Local bastard

I don’t wanna hear it. “In truth, punk was just as full of bullshit and bad ideas then as it is now. The punk scene is a place of contested meaning and competing definitions.”—from intro at Kill From the Heart site ( http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/ ). Maybe it’s his glaring lack of soul, but Local Bastard has never been much of a “punk” fan. Though half his music collection would probably fall under at least one person’s definition of the genre (Sammy Hagar is punk, right?), the culture/fashion/politics of punk have always come across as just another club to join, and the constant discussions of what is/isn’t punk are beyond sooooo borrrring.

Know that you’re full of shit . Though lacking any allegiance to punk culture, L.B. is still nonplussed (that’s right, nonplussed—how ya like me now?) about the Nike Corporation’s raping of one of the only sacred cows in the history of rock music. Whether or not you dig Minor Threat/Dischord Records/Fugazi founder Ian MacKaye ’s rap, his ethical approach to music and music making (keeping concert tickets and merchandise affordable and free of middle men, for starters) is unassailable. Given that, Nike’s brazen co-opting of the artwork from Minor Threat’s self-titled 1981 record, as well as the band’s proper logo, for the promotion of its youth-marketing scam/skateboard tour is nauseating. A statement at the Dischord Web site ( www.dischord.com ) confirms that Nike did not get permission.

Who’s punk now? In a tiny step for a tiny mind, Local Bastard has decided to fight corporate evil with sophomoric activism. In the public-relations section of Nike’s Web site, there’s a form where you can request to use Nike images. Here’s my request: “My band, Major Treat, loves that Major Threat poster image of a bald skater hunched over, with ‘MAJOR THREAT’ along the right side, and we would like to use it for our posters, stickers and other promotional materials. We will of course change ‘Threat’ to ‘Treat’ to go along with band name and to avoid confusion with your shoe/skateboard promotions.”

—Breaking news: Nike pulled its Major Threat campaign and issued an official apology on Monday. From the statement: “This was a poor judgment call and should not have been executed without consulting Minor Threat and Dischord Records.”

Four-syllable reviews: Caught a few bands over the last week or so— Cair Paravel (Ben Folds emo), Lott Lyzzyrd (AC-Dee Dee), Oubliette Perish (math-punk whiplash), Fiberglass Jackets (Bobby Manning), Laments Not Heard (improv car crash), The Double (dance-deconstruct), West By Swan (vacuum tube swarm).

TO DO: Sneak a six-pack onto the Chico High football field and watch the fireworks for free on the Fourth.