Juan Diego Marroquin, “Michael Azerrad’s 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' and Aspects of Communal Existence in Punk Rock Cirlces, Outside Reading #2, entry 12.

I recently finished reading Michael Azerrad’s book Our Band Could Be Your Life which was a chronicle of the American underground rock music in the 1980s. Much of the output that existed in the 1980s in the United States had roots in punk. I quickly was able to draw connections between punk rituals and ideas we discussed on consciousness as well as Van der Leeuw’s theories on the unity of dance and religion. Punk, which had transformed into hardcore punk in the 80s, had fostered a very active community. They innovated the style of dancing that is now so familiar- moshing. Moshing seems to be a religious expression: it’s a way of building community with the participants around each other. It also, however, serves to draw a connection between the performer and the audience, removing barriers and expanding the collective consciousness. I found it curious to see the social aspects of punk music rather than merely the sonic ones.