As conductor of S.F.'s Punk Rock Orchestra, John Gluck eschews Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Haydn, and Mozart to guide as many as 50 players through what they consider the real classics: irrepressible punk jams from bands like Suicidal Tendencies, the Clash, Dead Kennedys, Joy Division, and the Sex Pistols. The charismatic Gluck smashes the time-honored stereotype of the stoic conductor with his wild facial expressions and bold strokes, which he uses to direct the most vibrantly and defiantly dressed flutists, cellists, and trombonists (among others) you've ever seen. He has been nicknamed Michael Tilson Gluck in tribute to the legendary San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. Of course, it's not hard to tell the two conductors apart: Gluck is the one who uses a toilet brush as a baton.
