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My First Time: A Collection of First Punk Show Stories
Everyone remembers their first punk show...
Blake Schwarzenbach (Jawbreaker / Jets to Brazil)
"I wanted to live with Exene and have her read the Bible to me, but I wanted to sleep in Chavo's closet at the Black Flag church, under an American flag with cigarette burns in it. Lee Ving would be my uncle who would teach me about horse racing, and would let me drink one beer while we worked on his car."
Michelle Tea ( Valencia / Rose of No Man's Land )
"The show at the Channel was full of boys. And none of them were wearing makeup. I thought the whole point of punk was to have a boyfriend who wore as much makeup as I did. We could kiss and it wouldn't be a big deal because our makeup would already be smeared."
Michael Azerrad ( Our Band Could Be Your Life )
"In the middle of the set, John Belushi, from an obscure, late-night sketch comedy show on NBC, came up and played drums on 'Sonic Reducer.'"
Blag Dahlia (The Dwarves)
"I started talking to a girl I met outside the liquor store. She had a haircut that looked like a comma balanced on her head and a drunken scowl on her face. When her older boyfriend came out of the liquor store he told me to fuck off with a mouth that smelled like old carpeting moldering in a dumpster."
Russ Rankin (Good Riddance)
"As we were filing out of the club, I remember Rikk Agnew standing by the door shaking everybody's hands and, when he shook mine, I was struck with how awesome punk rock was and how there really didn't have to be any rock stars or separation between the bands and the audience."
"Youthful idealism is beautiful. No matter how silly or misguided they may end up being, the urgency and power that a group of humans with the same beliefs and ideas can harness, is intoxicating and infectious. I think that's what does it; that's what makes people invest their lives and take ownership of a scene, sub-culture or identity, even though they mature and inevitably change. It's about the ability to participate and build, rather than just plainly observe and accept, without question; it's about being in a place so intimate that just showing up makes you an integral part of the knowing that without you it couldn't be the same, knowing you are connected. This book captures the very beginning of that process."—from the Introduction
The punk movement has permanently altered youth culture. Today's art, politics, and aesthetics wouldn't be the same without the hundreds of thousands of young people who have embraced punk over the last 30-odd years. What does each of these recruits have in common? They all remember their first time. Hear what it was like straight from the fanatics.
Whether it was Jawbreaker in Berkeley; Sick of it All in DC; The Dead Kennedys in Berkeley; The Dickies at CBGB's; Gang Green in Boston; the Ramones in Milwaukee; The Circle Jerks in the West Village—or Baltimore; Neurosis at Gilman Street; The Decline of Western Civilization in Venice; Fugazi in Chapel Hill; 7 Seconds in Sparks, NV; or their goofy friends at a party, these fans recount the inspiration, the embarrassment, and the redemption of their first time.
Contributors George Hurchalla, Harrison Haynes, Jack Rabid, Rob Fish, Joe Queer, Shawna Kenney, Chris Rest, Al Quint, Ben Sizemore, Boff Whalley, Shannon Stewart, Pete Slovenly, Paul Curran, Darren Walters, Scott Kelly, Jillian Lauren, Scott Bourne, and many, many more.
Chris Duncan is an Oakland-based artist, father, and aging punk. He remembers his first time.
Blake Schwarzenbach (Jawbreaker / Jets to Brazil)
"I wanted to live with Exene and have her read the Bible to me, but I wanted to sleep in Chavo's closet at the Black Flag church, under an American flag with cigarette burns in it. Lee Ving would be my uncle who would teach me about horse racing, and would let me drink one beer while we worked on his car."
Michelle Tea ( Valencia / Rose of No Man's Land )
"The show at the Channel was full of boys. And none of them were wearing makeup. I thought the whole point of punk was to have a boyfriend who wore as much makeup as I did. We could kiss and it wouldn't be a big deal because our makeup would already be smeared."
Michael Azerrad ( Our Band Could Be Your Life )
"In the middle of the set, John Belushi, from an obscure, late-night sketch comedy show on NBC, came up and played drums on 'Sonic Reducer.'"
