The Erections
South Florida has a lawless history in the punk scene. Find an old head and ask them about when Black Flag played the Cameo Theater in the 1980s, allegedly with the ambulances lining the street before the show started. Pick their brain about Murphy’s Law playing Summer’s on the Beach in Fort Lauderdale and the ensuing melee that spilled through the plate glass windows out onto the beach.
Blanks 77
A seasoned younger punk can regale you with the story of the Casualties’ first tour in the ’90s and the skinhead riot that happened at the now-defunct Happy Days in West Palm Beach, or even the banner heist conspiracy that emerged when Slapshot came to town a while back.
Maybe it was the local “Florida Man” reputation for hazard, but at a certain point some bands stopped coming. But a new generation has sprung up emphasizing scene first, changing the equation to ensure a good time and build a new legacy. Hardcore For Punx, Equinox Booking, and for this discussion, We Are The Punx have all put on great shows where the kids could let loose without felonies or misdemeanors.
This year marks the return of We Are The Punx, the festival, for the first time since 2020, and the line-up of more than 40 bands over three days at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach is a wild one. PureHoney sat down with Jake Wexler of We Are the Punx to discuss the scene, the festival’s absence, and the future of South Florida punk.
Was the last We Are The Punx the one at Beer Punx?
The first We Are The Punx was back in 2018 at Beer Punx. It was actually the very first show ever held there, and it also turned out to be the last official Menudo Death Squad show. The last We Are The Punx we did was at Respectable Street right before the pandemic hit.
What accounts for the long interval, in addition to the pandemic and the scene being hit hard?
The pandemic was definitely part of why things went quiet, but honestly, it wasn’t the main reason. After that last fest, I stepped fully into tattooing and put everything I had into learning and transitioning out of Howley’s [Restaurant]. At the same time, the other partner who had been helping run the fest didn’t want to return because of how much work it really takes to pull something like this off.
The real reason We Are The Punx started back up again is because of PJ [Rodrigues] — one of my best friends and really the only person outside of my old partner that I trust enough to do this the right way — kept pushing me to bring it back. With his help, it became possible again.
Would you agree that South Florida seems to be having a bit of a renaissance with shows? There’s this event, Montreal’s Béton Armé, Churchill’s and Las Rosas reopening. For years, some of these bands wouldn’t come this far down if they came to Florida at all.
South Florida is absolutely experiencing a renaissance right now. Venues are opening left and right, DIY spaces are popping up, and both new and longtime promoters are stepping up and killing it. Groups like Equinox and Hardcore For Punx are really taking the reins, and Hardcore For Punx has also been helping us directly with the fest. The reason this fest works as well as it does comes down to the overwhelming support from the entire scene — local promoters, bands, and just punx who want to help. We genuinely couldn’t do this without them.
Do you guys intend to continue every year from here on out?
This is 100 percent going to be an annual festival again. … What keeps us motivated is building a real platform for street punk, pogo, and Oi. There really aren’t many fests like this, especially outside of LA Punk Invasion, our buddy Nacho’s event, and we need an East Coast equivalent to help unite the national and international scene. If we can continue to expand and do this right, we’d love to be those people.
We Are The Punx LXIX, featuring Blanks 77, Slaughter & the Dogs, The Erections, Menace, Destructive and many more bands, kicks of 5pm Friday February 13 and runs through Sunday the 15th at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach. wearethepunx.com ~ Tim Moffatt
