Interview with a PUNK!

Touché Volume 2

NewSchool of Architecture and Design

Student Publication

Written by Victoria Baldenko (Payne)

When I think of community and culture in San Diego, I can’t help but relate what that means to me personally. Community is a crucial part of who we all are as individuals, and my community has a foundation in the DIY punk scene. This is a subculture that historically has been overlooked, appropriated and popularized for capitalist ventures. But I wanted to shine a light on what the DIY punk community really represents.

This is a subculture that is rooted firmly in getting intimate with live music although it is much more complex than just loud and aggressive music. The DIY punk scene has fundamental beliefs and philosophies based in community and caring for one another. While many individuals in the scene may feel outcast from mainstream society, they find a sense of belonging amongst each other.

To get an inside look at how this community operates I’ve reached out to Collin Smith, a long-time veteran of the DIY punk scene. Collin is one of the owners and operators of the Print Shop, a screen-printing business located in San Diego. He describes this business as a refuge and a home for him and the other people who work there. While he adamantly states that the Print Shop is NOT a venue, they open-up their business to host DIY shows. These shows are completely self-sufficient and happening because Collin and his colleagues believe that there is a need to hold space for this music and to serve the DIY punk community in any way they can. This is what he had to say:

First off, did you grow up in San Diego? If not, where are you originally from and when did you move here?

I’d say I “finished” growing up here in San Diego. I was born in Massachusetts. My dad left me and my mom when I think I was somewhere around eight years old. My brothers and I would come out to SD every summer to visit him. When I was 16 my mom kicked me out and sent me to live with my dad and I finished high school out here. I’m 39 now, so I’ve spent most of my life living in San Diego. My two partners at the print shop grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jon came out here when I was like 18 and Ron (we call him Woogy) came out sometime in his early 20’s.

How old were you when you first got into the punk music? What were some of your early music influences?

Getting into actual punk I was about 13. The obvious first taste was like Sex Pistols, Green Day, Rancid, then I was shown Crass and Dead Kennedys. Later I met my friend Ben who really showed me what was up with bands like Born Against, Filth, Crimshrine, Universal Order of Armageddon, Fugazi. I’d say some of my first musical influences as far as like wanting to play guitar in a band was probably Nirvana. That was when I was 11 and got my first guitar. And going to DIY shows in the New Bedford, MA area had a huge influence on me. Seeing folks book their own shows and make their own bands really showed me what was possible.

When did you first get involved in the music scene?

I tried to get involved when I first moved here, but I didn’t know anyone. I had been involved in the New Bedford scene before coming to San Diego. Playing shows in my first band, Dangerfield, was something that took up most of my time. I was hoping to find that in San Diego, but it was a little harder than I anticipated. My first show here was Run For Your ****** Life at the Che Café, I don’t remember what other bands played.

I found some friends to jam with, but it didn’t amount to playing shows really. I began spending most of my time getting high and skating. After graduating high school, I met my friend Darrel who played drums and we started a band called Abduct Me. We only played a few shows, Che being one of them, and a few in Fresno with this other band I was in called Taronto Gosh. This was all at the same time I began using heroin, so those bands quickly dissolved as my habit grew.

What bands do you play in now?

Right now, I play in a couple bands, Se Vende and Deaf Club.

How would you describe the genre of music you play?

I’d call it just punk, save it for the genre snobs to figure that one out.

I know the print shop is an actual screen-printing shop; can you tell me how you got into that?

I started screen printing when I was 16 as an after-school job. My dad was friends with this person named Meg (and her then boyfriend Steve) worked at a print shop and asked my dad if I could work there after school. I first learned of screen printing outside a show in New Bedford. This older punk had a leather jacket with a perfect graphic on it and I asked how he got it so good, and he said, “screen printed it.” So that kind of got my interest rolling. The high school I went to Point Loma High, had a screen-printing class, and I remember meeting my first friend there because he was wearing a very distinct Doom shirt and I asked him where he got it. He said he printed it.

