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PUNKS IN PEORIA: Making a Scene in the American Heartland

Punks In Peoria

Making A Scene In The American Heartland

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Your First Peoria Punk Rock Show…

Punks In Peoria Posted on February 24, 2021 by JonFebruary 24, 2021
The Jesus Lizard in Peoria, 1995

What was your first Peoria punk rock show?

DAWSON: Mine was the Jesus Lizard, Sidekick Kato and Nora Hate at the downtown American Legion Hall (a show Jon put on, though we didn’t meet until years later). I had the flyer on my wall for years. It was the summer of 1995, between my 7th and 8th grade year. My buddy’s mom, our chaperone, sat in the back the whole show.

I remember nervously asking David Yow and Mac McNeilly to autograph my ticket stub. I’m sure they thought I was ridiculous (which I definitely was), but they were both very nice about it – and obliged a dorky and awkward 13-year-old. That show turned my world upside-down. All three bands were incredible, and it was the first time I really felt like maybe I might, someday, fit in somewhere. I knew I wasn’t cool, but boy was I hooked!

Jesus Lizard in Peoria

The Jesus Lizard plays Peoria, 1995

JON: I saw Dollface at a party in 1993, and I couldn’t believe they were from Peoria. They seemed like rock stars – and they played the part. I just remember thinking… they should be touring with Nirvana or something! Then I saw Three Boyfriends and Frozen At Sea at the Madison Theater not long after that. This was really my first local show. Three Boyfriends had their psychedelic army of guitarists, and Frozen At Sea was this beautiful, circus-like spectacle of incongruity.

Seeing other kids my own age up on the stage of that magnificent and historic venue was thrilling! Through the DIY punk scene, we were creating our own opportunities to build something new and different. Little did I know, I would be right in the thick of it just a few months later.

So… what was YOUR first Peoria punk show? Leave a comment below!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a reply

EARLY BIRD BUNDLE PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW!

Punks In Peoria Posted on February 11, 2021 by AlonaFebruary 11, 2021

For a limited time only, you can pre-order the PUNKS IN PEORIA book and LP (or CD) together for the discounted price of $40. More information and additional options here: https://www.litonfirepia.com/punks-in-peoria

Posted in Uncategorized

The Peoria/Bloomington-Normal Connection

Punks In Peoria Posted on January 25, 2021 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

From shared band members to college transplants, Peoria’s punk scene has long been intertwined with the scene in Bloomington-Normal. Chapter Six of our book is dedicated to this connection. Pictured are a handful of great bands from the Twin Cities:

1) Dr. Butcher & the MDs 2) Nameless Dread 3) The Outbreaks 4) Naked Hippy 5) Semicids 6) The Defilers 7) The Resinators

  • © Patrick Dwyer
  • © Jeff Warren
  • © Matt Rousey
  • © Barry Stepe
  • © Ed Young
  • © Eric Peterson

Posted in 1980s, 1990s

Color Me Dollface

Punks In Peoria Posted on January 17, 2021 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021
Posted in 1990s

Old-School Co-Op

Punks In Peoria Posted on January 11, 2021 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

Like so many music scenes, it started at a record store. And like Chicago had Wax Trax, Peoria had Co-Op. The Midwest chain’s flagship location was on West Main Street. At its peak in the early eighties, there were more than two dozen Co-Op locations across Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Photos ca. 1979-82 via Ken Christianson/Todd Kiel, MEMORIES OF PEORIA

Posted in 1980s, 1990s, 2000s

Tiamat Records

Punks In Peoria Posted on December 28, 2020 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

“Our CBGB” on West Main, ca 1998

Posted in 1990s

Rest in Peace

Punks In Peoria Posted on December 18, 2020 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

We are devastated to hear of Dan Dirst’s recent passing.

If you can, please help his family here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2a2k34-bring-dan-home…

Dan brought people together by booking great punk rock shows in the Peoria area. One that is prominently featured in the book was a two-day benefit festival at the Morton Optimist Club in March of 2000. It was a huge amount of work – and ultimately raised $1,600 for the TAPS no-kill animal shelter.

