Bud Weeks

In his talk “Punk Is Not Dead,” Bud “Wizzo” Weeks explores punk not just as a genre, but as a way of life—raw, creative, and unapologetically honest. Drawing from his experiences growing up in instability, finding freedom in art, and building a career as a tattoo artist, Bud makes the case that punk is about resisting conformity, embracing imperfection, and choosing self-expression in a world that wants you to play it safe. “Punk rock is performance art, plain and simple. They might not be the best technical musicians, but the message is more important than anything.” With shoutouts to Star Wars, tattoo culture, and a few choice F-bombs, Bud reminds us that we all have a dragon inside telling us we’re not good enough—and punk is about telling it to shut up and make the thing anyway. “Go make the art. Don’t let anything stand in your way. Punk is not dead.”