June 13, 2001

Punk makes positive noise

Third Level Crisis Center sponsors youth concert


      By GARRET LEIVA
Herald editor
       Some might stereotype spiked-hair, body-pierced teens hanging out at the Open Space as a bunch of punks. This past Saturday, however, they would have been absolutely right.
      For the second year in a row, Third Level Crisis Center sponsored a free Punk Show in the downtown Traverse City park. The five-hour concert, featuring five bands, is part of a grassroots movement providing area youth a musical voice in a safe environment.
      "Many young people like edgier music, and while some of the people at our agency may not listen to it, the goal is to get the kids what they want in a venue that is safe," said Brandon Everest, organizer of the Punk Show and member of Third Level Crisis Center.
      Everest knows first-hand the musical wants and personal needs of young adults. Working through Third Level Crisis Center's Street Outreach Program, Everest and others hang out with youth and try to hook them up with resources in the five-county area. These resources include counseling, homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation, birth control issues, HIV education- even a punk rock concert.
      Everest attributes the success of Saturday's concert -and a similar venue last August - to a burgeoning "do-it-yourself punk scene." Although it sounds like a strange juxtaposition, young bands playing hard-core music at the local American Legion or UAW hall has proven a successful format. HIV Wellness Network has also sponsored standing-room concerts at the City Opera House.
      Providing the crowd-pleasing sounds Saturday were Traverse City bands A Thought Forgotten and 50 Yard Martyr; Still at Large from Elk Rapids; Last Place Champion from East Jordan and East Lansing based Blank on Purpose.
      Despite playing the Punk Show for the first time, Kevin Curtain comprehends the meaning behind the music- even if he can't put it all into words.
      "You have to be a punk to understand. It's the only kind of music that has a lifestyle to it that people stay true to," noted the lead singer and guitarist of Last Place Champion.
      Dressed in plaid pants, dog chain collar and a Sid Vicious haircut, Curtain and his bandmates tore through a set that included the Ramones "The KKK Took My Baby Away" and a cut time cover of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane." They also played several original numbers including a deconstructive punk piece, "Kung Fu Pizza."
      While A Thought Forgotten didn't have to shout above the crowd to be heard, screaming did draw the audience closer. The Traverse City band, known for hard-core guitars and high decibel singing, also played the Punk Show for the first time.
      "We took from the bands we liked and made our own kind of noise," noted lead singer, Adam Chestensen. "I think audiences identify with all the energy behind the music. It's this energy ... that we pursue as a band."
      Channeling all this youthful enthusiasm into something positive was the goal of Saturday's concert, noted show organizer Everest. While some perceive punk as a three chord call to juvenile delinquency, Everest asserts the music was originally a response to social injustice, equality and freedom of expression. "We try to promote the positive aspects of the music," he said.
      Although the punk rock shows are aimed squarely at a younger audience, organizers hope adults will listen as well - even if they can't stand the music.
      "The reality is that today the few and far between violent acts brought to the forefront really have made some people scared of youth. Therefore having them gather in any social circumstance tends to raise eyebrows," Everest said.
      "If people wouldn't presume it would cut out some of the fear of what youth may or may not stand for."