So, once I was offered that print shop job I jumped at it. My intention was to learn how to print so I could print my own shirts. The first shirt I ever printed was of a Crimpshrine graphic in my dad’s garage in Ocean Beach. I worked at the shop from around the ages of 16 to 22 I believe, until they let me go. I was really strung out. I’d go to jail, clean up, get a job at another shop, relapse, get fired, do it all again for years. And then I got clean and was working at Extra Graphic Screen Printing when I got out of jail in October 2015. Jon and Woogy would come hang out and thought it was cool and we started toying around with the idea of having our own shop. I was reluctant but they helped push me into it, we opened the shop march of 2020.

For people who don’t know can you describe what the print shop is?

The print shop is where I spend most of my time when I’m not touring. Basically, it’s a service based shop where we print custom shirts for clients, whether it’s a restaurant or a band (we love printing for bands) or whoever needs shirts. It’s just a custom print shop really, it isn’t really a “venue,” it’s pretty much like a house because we live there at times, so folks should treat it like a house rather than a regular venue type of thing. We’re just fortunate that we’re able to host shows here and there.

What genres of music are hosted at the print shop?

I guess like every variation of punk. DIY punk and stuff like that. We don’t have proper sound, our PA (it sucks, we need a new one). A lot of hardcore because that’s what’s hot right now.

We try to stay away from “beat down “stuff cause’ that’s a little too macho for us and they usually wreck our space.

When did you decide to start booking shows at the print shop?

November 2021. A band called Lagrimas posted that they were needing help booking San Diego and didn’t wanna play a bar (music to my ears) so I reached out to them. And that was the first show 11/12/21

Since the print shop is a DIY venue, have you had any issues with the neighbors, law enforcement or the city when you’re putting on shows?

Fortunately, as of yet, we haven’t had any outside problems. Which is really nice. We’re lucky because the part of town we are in no one really goes there at night so it’s kind of a ghost town. The only problem we’ve had is tagging. The tagging is a problem because there are other businesses in the compound we are in, and we have a property manager who can and will kick us out if things start getting messed up.

What has your experience been with running a DIY music venue? Have there been any challenges?

I don’t know, we don’t really think of it as a venue because, like I previously mentioned, there isn’t any real sound, **** PA, it’s basically a garage, and it feels like we live there very often, but it does take a lot of work. Setting up for the show, cleaning up and putting the shop back together after the show, we’re usually there till about 1:00 or 2:00 am.

Sometimes the shows are a bust and sometimes they are totally wild. We do it because we believe it’s important. Regardless of how tiring it is. Sometimes being in a small band is intimidating to try and get shows at a regular bar/venue, and that **** sucks, we want everyone to feel welcome at the print shop, we want everyone to feel included.

How would you describe the music scene in San Diego?

Ummm, the music scene in San Diego is cool. I often feel a little out of the loop, especially as of recently. We have Red Brontosaurus and the Che Café that are doing a lot of shows for the younger screamo bands which are cool to watch. There are some cool queer indie/emo bands that are playing all the time creating their own scene which is rad to watch. I mean, even though I play in bands and host shows at the print shop, I do feel really outta the loop most of the time, or feel like an outsider, maybe that’s just how I feel about myself in general.

What has your experience been like playing in bands in San Diego at the various local venues? Aside from the print shop, do you have a favorite venue or any honorable mentions?

Hmmmm, I don’t know, Se Vende played at the Che Café earlier this year and that was the first time we’ve ever played there so that was cool. I mean, Tower Bar can be cool. I don’t really enjoy bars and anything like that, so I might not be the right person to ask. We (Se Vende) played the Atari Lounge at The Casbah last year and that was sick. Se Vende is playing at The Casbah in august so that should be cool too. Red Brontosaurus is always cool. We really like to play other DIY spaces over bars any day.

I personally think there is a strong sense of community that is overlooked by mainstream society, could you tell me what your experience has been in the community?

