Also new tapes out by a couple local rippers. If you like fast as fuck hardcore check this out! DSS demo tape and SHATTERED BADGE demo 4 bucks each ppd send to

PO BOX 1148 GRAND RAPIDS MI 49501

This felt so natural and right that justifying it seems redundant. GR screamer was started because we wanted a place to promote the DIY punk and hardcore shows happening in West Michigan and to have a place to be free from the mainstream media and its interpretation of punk, hardcore, and other types of DIY music. GR screamer is also about moving forward. And always changing. And always bettering. Because the people that run the site believe in those things too. There’s no use in staying stagnant. You can grow and still stay young at the same time. All-ages shows and especially the types of venues we support are both issues that are rarely confronted at punk shows anymore in West Michigan. I promise you the dialogue isn’t over elsewhere, which is why we are opening it up. If you have thoughts or would like to write a column on this topic please e-mail the site. THE CONVERSATION HAS JUST BEGUN!!!

For me, it seems incredibly obvious that GR Screamer should only list and promote DIY all-ages shows at non-club/non-bar venues. The punk that I have gotten the most excited about in the past fifteen years has been the punk music that is played at warehouse shows, at collectively-run venues like The DAAC, in squatted spaces, in basements, at hall shows, and the like. It’s the punk scene where passion and communication are more important than the division between audience and “performer.” It’s the punk that provides the soundtrack to street battles with the cops, collective projects, cooking with Food Not Bombs, and folding zines. It’s the punk that provided the inspiration for countless days and nights of bike riding, digging through dumpsters, riding trains, and figuring out how we can create a life of meaning in a world built on alienation. It’s the punk that encouraged me to embrace the DIY ethic, fixing bikes, making my own food, or whatever. It’s the punk that is in total conflict with everything that exists in the outside world.

In contrast, the world of 18+/21+ and bar shows is representative of everything that punk should be fighting against. It’s a world that automatically excludes large portions of the punk scene (or potential participants) by virtue of their age. It’s a world that places the needs of commerce over communication. It’s a world that means having our ideals and subcultures marketed back to us by hip capitalists who are interested in attracting  the punk demographic to enhance their bar’s (in other words their “brand”’s) appeal. From their stench-filled drop ceilings to the creepy dudes who think they have a right to other people’s bodies, bars are some of the most depressing spaces in society. They are institutions built on the fact that our lives are so miserable that we need to escape reality through intoxication. Ultimately, bars are for the punks that gave up.

DIY all-ages venues and shows provide a pretty clear alternative and rejection of bar shows. Their a way of looking at the world and responding positively. Sure, they aren’t always perfect—but at least there is always the possibility of something more. We can always make our shows and scene more inclusive, more radical, more sustainable, or more whatever. The key is that we—the punks who care, those who want something better—control our own spaces. We’re creating our own infrastructure, we’re saying no to the bar owners, no to the misogynistic/sexist media like Recoil, no to the booking agents, and no to the corporate labels—we’re doing things ourselves.

the art of keeping all ages music spaces alive is a significant part of my being and a vital part of my existence. some days it’s the last thing i want to work on, but most days it’s all that keeps me going.

countless unpaid hours, board meetings, dried out gluesticks, couch change, band members on couches, sweaty ass holes, watching bands play for a one person crowd, kicking folks out for being jerks, politely asking someone to put their beer out, taking said beer out of hand and pouring it down sink, only being able to pay a touring band ten bucks, no one showing up for my yoga class, and other trivial situations.

BUT WAIT

oh and feeling glory and humble and like being alive means something, sweating all over my best friends, having a purpose, creating a safe space for people to exist in, getting better at making flyers, not having to worry about beer getting spilled on me, and knowing that the money i give to artists comes directly from the folks who show up, not from beer sales.

booking basement shows at a cooperative house in ann arbor, being a part of the division avenue arts collective, and being a contributing member of house shows in grand rapids, i have met some of the most exciting and life giving people on this planet. there are many reasons i have been able to let these folks into my life, specifically in my time at the daac.

* i show up. i volunteer my time and energy to create an exciting space for the community i am a part of to take pride in and participate in.

* i stay sober. for myself. and so that other people don’t have to deal with the bullshit that comes with my addiction. this gives me a fresh perspective on being an over 21 year old in a drug filled world. this also allows me to be a reliable resource, be on time, and keep consistent relationships with folks from out of town.

* i say thank you. i offer up my home. i cook food. i say goodbye. i visit.

* i show up even when i don’t want to, because i know that unlocking the door and allowing the space to be open allows other folks to feel everything i feel. and i feel fucking good.

* i say sorry. it’s a damn shame when my other obligations don’t allow me to book every show i get emailed about. i try my best, and admit to myself and others when i fall short.

bands, artists, teachers, givers, and all folks who chose to share their work in an all ages space ARE MAKING A RADICAL FUCKING STATEMENT. DON’T FORGET THAT. it’s easy to play at a bar. it is not wrong. it is what some people chose. it can be easier to get paid since alcohol sales play a factor. the more times i see artists make the choice to play in an all ages spaces, the more i feel ok about waking up to another day on this twisted earth.

this month kimya dawson will be performing at the daac. this is an example of an artist who could chose to play at a bar, or for god sakes a place with a guarantee. but they’ve chosen to share their work at a space that is neutral, not a business, no budget, doing it together, excited to be alive, space.