Concert Review: Suzuki Smith

Call this the shortest concert review in the history of concert reviews. Specifically, I went to Cambridge (the Middle East) to get tickets for Monday's show that (Chris, hopefully too) I will be attending. I decided to pop into the Upstairs section and see what was going on. Suzuki Smith, a punk band from Boston, was playing. Keep in mind that I only stayed for one song called "Kamikaze Irishmen". Now, the song actually is very similar to the Bad Brains and the Circle Jerks in terms of sound. The lyrics, however, made me think of the Dropkick Murphys (a no-no). This was the first time I've heard a (hardcore) punk band live -- keep in mind that the room was about 8 feet by 10. I didn't want to go deaf so I departed after that one song. I can't complain considering I wasn't expecting to see anyone play today.

Here is what the band has to say about punk music:

Fact is, most people don’t get what the meaning of “punk” truly is. We, as Americans, are so engrossed in what people wear, look like, etc, that we put people in groups based on appearance. Punk is not those dudes from Blink 182 running around on the beach doing stupid stuff on MTV or that guy with the leather jacket throwing dice in the alley. What punk is couldn’t be further from that. That, right there, are 2 great examples as to what commercialism has programmed us to think about what punk rock and what being a punk is in general. Punk is a mind set. You CAN’T buy it or sell it. Punk is not about hating someone else or being physically abusive. It’s about standing up for what you believe in and being man (or woman) enough to accept the consequences of not following the masses, doing what you are told or maintaining the status quo – as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. Sometimes, those consequences are pretty heavy. But, punks in all forms, from lawyers to dropouts, know that they are never alone. People tell us all the time that they “grew out of that stage.” We feel sorry for them. Punk is not only for the young and rebellious. It’s for everyone who is brave enough to take their heads out of the sand and stand up and say “fuck you!” to those who try to tell you what to feel, how to live, where to hang out, etc.

Good words right there.