Meet David Rosen, the man in the photo that has been inspiring punks across the Internet.
David spent the majority of Putrid Tribe’s set last week at the Pus Bunker wearing just one shoe. While dancing during PT’s first song, someone stepped on the heel of his left sneaker, then kicked it deep into the pit. What happened next, though, was truly amazing. It’s a story the world desperately needs right now.
Between songs, David used his iPhone flashlight in an attempt to find his missing canvas low top, but he was having no luck. When pitters slammed into the one-shoed David, he pointed out his dirty sock in desperation.
Defeated, David continued watching Putrid Tribe from the edge of the pit for the rest of the set.
“I was starting to lose hope that I would ever get my shoe back,” said David. “But then I remembered the words of Putrid Tribe while they were being yelled at me over the PA: ‘Fuck those fucking fucks, fuck everything, fuuuuuuuck.’ While the lyrics might not have applied directly to my situation, they still inspired me to keep looking.”
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When the lights came up and people filtered out of the Pus Bunker, David’s shoe, crushed and browned, appeared near the drum kit of the basement floor.
That’s when a fellow show-goer snapped the now-famous shot of David holding his show and put it on Instagram.
“I’m happy that I can be a source of inspiration for other punks out there who may be dealing with hard times in their lives … But honestly, I’m most happy that I found my shoe. And aside from it being a little mushy inside, it still fits!” said David.
Wow. Truly inspiring.
Given the state of the world right now — and the very true, sad fact that shoes are lost in sweaty crowds everyday — David’s story gives us hope. Pass it on.