiences for 25 years, but it still sounds fresh live, especially coming from young musicians who might not even have been born when this music made it's first rumblings. There was nothing particularly special about the Spark, except the honest conviction with which they played. The singer was particularly animated and engaging, but both the bass and guitar players may have done well to face the audience occaisionally. They put on a good show nonetheless, even if they're probably never gonna get out of the local Baltimore scene, because every town has at least a few bands just like them. An interesting thing about punk is that it not only makes this kind of mediocrity okay, it's actually a good thing. Punk wears the DIY ethic like a badge and part of what makes punk scenes so cool is that anyone can be in a band. It all but eliminates the divide between audience and performer and that is as true for small bands as it is for larger ones. Last night, it was as true for the Spark as it was for 7 Seconds, but it wouldn't be possible without bands like the Spark who make us all realize that there's no difference between the kids in the audience and the kids on the stage and we're kids no matter what our age.