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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

In Defense Of Hipsters: The IHEARTCOMIX Showcase

I’ve decided that I am sick of it. When I told my friends that I went to, and enjoyed, the IHEARTCOMIX (The LA label growing synonymous with electronic/dance/pop punk music for “hipsters”) Showcase at South By Southwest I had to endure unrepentant assaults on my character. However, for every “move to Brooklyn” and “does Pitchfork have dance instruction videos?” I got, no one ever mentioned the important thing: it’s okay for music to be fun and there is nothing wrong with dancing.

The band names, however, could be argued as stupid
The band names, however, could be argued as stupid

Setting aside the insane assumption that a “hipster” is a thing, or more specifically one that can be defined by a series of arbitrary characteristics (like a passion for awesome sunglasses,) I finally feel it necessary to note that these poor kids cannot win. For years the metaphor was that hipsters didn’t dance; that they stared at the ground while a band droned on stage. Eventually the Diplos and the A-Traks, and the MSTRKRFTS appeared and with the availability of music that actually encouraged this kind of prosocial behavior (because no one can shake it at a Merzbow show) these kids started to dance. But apparently that is also not acceptable as labels like IHEARTCOMIX are blasted for encouraging physical movement like they’re in Elmore City. There is honestly no way for these kids to appease the general blog commentariat, but they keep dancing.

So, hell yeah hipsters. I guess at some point we all forgot that it’s not about reactions on Stereogum and Brooklyn Vegan. And it’s not about getting into everyoneisfamous photos. It’s not about the overwhelming libido of Totally Michael or the upfront fame whoring of Ninjasonik. It’s about the fact that one can find enjoyment in a beat. Maybe irony, scenes, and reasons don’t; maybe dancing is just fun.

Photo by Alex Carusillo
Photo by Alex Carusillo

So “hipsters,” I’ve got you on this. I’ve got you because Team Robespierre sounded crazy hot even from the line outside the venue. Because The Death Set physically destroyed the stage while onetime passive kids screamed. Because neon colors actually are cool. And because the crowd was having fun not to impress anyone but because the concept still exists.

A.

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