John Crunch comes on to share his story of opening a successful gay bar (The LURE) in the 90's. We also dive into what it was like to discover punk rock & the fact he was gay when he was younger. From there we follow his story to becoming a state trooper at 19, facing harassment/resigning, moving to NYC, getting sober, supporting folk punk and much more. Overall, John is just a regular guy who lived an interesting life & loves folk punk. Enjoy!

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• John's early life & intro to punk rock
• Having ADHD in the 80's
• Coming to acknowledge he was gay
• Getting hired as a state trooper at a young age
• Difficulties & resigning from a homophobic job
• Thoughts on NYC & Opening a gay bar in the 90's
• The intersection of punk & gay culture
• Why investors of the LURE (gay bar) didn't want their real names to be known
• How mainstream culture viewed the gay community in the 90's
• Complications opening & running a gay bar
• Pros & Cons (for communities) with the rise of the internet/apps
• Discovering & supporting folk punk
• Getting injured & developing a new understanding of disability
• Getting sober
• Favorite folk punk bands
• Song - "I Love You To Death" by Never Say Surrender

Send us questions, comments or future topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

Follow/engage with the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

***Word of mouth really matters to us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

1. Share your favorite episode with a friend who you think will also enjoy it.
2. Leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this :)

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.