Regardless, I’ve started to challenge myself and ask, “Do I really stick out at these shows?” Partly because I always end up leaving with a new friend when I attend a show alone.
And mostly because whenever I go to a show, the band’s lead singer stops their set to discuss a political issue that belongs to the ideologies of the left. As a black woman, this makes me feel safe. As an avid music fan and someone who is hyper-fixated on the history of anything and everything, I’m intrigued.
Uncovering Punk’s Anti-Establishment Roots
For the next few days after the concert, I did a deep dive into punk music and its anti-establishment roots. In the mid-70s, the punk subculture emerged in the United Kingdom and New York.
The punk movement began among teens and young adults looking for a more combative approach to rebelling against societal norms compared to the tamer peace and love movements of the 60s and early 70s. Punk music is and has always been grounded in counterculture — from fighting for working-class inequality to fashion to non-conformity in the realm of self-expression.
I discovered that you can’t separate punk music from politics, even in the slightest.
@mycelium_queen Replying to @mycelium_queen ♬ original sound - Mycelium Queen 🦋
Death Versus Bad Brain
As soon as I was old enough to go to shows alone, I submerged myself in the DIY scene. I had no idea what I was doing, I scoured the internet to find “small concerts,” as I called them, in Boston, where I went to high school.
I identified with punk for myself. But when I made the connection between punk and politics, I opened myself up to a whole new world of music.
Lyrics like: “Politicians in my eyes / They could care less about you / they could care less about me as long as they are to end the place they want to be,” from the band Death — considered to be the pioneers of punk music as a genre — spoke to me.
I was even more pleased that the actual founders of the genre — originally a jazz fusion turned hardcore punk band called Bad Brain — were Black Musicians.
I once declared that I’m only an amalgamation of those who came before me, so hearing this quite literally brought tears to my eyes (I’m so far from joking, it’s almost funny again). At my favorite DIY punk, emo, and rock concerts I belong just as much as anyone else.
I’ve always loved that punk music and its subculture take a stand for its listeners.
Feminist Punk: The Riot Grrrl Movement
Shortly after fully immersing myself in the scene, I was introduced to Bikini Kill and the Riot Grrrl movement. Emerging in the early 90’s, the Riot Grrl movement came about out of necessity for a space for women in the punk scene. Riot Grrrl directly combats sexism and works to normalize female anger and sexuality.
In 2023, I began filming a documentary about Boone, North Carolina — a small town rich in music, culture, and activism, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. My production team and I soon noticed that the conversations solely about the music scene quickly became political, especially for Babe Haven, a Riot Grrrl band hailing from Boone.
I now have the pleasure of calling the band members my friends. They’re an integral part of the history of punk and the Riot Grrrl movement, from their songs about objectification of women, like “Uppercut” and “Daddy’s Little Girl” to firsthand accounts of the band from those who believe that punk music has always been all about men — particularly white men.
“Riot grrrl is the way we dress, the way we talk, and the way we stand up for ourselves and other feminine folk. It’s aggressively inclusive, and that’s why we’re so drawn to it. We have on one hand, this outlet for our collective anger and grief, and on the other, we have this platform for queer and feminine celebration.” – Babe Haven
Jonathan Courchesne
Through the Looking Glass
Now, my eyes are peeled for signs and signals of the punk scene and its connection to politics. From the moment of silence for Gaza at a November concert to the New Jersey-based punk band Funeral Doors’ moment of silence for Gaza, and Brooklyn-based band Talon in February.
I remember standing in the crowds at that concert in February as the business casual people entered the bar, expecting a relaxing after-work drink with some light chatter in the background. I watched their faces as they slowly backed out of the door. While they heard howling, the fans listented to Juni, the lead singer of Funeral Doors, screaming, “F*ck trans genocide!”
Everyone was immersed in the safe space the band had provided us. Somewhere in the crowd, there was someone — or 3 or 4 individuals — struggling to truly be who they are. And — if only for a brief moment — they felt like they belonged.
Lead singer of Funeral DoorsERYNN WAKEFIELD
Inevitable Misunderstanding
Although there are essential conversations happening within the punk and DIY communities about what it means to be a part of the subculture, we still have work to do. Recently, I had an extremely jarring experience as I was peacefully scrolling through TikTok.