In our conversations, Dan offered the following:“The Peoria punk scene really felt like a community, and for the first time I felt like I ‘belonged.’ Most of my friends, even still today, I met through the scene — some very good, kind-hearted people. Seeing how well the punk community worked together made me realize that with the right attitude, punk rockers can get it done! Thank you to the Peoria ‘kids’ for making the ‘90s living in Peoria enjoyable!”

Posted in Uncategorized

Early 2000s Metalcore

Punks In Peoria Posted on December 17, 2020 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

A wave of bands in the early 2000s reflected the growing influence of metal in the hardcore scene, including Angeltread, Metal Warriors, Declaim, RyeFieldCrane and Nonetheless—who soon changed their name to Burning Love Letters and later morphed into The Serpent Son. BLL/TSS attracted a dedicated following and was one of Peoria’s biggest acts for the rest of the decade.

2008 photos © Jeremiah Lambert

  • Burning Love Letters original lineup at East Peoria Legion Hall, 2003
  • Burning Love Letters on tour, 2005
  • The Serpent Son promo pic, 2006
  • The Serpent Son at The Meeting House, 2008
Posted in 2000s

Jon Ginoli and Hoopla

Punks In Peoria Posted on December 11, 2020 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

In 1977 Jon Ginoli, a junior at Richwoods High School, created Peoria’s first punk rock zine, Hoopla. He formed The Outnumbered as a student at the University of Illinois, releasing three LPs and touring with the Replacements, Violent Femmes and Soul Asylum.The Peoria native co-founded Pansy Division in 1991—the world’s first openly gay rock band featuring predominantly gay musicians. The band first garnered international notoriety as the opening act on Green Day’s 1994 Dookie tour and is still active today.

  • Issues of Hoopla, 1977-1978, courtesy of Bob Gordon
  • Jon Ginoli, Richwoods High School junior, 1977. Courtesy of Jon Ginoli
  • The Outnumbered
    https://theoutnumbered.bandcamp.com
  • A portion of Pansy Division’s first band promo photo, 1992. L-R: Jon Ginoli, Chris Freeman, Jay Paget. Courtesy Pansy Division
  • Jon and Chris with Mike and Tre from Green Day, in Calgary, July 1994 Courtesy Pansy Division
Posted in 1980s

Punk rock and skateboarding

Punks In Peoria Posted on December 5, 2020 by AlonaJanuary 27, 2021

Punk rock and skateboarding always went hand in hand. In the mid-’80s, the Stepe brothers and their central Illinois skate crew made Fulton Plaza in downtown Peoria their central hangout, rechristening it the “Bum Box.”

The Stepes also had a half pipe in their backyard in East Peoria, which their parents gifted them as atonement for their move from Chicago.

Photos © Barry Stepe and Michael O’Russa

Posted in 1980s

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PUNKS IN PEORIA

Punks In Peoria book cover

Making a Scene in the American Heartland

by JONATHAN WRIGHT  and DAWSON BARRETT

A raucous look at a small-city underground, Punks in Peoria takes readers off the beaten track to reveal the punk rock life as lived in Anytown, U.S.A.

 

“One of the strongest legacies of the hardcore punk movement in America was its emphasis on the local and the seeding of the country with self-supporting scenes. Every town has a story to tell itself about itself and Punks in Peoria explores this in magnificent detail for the hardcore scene in Peoria, Illinois. While more storied scenes from bigger cities may get the most ink, this book shows how the ideals and power of the music penetrated every corner of the land but was only ever sustained by the grit and ingenuity of the people involved on the ground level. We need a book like this for everywhere.”
—GUY PICCIOTTO of Fugazi

 

“Punks in Peoria isn’t just a deep, heartfelt dive into the punk subculture of America’s quintessential small city. It’s an exquisite map of how music flows through social structures and between generations. Essential reading for anyone interested in how art impacts life.”
—JASON HELLER, author of Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-fi Exploded

 

“Punks in Peoria is free of jargon, centers the stories of the people who actually helped build the scene, and speaks to the experiences of the small cities and towns that have been the lifeblood of punk rock in the United States. It is a model for good research on punk.”
—ZACK FURNESS, author/editor of Punkademics: The Basement Show in the Ivory Tower

 

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