Blag Dahlia (The Dwarves)
"I started talking to a girl I met outside the liquor store. She had a haircut that looked like a comma balanced on her head and a drunken scowl on her face. When her older boyfriend came out of the liquor store he told me to fuck off with a mouth that smelled like old carpeting moldering in a dumpster."
Russ Rankin (Good Riddance)
"As we were filing out of the club, I remember Rikk Agnew standing by the door shaking everybody's hands and, when he shook mine, I was struck with how awesome punk rock was and how there really didn't have to be any rock stars or separation between the bands and the audience."
"Youthful idealism is beautiful. No matter how silly or misguided they may end up being, the urgency and power that a group of humans with the same beliefs and ideas can harness, is intoxicating and infectious. I think that's what does it; that's what makes people invest their lives and take ownership of a scene, sub-culture or identity, even though they mature and inevitably change. It's about the ability to participate and build, rather than just plainly observe and accept, without question; it's about being in a place so intimate that just showing up makes you an integral part of the knowing that without you it couldn't be the same, knowing you are connected. This book captures the very beginning of that process."—from the Introduction
The punk movement has permanently altered youth culture. Today's art, politics, and aesthetics wouldn't be the same without the hundreds of thousands of young people who have embraced punk over the last 30-odd years. What does each of these recruits have in common? They all remember their first time. Hear what it was like straight from the fanatics.
Whether it was Jawbreaker in Berkeley; Sick of it All in DC; The Dead Kennedys in Berkeley; The Dickies at CBGB's; Gang Green in Boston; the Ramones in Milwaukee; The Circle Jerks in the West Village—or Baltimore; Neurosis at Gilman Street; The Decline of Western Civilization in Venice; Fugazi in Chapel Hill; 7 Seconds in Sparks, NV; or their goofy friends at a party, these fans recount the inspiration, the embarrassment, and the redemption of their first time.
Contributors George Hurchalla, Harrison Haynes, Jack Rabid, Rob Fish, Joe Queer, Shawna Kenney, Chris Rest, Al Quint, Ben Sizemore, Boff Whalley, Shannon Stewart, Pete Slovenly, Paul Curran, Darren Walters, Scott Kelly, Jillian Lauren, Scott Bourne, and many, many more.
Chris Duncan is an Oakland-based artist, father, and aging punk. He remembers his first time.
- GenresMusicNonfictionPunk
225 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 17, 2008
well maybe im bias.but i think its the best book ever.
February 13, 2015
I will admit it, guys: There is not a lot I love more in the world than stories about How Punk Rock Saved My Life, and this book has many such stories. Most of them are pretty short, only a page or two, and they’re mostly by people who Do Stuff in punk. They’re in bands (Blag Dalia, John Poddy, Blake Schwarzenbach) or they write books (Michael Azerrad, Chris Walter, George Hurchella), something like that, but some of my favorite ones are by regular joes.
For example, I love the one by Anna Kanaan, who was 43 when she went to her first punk show. She was there because her kid was playing the show and she got suckered into doing security. She was a little freaked out by the prospect, but learned that — surprise, surprise! — punk rockers are people, too. They were nice to her, and now she smiles at them on the street and says hi. It’s pretty adorable.
I suspected I would enjoy this book, and I was right. If you have similar suspicions about your own enjoyment, they will probably be right. I do suggest the library, though. This is a pretty fast read, nothing too deep or life-changing, nothing that you need to keep forever and ever on your shelves.
It did make me think, though: What would I come up with if someone asked me to write an essay or story about my first punk show? I don’t know that I could. I might be able to write something about my first show back after years of no shows at all, but that show was not a punk show. It was followed by an affair with CanRock (still ongoing, although these days it’s my bit on the side), and then a first punk show after the first non-punk show after no shows after many shows after the first show. That first punk show, maybe I could write about.
But my first punk show ever? I have no idea. And I don’t know what that means. Does it mean that it sucked? That it didn’t change my life the way it was meant to? Was I Doing Punk Rock Wrong? Or just that it was so long ago that I’ve lost it?
