During my first two years of medical school, I had a small number of classmates who would listen to The Clash while toiling in their basic research labs in the early days of gene-sequencing: Flipper, The Mutants, X, Black Flag, Operation Ivy, Rancid, were all introduced to me by guys that also went on to kill it in science! We would hang in labs overlooking Golden Gate Park and much of The City studying to these same jams, and after midterms and exams, head out to catch all of these fellow PUNKS in small venues, like Dead Kennedys at Mabuhay Gardens or The Mutants at the I-Beam.
The pit over time was a strangely calming experience, a familiar physical violence I had known all too well, yet safe! “Hugs instead of slugs when you crashed to the floor!” I found this energizing, and it made me feel ALIVE!

How Punk Saved My Life by JLoCarpeDiem for punks

Artwork Credit: Sam Lopez Image Credit: @Jlocarpediem