I came across a string of videos about right-wing punks trying to claim the subculture for themselves. Soon after my feed was flooded with stitches and clapbacks from left-wing people explaining the subculture of punk music and the inability to remove it from left-leaning political discourse.
@c4b1n_1n_th3_wxxds_ Sorry i look kinda bad 💀 ive bad a rough few weeks . . . . . . #punk #punkstyle #punkclothing #punkrock #punkfashion #crustpunk #folkpunk #queer #gay #lgbtq #pride #leftist #leftistpolitics #anarchism #Anarchy #Socialism #anarchocommunism ♬ original sound - C4b1n 🔻
Punk's Proclamation: A Movement Rooted in People’s Power
I’ve said it time and time again: artists must reflect the times. It’s both comforting and empowering that this genre I love so much does not deny me. And it wouldn’t be what it is without me. As silly as it sounds, I often return to a meme, one that declares that people — if they choose to create — need to carry the burden of the world they’re living in. This has only proven to be true.
Punk music and the subculture behind it aren’t merely screaming and studded belts from your local Hot Topic (if they’re a thing anymore). The punk scene highlights the struggles of the working class, sheds light on political issues relating to marginalized groups, fosters community, and fights for what’s right.
Punk music has always held a space for me; all I had to do was claim it.
@wormtriip via Instagram
Mark Cuban’s Battle With Big Pharma
The costs of medications continue to rise and we continue to shell out hundreds of dollars for something that should cost close to nothing. Between the sheer amount of hoops and economy-this-economy-that, those who want to make medications as accessible as possible have had their hands tied.
While insulin costs around $10 a vial to make, it can go for around $300. Some diabetes patients could need six vials a month, meaning they could be looking to spend $1800 monthly on Insulin alone.
And for those who are uninsured, medication prices can be astronomical. Medication appears to be on a market-based pricing system, meaning, based on demand, medication could rise in price just because.
This is entirely unfair to someone who needs insulin to survive, but may not be able to afford the proper dosage due to market pricing. Not only is this the case for the millions of diabetic Americans who need insulin, but also for hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
Billionaire and entrepreneur, Mark Cuban, started a company to wage war with Big Pharma and their steep pricing. In the six months it’s been public, Cost Plus Drug Company has become a savior for many people in the United States.
No, It’s Not Too Good To Be True
The first thing I thought when hearing about Cost Plus Drugs is that it had to have a catch. There is no way that it was simply that easy to not charge an arm and a leg for generic prescription medications – but it turns out it is.
In the short amount of time that Cost Plus Drugs has existed, it’s provided hundreds of medications for some of the lowest prices the pharmaceutical market has seen. There is accessibility for everyone, regardless of your diagnosis - they provide generic drugs for diabetes, cancer, depression, anxiety, birth control and more.
At your local pharmacy, Actos - a drug prescribed for diabetics - could go for around $75, but with Cost Plus Drugs, you can get it starting at $7. Mental health medications like Wellbutrin are also going at a lower rate than you would normally pay.
While he may be a billionaire, Mark Cuban just gets it – we shouldn’t have to pay to save our lives or choose between paying rent and getting medication.
Another aspect that makes Cost Plus Drugs trustworthy is that they’re completely transparent about their pricing methods. In their mission statement, they announce that all drugs are priced at the cost it takes to make the medication, plus 15%, plus a pharmacy fee.
Another way Cost Plus Drugs is able to keep their prices low is by relying on completely word of mouth advertising.
They made the decision to forego marketing completely because they didn’t want to have to charge more money for products than absolutely needed. Instead, Mark Cuban is working to pass this information along on social media and hoping other platforms can do the same.
Cuban created Cost Plus Drugs in order to disrupt the drug industry one drug at a time. If he can get more and more medications signed on through his service, the pharmaceutical industry will have true competition and force Big Pharma to lower prices.
The Future Looks Promising
We can only hope that Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs company creates a domino effect and incentivizes others to follow suit. In their mission statement, the company reveals that they started the company in order to try and help disadvantaged populations who normally are neglected by pharmaceutical companies:
“Our goal is to dramatically reduce the cost of drugs like Albendazole, but we also think that it is just as important to introduce transparency to the pricing of drugs so patients know they are getting a fair price.”
It is incredibly important that there is someone advocating for a more cost-effective healthcare market. With medication being shipped right to your door, it’s worth checking out to see if they carry your prescriptions as well.