Well, it’s all I really know. I mean, there was a period of about 12 years where I was a heroin addict so I wasn’t really involved in anything scene related, but since having been clean and being in active bands, there’s definitely a community. We’re all **** up’s in one form or another and mainstream society doesn’t appeal to us cause’ we just don’t fit into that any more than we absolutely have to. And I think we all have a spoken as well as unspoken respect and love for one another regardless of how close we may be in each other’s personal lives, we’re all here for each other I think, I hope that’s the case at least.

A lot of people that are going to read this article have never listened to punk and I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about the people in this scene. I personally found a strong sense of community and have some of the most healthy and loving relationships with these people. Have you had a similar experience? If so, please elaborate!

Yeah, I can relate. Most, if not all my close people in my life are involved one way or another in something “DIY”. Whether it be music, art, photography. Most, if not all my friends don’t fit into this mainstream society. I mean sure not everyone at these shows is there for the same reasons I am, but that doesn’t matter. The folks I feel close to in this “scene” are here because we want to be, not because we know why. It’s just in our DNA and it always has been and always will be. But, sure, there are ****** everywhere, and the DIY punk scene is no exception, I just think that those fools just move on eventually, or end of getting removed.

How has the music community in San Diego impacted your life in a positive way?

Well, in most cases it’s given me a purpose outside of myself, specifically having a space to host shows at. It’s a good feeling to be able to give something to something bigger. I don’t like taking all that much.

How do you feel about the younger generation and their involvement in the music scene?

The younger generation is sick, aside from how they always “crowd kill” at every show. I like how they are starting their own bands and booking their own shows, it’s cool to watch, I hope they stick with it and I hope they find what I’ve found within this lifestyle.

Do you plan on continuing to hold shows at the print shop for the foreseeable future?

Yeah, I mean, I don’t really see us not being able to continue to host shows there. I’d like to keep it going, that’s why it’s also really important that we all respect spaces like the shop and each other. I look at it like this: I was taught how to conduct myself within DIY spaces growing up, like clean up after yourself, don’t be an ***** and all that, so I think that if we can all keep DIY spaces near and dear to our own hearts, hopefully they can continue. But, when folks trash the shop, it kind of feels like a slap in the face, or when folks trash any DIY space it’s just kind of like “these are our spaces let’s ***** nurture them not **** on them”.

What plans do you have for the future, whether it’s making more music, booking more shows, touring etc?

I guess more of what I’m doing. I’m currently on tour with Deaf Club right now. Se Vende is releasing a split 7inch with Corrupt Vision at the end of June. Se Vende has a run of shows at the end of July and a tour at the end of august. There’s shop shows scattered throughout the summer. So yeah, pretty much this is where we’re at in life and wanna continue as long as we can.

Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you, the print shop, or the music scene that I haven’t addressed already?

Yeah. The Print Shop “staff” is myself, Jon, Woogy, his daughter Fern who works the door, and Uriel. We have various volunteers at each show which really help out so much. Our friends pass out harm reduction supplies, which we feel is a much needed and important part of what we wanna do at shop shows. Sometimes, not often enough, there is free vegan food, if there is anyone reading this that is interested in helping in that department, we’d be forever grateful. Respect all DIY spaces. Treat them like your own. And respect each other. Up the punx.

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The first time I attended the Print Shop I was overwhelmed by the sense of community this little ecosystem had to offer. Upon entering I was greeted by the individual working the door. There were earplugs and water available. As I proceeded into the venue there was lively chatter amongst friends. There were tables lined up for bands and local artists with merch and art. There was a buzz of excitement as I located my own friends, we embraced warmly and discussed the bands playing. They were all local and I was eager to discover new music. As I made my way into what looked like a storage shed I could hear the band sound checking. There was no stage or real sound system. Christmas lights were strung across the space, there was art that covered the walls, and screen-printing equipment stored haphazardly to the side.

Once the band began playing the space Filled up quickly. The music was loud and aggressive; the energy was swirling, and I felt at home.

People began moshing and there was a hint of danger.

Even though it was aggressive, people looked out for each other, if someone fell down everyone swarmed to pick him or her back up. There was definitely a sense of camaraderie and community in that space. I am grateful to be a part of this community in San Diego and I urge anyone who is curious about it to visit a show.*