Live rock ‘n’ roll first came to Peoria in 1957 via a series of public “shindigs” from local promoter Bill Reardon. “There is really no mystery about the rock ‘n’ roll craze,” reported WMBD news announcer Gomer Bath. “It is … Continue reading →
Halloween 1989. Daed Kcis, Saint Sirus and All Desires play a show in ICC’s gymnasium. Having started the show nearly three hours late due to a late-running tennis class, the headliner All Desires is only able to play four songs … Continue reading →
Happy Halloween from 1996, 1997 and 1998. @ Peoria, Illinois
Continue reading →In the ‘80s, ‘90s and beyond, Peoria punks stood up against the hateful rhetoric of Matt Hale and other white supremacists. Members of Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (S.H.A.R.P.) were integral to the Peoria scene, from publishing a zine and promoting … Continue reading →
May 26, 2003. Jared Grabb’s final show at the Meeting House is headlined by Against Me! from Gainesville, Florida. Located in the basement of Peoria’s Church of the Brethren, the Meeting House exposed both the tension and the overlap between punk rock and … Continue reading →
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” a familiar voice boomed into the mic. “We are Fugazi from Washington, DC.” Twenty-five years ago, the legendary band stood atop a rickety wooden stage in Peoria, Illinois – inside the very same room the … Continue reading →
PUNKS IN PEORIA: Making a Scene in the American Heartland By Jonathan Wright and Dawson Barrett “A deep, heartfelt dive into the punk subculture of America’s quintessential small city…” –Jason Heller, author of STRANGE STARSSpring Spring 2021 from the University … Continue reading →
