I will never forget the first show that I went to. It was the first experience that I not only heard the music, but I also felt it. It was in a small room on 18th and Mission, filled with young adults standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting for someone to make the first move and turn our anticipation into organized chaos. It wasn't like going to a large venue and seeing a metal band, nor could it be labeled "punk", for the music had a different tune to it, and the people there looked just like average "normies".
This was my first introduction to a subgenre of punk music called "hardcore punk", which would grow increasingly important to me, and that I am still deeply connected to today. Although at the time I was just another face in the crowd and I didn't know the bands too well, I felt a strong sense of belonging while listening to the fast music and watching others dance and jump off the stage. The whole show was surreal, and it really seemed like something that would only happen in a movie. I was absorbed into the energy that the bands and spectators displayed, which seemed to spread throughout the room and into my mind.
What was different between these people and friends I had before that were into punk and metal were that many of these people were more interested in the government and social issues. Between sets, people were lined up in front of tables to buy shirts, records, patches, etc. Along with band merchandise, there were also insightful zines and pamphlets, one of which was specifically about veganism. Many people in the hardcore scene also recognize as being "straight edge", which is a commitment to abstain from drugs and alcohol.
The bands and people at this show, and every show that I've ever attended were very welcoming and open-minded. I know that no matter where I go or how I change, the hardcore scene is where I belong.
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