GREG'S WORLD + PENNYWISE
Thursday afternoon I was driving back from a doctor’s appointment and as I passed Saint Rocke, I saw on the marquee… Pennywise!! WTF I said to myself. I made some calls and was fortunate to be able to shoot the gig (thx Jim). What I experienced made this night that much more special.
I was not aware of Greg Browning‘s story. I was not in the surf scene anymore. What I did find out that Greg Browning is a fuckin’ legend in the global surf scene. “One of the nicest, always-smiling, always-stoked, happy-to-give-back guys in surfing, the South Bay’s Greg Browning has recently been diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease”… “Not only did Greg out-surf everyone in the South Bay by winning multiple amateur contests, he went on to have a successful career as a nationally recognized free-surfer.” As I read many articles about Greg, the one theme that stood out was “Greg is loved all over the world.”
That is what I felt Thursday night! The South Bay family was brought together to help Greg and his family. This is why I love Pennywise. We all know their music is awesome and that the gigs are insane. To me what makes them so special is “FAMILY.” These guys bring everyone into the Pennywise Family… young and old, new punker, old punker, non-punkers, those who have never heard them before, and to those who have since day one. They embrace everything that is good in our community. They have never forgotten their roots and those who helped pave the way for their success, both in music and in life.
“Ever get the feeling you can’t go on. Just remember whose side it is that you’re on. You’ve got friends with you ’til the end. If you’re ever in a tough situation. We’ll be there with no hesitation. Brotherhood’s our rule we cannot bend.”
Kevin Salk is a photographer that is in the Punk Rock Hall of Fame. Kevin was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California. In the early 1980’s, he and his friends were deep into the punk rock scene in Southern California. During that time he was able to capture some legendary shots of Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, The Misfits, The Descendents, Minor Threat, and others.
