Welcome to Your Life: A Trip Through Post-Punk and New Wave
Black Squirrel Club
1049 Sarah St.
Philadelphia
May 29, 2026
The history of punk rock as told in countless books and documentaries is simultaneously a story of reclamation and rupture. Despite being separated by an ocean and a world of distinct cultural touchstones, the first wave of punks in New York and London shared a common DNA of musical influences. From the raucous early rock n’ roll of Chuck Berry in the '50s, to the American garage and British blues-rock bands of the '60s, punk had a deep well of energy to reintroduce to audiences in the '70s. As a rupturing force, punk rock challenged the prevailing dominance of progressive rock and radio-friendly pop-rock. Post-punk opened the gates even further, allowing punk’s ethos to be filtered through an ever-expanding musical palette. This expansion led to a great flowering of sub-genres: new-wave, no-wave, synth-pop, goth, and industrial, each playing their own part in defining the 1980s.
On Friday, Jersey-based pop and rock tribute band Speak Low pulled up to the Black Squirrel Club for "Welcome To Your Life: A Trip Through Post-Punk and New Wave." The first of a two-night engagement at Black Squirrel, Welcome To Your Life is a fun night of covers paying homage to the post-punk revolution. The Smiths played over the house sound system as the crowd of mostly Gen Xers and older millennials filed into the venue. Singer Amanda Bee took to the stage as the band launched into a breezy cover of Tears For Fears’ "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Keyboardist Rob Lawrence promised “With some bands you get singers, with this band you get characters” as a revolving cast of singers joined the band on stage from the crowd.
From a sassy version of Gary Numan’s cyber-funk anthem “Cars” to a loungey version of Joe Jackson's “Is She Really Going Out with Him," Speak Low rocked the crowd expertly. They even threw in some beloved jams by Roxy Music, Joy Division and The Pretenders. The first few generations of punk may not have envisioned their songs becoming part of pop music’s cannon. While those musicians in the '70s and '80s were plundering rock history, they also created something so radical and novel that its longevity was not assured. The fact that these songs can still be played and sung on a random Friday night anywhere in the world is a testament to their strength and their enduring value.
