A Few Videos From "Growing Up Is Dumb 2025"

Growing Up Is Dumb is a punk/indie/emo festival put on by the label Lauren Records in LA. I sort of spur of the moment decided to fly out to check it out. I knew I wanted to see one of the Taxpayers reunion shows, and when I saw that Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra was on the line-up (with their original name), I got the feeling that maybe Blowout would play too. I was right. These bands were all a big part of the DIY punk scene in Portland that I was a part of in the early to mid-2010s, along with the Taxpayers related bands Shitty Weekend and Backbiter, and I saw, played shows, and hung out with all of them during that time.

I should note that I am not a videographer, and I took these on my Samsung Galaxy A01 (I am typically too cheap to buy the "numbered" Galaxys), so the lighting is a little goofy. But I think the sound is alright - honestly, on par with some of the more professionally shot concert videos I've seen!

I saw a lot of other great bands at the festival - AJJ, and Shinobu, and Good Luck, and the Ging Nang Boyz and Algernon Cadawallader (I'm going to learn to tap like that guitar player someday), but I don't have any good videos of them. I mostly try to be a "take in the moment" kind of guy with this stuff. But I didn't really have any videos from the old days, so I'm glad I took these ones.