I started going to shows in 1990. It was not a great time for punk rock. So — maybe there wasn’t a first punk show. Maybe it was Pearl Jam. I see a lot of kids these days in Nirvana shirts at punk shows. Last week a kid had on his back: The Exploited (back patch), GG Allin (regular patch), Nirvana (sharpie). So maybe early Pearl Jam counts.
It was definitely not Marilyn Manson. I went to a hockey game last week, and they played the opening of “Beautiful People” as the Blackhawks skated onto the ice (despite the absence of Patrick Sharp from the lineup — rimshot!), and I was appalled on several levels. It wasn’t Nine Inch Nails, either, although let me tell you about early 90s pits at industrial shows as a small teenage girl. That thing you’re imagining right now? The face you made? You’re not wrong.
Was it Social Distortion? Could be. That would make sense. It might at least explain my deep affection for Mike Ness, which is otherwise unfathomable.
Or was it some local Flint band, a few kids my age who played four gigs ever at the Local, their names and songs since lost? Or — one of the guys I dated in high school, he had a band. Maybe it was them. I would not have called them punk rock at the time, and I wouldn’t do it now, but maybe it was them.
(More of a blog post than a book review, I suppose, originally posted over here. Quotes from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.)
For example, I love the one by Anna Kanaan, who was 43 when she went to her first punk show. She was there because her kid was playing the show and she got suckered into doing security. She was a little freaked out by the prospect, but learned that — surprise, surprise! — punk rockers are people, too. They were nice to her, and now she smiles at them on the street and says hi. It’s pretty adorable.
I suspected I would enjoy this book, and I was right. If you have similar suspicions about your own enjoyment, they will probably be right. I do suggest the library, though. This is a pretty fast read, nothing too deep or life-changing, nothing that you need to keep forever and ever on your shelves.
It did make me think, though: What would I come up with if someone asked me to write an essay or story about my first punk show? I don’t know that I could. I might be able to write something about my first show back after years of no shows at all, but that show was not a punk show. It was followed by an affair with CanRock (still ongoing, although these days it’s my bit on the side), and then a first punk show after the first non-punk show after no shows after many shows after the first show. That first punk show, maybe I could write about.
But my first punk show ever? I have no idea. And I don’t know what that means. Does it mean that it sucked? That it didn’t change my life the way it was meant to? Was I Doing Punk Rock Wrong? Or just that it was so long ago that I’ve lost it?
G: What’s the first thing you remember?
R: The first thing that comes into my head, you mean?
G: No, the first thing you remember.
R: No, it’s no good. It’s gone. It was a long time ago.
I started going to shows in 1990. It was not a great time for punk rock. So — maybe there wasn’t a first punk show. Maybe it was Pearl Jam. I see a lot of kids these days in Nirvana shirts at punk shows. Last week a kid had on his back: The Exploited (back patch), GG Allin (regular patch), Nirvana (sharpie). So maybe early Pearl Jam counts.
It was definitely not Marilyn Manson. I went to a hockey game last week, and they played the opening of “Beautiful People” as the Blackhawks skated onto the ice (despite the absence of Patrick Sharp from the lineup — rimshot!), and I was appalled on several levels. It wasn’t Nine Inch Nails, either, although let me tell you about early 90s pits at industrial shows as a small teenage girl. That thing you’re imagining right now? The face you made? You’re not wrong.
Was it Social Distortion? Could be. That would make sense. It might at least explain my deep affection for Mike Ness, which is otherwise unfathomable.
Or was it some local Flint band, a few kids my age who played four gigs ever at the Local, their names and songs since lost? Or — one of the guys I dated in high school, he had a band. Maybe it was them. I would not have called them punk rock at the time, and I wouldn’t do it now, but maybe it was them.
G: You don’t get my meaning. What’s the first thing you remember after all the things you’ve forgotten?
R: Oh, I see. …I’ve forgotten the question.
(More of a blog post than a book review, I suppose, originally posted over here. Quotes from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.)
May 6, 2024
What stood out as the most interesting element to me, was that the majority of these stories were different from my own in one major way, the bands that played and the interviewees first shows were big bands that the individuals knew/liked before the show. I realized then that I had been biased/in a bubble thinking that most punk kids went to a local show with unknown bands and then slipcovered the larger punk scene from that introduction point. I would have loved more stories from people whose first shows spanned a greater time period. Most of these happened in the early to mid-80s, with the second wave of punk/rise of hardcore. What about that third wave?
