Just yesterday, around 4pm I attended an event at Lincoln High School commemerating the 40th Anniversary of MEChA. A close friend told me that they’re be some bands playing for free so I decided to show (even with my problems with Identity-Politiks groups).
Inside the auditorium there were a few speakers from two early MEChA members, Aztec dancing, Danza Folklrórico, and Mariachi. All pretty standard Latino-event-fair, but when I went outside I understand why all the young people where outside: there was a ska/punk band playing!
The crowd stood around the band, with the obligatory circle pit of dancers right in front of the band. A mixture of obvious punk kids, pyschobilly kids, metalheads, and just regular LH kids were there.
The music although not that of professional musicians, showed the energy that is found when teenagers latch onto something they can put their energy/frustration/boredom/anger into. Unfortunately I didn’t catch the name of the band since the P.A. system was much lower than the amplification of the instruments. “Tiempo de acción” was a name of one the songs that I could discern, reflecting the perpetual political content found in punk here in the Eastside. When I was a young punk a backyard hit was “Puta Jura” (roughly translates to Damn Pigs) which one can draw criticism of a certain word, it nonetheless became an anthem for those of us frustrated by being harassed by cops because of how we looked, whether punk or cholo, and how the police would always break up our backyard shows (sometimes quite violently).
Ah, it made me feel 16 again.
[If you know the name of the band say so in the comments!]
Great story. It’s so good to see that the kids are doing what they’re doing!
Nice post, Julio! The pics look really good too. I like that there’s a girl in the band, woo hoo!
I remember feeling 16 again the first time I saw that documentary on Latino hardcore, can’t remember the name at the moment but it’s a nice feeling!
Chimatli, there’s actually two young women in the band; there’s the drummer and the trumpet player.
Latino hardcore? Are you talking about «Más Allá de los Gritos » by Martin Sorrondeguy of Los Crudos/xLimpwristx?
Where’s here is a link that amazing documentary:: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5497590837696631389
Yup! That documentary! I’d just woke up when I made my comment and was too lazy to go searching on the internet. LOL, que floja soy! 🙂
Haha, forgot Gino’s in the video!
Julio, thanks for posting this up, as well as the link for the documentary. I remember hearing about it a while back but my lazy ass never made the attempt to buy it, plus Mr. Carreño is in there too! He substituted for my history classes in high school and was always recommending some kick-ass jams that i would have never heard if it wasn’t for him.
If ya ever find out the name of that band in the picture be sure to post it here. I’d love to check out their sounds.
I don’t listen to it much these days, but I’ve gotta say it: I LOVE punk rock! And I LOVE punk kids! And I LOVE all of it! Punks not dead!!!
punks don’t read blogs, so you won’t find out the name of the band, sorry
Just like punks don’t change anything, right?
Or Mexicans can’t resists gang life, right?
Or women don’t read the Sports section, right?
Knock me down with some more stereotype why don’t you.
much as i love the current crop of underground punk/noise, i will always have a soft spot for, and on some level miss the early eastside backyard punk scene of the 80s. total drunken, free-form, fuck-it-all teenage revelry…..