I should be buzzing by now in a random parking lot in San Pedro, chasing the same cheap thrill I have had for the last 25 years of being a street punk: pre-gaming to see my favorite punk band over and over, and preparing myself for the cathartic release and therapy of singing along to lyrics from bands that have historically stood against fascism, sexism, and racism. It’s the ethos that shaped me into the punk-rooted, independent journalist who is not afraid to document injustices and uphold ethics by not accepting money from those who have supported the living embodiment of all that punk has stood against: Trump.
But instead, I’m home and having an existential crisis about what it means to be punk rock in 2025, because I cannot believe that more than 40 punk bands are okay with doing business with Cameron Collins, the founder of Brew Ha Ha Productions, who produces Punk in the Park and also contributed $225 to Trump’s run for President in 2024.