Punks in Peoria: Making a Scene in the American Heartland (Volume 1)

by Jonathan Wright, Dawson Barrett

Punk rock culture in a preeminently average town

Synonymous with American mediocrity, Peoria was fertile ground for the boredom- and anger-fueled fury of punk rock. Jonathan Wright and Dawson Barrett explore the do-it-yourself scene built by Peoria punks, performers, and scenesters in the 1980s and 1990s. From fanzines to indie record shops to renting the VFW hall for an all-ages show, Peoria's punk culture reflected the movement elsewhere, but the city's conservatism and industrial decline offered a richer-than-usual target environment for rebellion. Eyewitness accounts take readers into hangouts and long-lost venues, while interviews with the people who were there trace the ever-changing scene and varied fortunes of local legends like Caustic Defiance, Dollface, and Planes Mistaken for Stars. What emerges is a sympathetic portrait of a youth culture in search of entertainment but just as hungry for community—the shared sense of otherness that, even for one night only, could unite outsiders and discontents under the banner of music. 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.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

264 pages, Hardcover

Published June 15, 2021

About the author

Jonathan Wright is a writer, editor, content strategist, vinyl DJ, and longtime veteran of the Peoria music scene. He is co-author of Punks In Peoria: Making a Scene in the American Heartland (University of Illinois Press, 2021), winner of the 2022 Russell P. Strange Memorial Book of the Year Award presented by the Illinois State Historical Society.

For more information, visit my LinkTree.

For a complete list of bylines, articles, reviews and interviews related to Punks In Peoria, visit punksinpeoria.com.

Reviews

[Jam Rohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful read, and an important history of Peoria's music scene. This book was thorough and inclusive of several eras including a few about today's musicians and scene. I cannot recommend enough

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic (if somewhat depressing) delve into the Peoria punk scene. I grew up just outside of Chicago in Joliet and moved to Peoria about five years ago and reading this book was like an archeological dig through the past of a city I only recently discovered!

The overarching theme of the book is that people born and raised in Peoria look to get out. Peoria's close proximity to not just Chicago and St. Louis but other college towns such as Bloomington and Champaign really put it at a disadvantage to become a cultural epicenter. It seems the interest and talent was here but those people got out quick.

Although I presumed this would primarily about the music it's more a book of cultural anthropology that details how the scene progressed and how cliques and music genres interrelated. A fascinating read and highly recommended!

[Jes Cunningham]

This is based on the history of punk music in my hometown. It was a lot of fun to read, because I’m friends or acquaintances with many people who were interviewed for this one. If you’re interested in punk/ hardcore music or local history of the Midwest it’s a book that’s worth your time.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an INTENSE historical account of the punk scene in Peoria- focused specifically on the 80s and 90s. It is full of anecdotes, trivia, band names, etc.

Truly, the only issue I had is that I'm not from the area; so many of the landmarks were not things I was automatically familiar with. However, this does not detract from its enjoyability whatsoever.

I'm endlessly fascinated by musical history as it always leads to me hunting down new (or old, I guess?) artists.

This book is an obvious labor of love! And it comes through every chapter. Love for music, for punk, for punks, for Peoria, for Central Illinois, for Illinois, for history...for anyone who ever randomly stopped by a friend's house to hear a band practice; for anyone who ever went to a Battle of the Bands in a church parking lot; for anyone who ever just...drove around, looking for some live music and maybe some trouble :)

Def. recommend.

[Andrew Palumbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Some people saw Peoria as little more than a dull, backwater farm town: a place to get a factory job, raise a family, and precious little else. But for those who were coming of age and bursting to leave their own even smaller towns, Peoria was the big city — and punk shows got them out of the cornfields.”

Punks in Peoria will be familiar to anyone who grew up in or near a post-industrial city in the 80s & 90s. While this book dives heavily into the specifics of Peoria’s punk scene, its bands, and the individuals who helped create the scene. While the people and bands were different, the stories and the DIY nature of the small local shows and zines are familiar to anyone who grew up in a similar environment during this time.

Because of the Peoria-centric details, the book was a bit slow for an “outsider” like me but I enjoyed seeing the parallels to the experiences I had growing up during this time. Overall it was a decent read that brought back a lot of memories of similar bands and shows growing up.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Entertaining and well-researched, Punks in Peoria tells the story of punk music in Peoria (with mentions of overlap into the rest of Central Illinois) from the mid-80s to the mid-00s.

I really appreciated the way the authors connected the punk scene in Peoria to the wider happenings in politics and loved the message of DIY community that was at the heart of the punk scene. That being said, at times the book seemed to revert to a laundry list of names, bands, and venues, which might have been more interesting to me if I had more familiarity with the people.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of punk music, especially those who have the nostalgia factor of garage shows and will likely be sending copies to family members who live in the Peoria area.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw this book I knew I needed to read it and I am so happy to say that it did not disappoint. A comprehensive history of the punk music scene out of Peoria, IL, Punks in Peoria kept a smile on my face the entire read as I reminisced about the music scene I grew up in. Although I didn't grow up in Peoria, lucky for me much of the spill-over made it to Chicago (duh!). If you're a fan of punk music you will love this book.

5./5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Illinois Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This engaging oral history delivers what the title promises., but it would benefit from more deeply exploring some of the themes it raises to help the reader understand why the scene it so lovingly describes mattered outside Central IL. The book is enhanced by the associated compilation LP that revives recordings which might otherwise have been lost and which allows us to feel a little of what the kids were feeling (and seeing, thanks to a nice collage poster insert of show fliers). Pairing a book and record like this should be the model for other projects.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I love to read - all the insane details of a scene and the crazy bands and people that made it go. If you feel similarly - search this one out, if only to read chapter 7 about the Naked Raygun show at Illinois Central College, August 28, 1987, Oh, boy!

My mania for Illinois rock drove me to this book - thanks for the tip, Chicago Reader!

This little tome is well-researched, well written and brings all of this life to the page.

Good stuff.

[Clif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked 2/3 of this book and it would get 4 stars for that part. All the early straight edge hardcore and Bloody Mess punk rock. The last 50 pages were all screamo hardcore and emocore and it was skimmed because all this shit is annoying. Considering I have been to shows in many of the places mentioned in the book and know a bunch of the people involved as friends it was a fun read.

[Jason Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you were there this goes on the shelf next to other cult classics as say… the bible, collected works of shakespeare, free to be you and me…if you weren’t there, not so much. i was there.

[Robert Giesenhagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good I guess. Was a quick read.

[Scott Satterwhite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I especially loved the GG section. Very interesting and compelling read, cover to cover.

[T. Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at a small city and a scene.