Culture Vulture Report
By Megan Morrison
On Saturday, October 24th, at 5pm, I punched out at work, ran into the closet to change clothes, and raced out to my ride awaiting me in the parking lot. My brother dropped me off at the Blue Line; I took the Blue Line and transferred to the Red Line, got off at the Addison stop, did my usual sprint walking around the corner to Clark Street, where I barged into the Ginger Man. My boyfriend stood there holding a beer out for me. The bar was packed, and everyone was there for the same reason, to walk next door to the Metro to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of The Lawrence Arms. They are Chicago’s very own, and very well known among the punk community, punk band. Aside from the famous Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms are Chicago’s #1 punk band.
Chicago punk shows hold a true sense of community; if you go to one of the shows alone, chances are very high that you will run into someone you know there. This Lawrence Arms show held this idea of community and multiplied it by ten! The concert was sold out and filled of people that have been going to their shows for years. The connection to art therapy comes from this sense of community and belonging. Even if a person were to attend that show alone, they would find themselves belting out the words to a song with a room full of hundreds of people. The lyrics hold true to Chicago, with songs that talk about Belmont, the Great Lakes, and Chicago as a whole. This music creates an environment that sparks this sense of belonging and support. If a person ends up on the ground of the crowd from moshing, then everyone around that person stops and makes sure he or she is back on his or her feet. Strangers are looking out for strangers. It is quite an amazing experience.
On Saturday, October 24th, at 5pm, I punched out at work, ran into the closet to change clothes, and raced out to my ride awaiting me in the parking lot. My brother dropped me off at the Blue Line; I took the Blue Line and transferred to the Red Line, got off at the Addison stop, did my usual sprint walking around the corner to Clark Street, where I barged into the Ginger Man. My boyfriend stood there holding a beer out for me. The bar was packed, and everyone was there for the same reason, to walk next door to the Metro to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of The Lawrence Arms. They are Chicago’s very own, and very well known among the punk community, punk band. Aside from the famous Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms are Chicago’s #1 punk band.
Chicago punk shows hold a true sense of community; if you go to one of the shows alone, chances are very high that you will run into someone you know there. This Lawrence Arms show held this idea of community and multiplied it by ten! The concert was sold out and filled of people that have been going to their shows for years. The connection to art therapy comes from this sense of community and belonging. Even if a person were to attend that show alone, they would find themselves belting out the words to a song with a room full of hundreds of people. The lyrics hold true to Chicago, with songs that talk about Belmont, the Great Lakes, and Chicago as a whole. This music creates an environment that sparks this sense of belonging and support. If a person ends up on the ground of the crowd from moshing, then everyone around that person stops and makes sure he or she is back on his or her feet. Strangers are looking out for strangers. It is quite an amazing experience.
