Punk Rock Bar Sentimentality

Ralph's%20sign
Originally uploaded by kuchen.

Ralph's Bar in Moorhead is closing in about a week or so. Isn't it weird to call a supposedly "punk" place an institution? In the words of David Berman, "Punk rock died when the first kid said, "Punk's not dead! Punk's not dead!" The same goes for CBGB and First Avenue. I understand these places contain a lot of history, but I think everybody who's crying over Ralph's needs to start thinking about which abandoned Fargo warehouse is going to become a cool new underground spot.