The Queers @ Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ on 11/3/24

The week before a very tense election, I found myself at Dingbatz in Clifton, watching a band that has had some issues with politics or political correctness in the past. The Queers is a punk band from New Hampshire that formed in 1981. Lead singer and guitarist Joe Queer got into some trouble in 2014 and got canceled off the Warped tour for making public statements in support of Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson. I do not agree with his stance on that tragedy but I don’t stop going to see my family because they have different views than I do, we still love each other, we just don’t talk about the hot button topics. I’m not going to let controversial opinions stop me from going to see a classic punk band. Their music slaps and they have opened for the Ramones for F- Sake. And isn’t unapologetically stating your opinion even if it goes against the status quo the heart of Punk music?

Joe Queer is the only remaining member of the original band. Supporting him now is Ginger Fanculo on Bass and Hoglog Rehab on drums. To be honest I was not super familiar with their music but I really enjoyed the show. The fans, however were absolutely beside themselves. A guy standing next to me right before the show just unprovoked started showing me photos on his phone of He and Jo outside before the show. “He was just right there, outside! This is already the best day ever!” shouted the fan. Just as the show was about to start, another fan in a jacket covered with patches and pins and an exposed butt crack and a newsboy cap pushed his way right in front of me to be right up against the stage. For the entire show he was undulating with joy, even falling forward onto the stage at some points. The energy was high the entire show but the highlight for me was when they covered “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” by the Ramones.

As a photographer, these are the types of bands that I really enjoy photographing. The band members are moving around, animated, and the crowd is going nuts and I love just taking it all in and capturing the energy of it all.