By Emma G. Harrison
On March 12, Pellissippi State Community College students gathered in the Clayton Performing Arts Center on the Hardin Valley campus for an unusual lecture experience. Rus Harper, local punk artist and instructor of Engineering and Media Technologies at Pellissippi State, took his audience through a punk rock time machine. From both historical knowledge and personal experience, Harper displayed the rich history of over 40 years of the genre, complete with pictures, videos, stories, and even a set with his current band, The Knoxville Freaks.
Transitioning perfectly from lecturing instructor to punk icon, Harper commanded the stage with electrifying energy, full of excitement and enthusiasm. Clad in a sleeveless band tee and tailcoat, complete with pearl necklace, Harper performed songs “Search and Destroy” by Iggy Pop, “Goo Goo Muck” originally by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads, “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones, and more. He incorporated his personal history with the genre into the performance and the lecture, showing us all his favorite local small bands like Neon Christ, Candy Creme and the Wet Dream, Smokin’ Dave and the Premo Dopes, and WH-WH, to name a few.
Compared to other bands Harper covered, his punk music and style felt more rebellious, distorted, and unpolished, pulling the audience into his rogue rage with his captivating stage presence. The whole audience could feel emotion seeping off the stage, pouring back into the basis of what punk music is, musical emotion.
Both the history of local bands and the places they have performed in are full of lively stories that expound on what punk means locally and on a broader scale. Harper discussed a lot of local venues he frequented in his youth as part of the scene. Places like Vic and Bill’s, Club 688, Metroplex, Hippy House, Hobo’s, and Bundulees were all punk hubs in the southeast, frequently putting on shows and hosting events for punk fans.
It is clear from the relationships Harper built in his 40-plus years of music that the punk lifestyle brings people together, as the huge, rich culture gives everyone the space to be indisputably themselves.
In an interview with lecture attendee and punk rock fan Sam Strouss, she defined punk culture as “Speaking on your own opinions and speaking them loud, no matter who doesn’t like them.”
It is evident through the enthusiasm of people like Strouss and Harper, that punk culture remains prominent today both locally and nationally. Punk is something you can take hold of and make your own; it is raw, unedited emotion that screams true human nature.
Although punk music may seem inaccessible, (the edgy appearances and often yelled/screamed lyrics alone may be hard to get into as a casual listener), the emotional strength behind the genre’s overarching message of being yourself and unabashedly stating your opinions is one that can resonate with many people and build community. It is safe to say that Harper will continue to scream his lyrics for a long time to come; maybe not with pink hair and bare feet like in his video from a performance at Vic and Bill’s, but certainly with the same teenage angst, spirit, and love from decades ago.
Harper defined the scene best: “There’s so much love…you can cut it with a knife.”