June 19, 2017
I do wish that you had been able to include more show memories from people (like me) who were involved in Punk in the South. Knoxville had a thriving underground music scene, as did places like Athens GA, Lexington KY, Richmond VA, and Columbia SC among others, and the "big" bands came through and played shows in Dixie. Other than that, great book.
October 22, 2016
Easy read. Most stories were basically the same but the following really stood out: Daren Walters, Steven Sciscenti, and Craigums. Makes me nostalgic for my first show.
October 22, 2007
It should come as no surprise that the writing style varies in this collection of first punk show-going experiences. But like some of the clumsy bands that graced those stages, this book actually benefits from the 'warts and all' aesthetic that its centered around.
I'll be damned if these anecdotes didn't make me all teary-eyed for my first real "punk" show which if my memory serves me correctly was The Bouncing Souls/Blanks 77/John Cougar Concentration Camp at the Stone Pony. I still wrestling near the t-shirt stand, JCCC getting boo-ed off the stage and a whole lot of finger pointing. And while I remember having a good time, this book conjured up something that is much more meaningful than whatever band it is that played. I became struck by a sense of nostalgia for a time in my life that I, as well as the authors, will never get back- though many of us still try and replicate it with varying degrees of success.
I'll be damned if these anecdotes didn't make me all teary-eyed for my first real "punk" show which if my memory serves me correctly was The Bouncing Souls/Blanks 77/John Cougar Concentration Camp at the Stone Pony. I still wrestling near the t-shirt stand, JCCC getting boo-ed off the stage and a whole lot of finger pointing. And while I remember having a good time, this book conjured up something that is much more meaningful than whatever band it is that played. I became struck by a sense of nostalgia for a time in my life that I, as well as the authors, will never get back- though many of us still try and replicate it with varying degrees of success.
March 24, 2008
I really wanted this book to be better than it was. But in the end it was kind of boring. All the stories in here are short - like 2 or 3 pages - and all say exactly the same thing: I went to a show, it changed my life, I'm punk forever. It is nice to read a book full of stories about how once you are a punk kid there is no turning back, and how you'll always feel slightly apart from those that haven't had this experience, but I think this book had way more potential than was used. I actually didn't finished reading it because it was so repetitive. But i did get some nice nostalgic memories out of it, and it was nice to think that when I was 15 and first going to shows and feeling both in awe and totally sacred that so were many other kids across the world doing the same. It's also nice to know that even though all of us 15 year olds have grown up that first punk show (and most to follow) are still in us.
July 29, 2008
Pete was nice enough to pick this up for me at Ameoba Records while I attended the conference that brought us to San Fran. This was supposed be a zine but wound up in book format. It allowed me to reminisce about being a kid in NY in the late 80's and all the trips we'd make to CBGB's to see 5 bands for $5 on Sunday afternoons. I can't for the life of me remember what the first show I saw was - Sick of It All, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Token Entry...I just don't know. What I do know know, is that the punk rock/hardcore scene in NYC made me the person I am today. I loved the DYI feel of it all and how you could be "friends" with all the artists you saw playing. These shows kept me from feeling totally isolated and created a family when the one I was born into felt too disfunctional for words. I'd have liked to have heard from more women but honestly the book reflected the scene.
March 28, 2010
the redundancy in some of these stories is also the point -- the focus on what to wear to your first show, which band names to draw on your jacket/shoes/bag, whether to mosh, how to get your parents to let you out of the house, straight edge or not -- it's all a great way to underscore that the different details of which band and where are all in a way subservient to the overall PUNKness of the experience.
among the trends i'd forgotten to credit punk with: the dissolution of the fourth wall. you like it, talk to us, make a zine about it, pick up your own guitar, jump on stage, catch me as i jump into the crowd...
still finishing up the last few of these. very few chicks in this lot, of course, though a great essay by michelle valencia and a surprising number of cameos starring dudes' later-revealed-as-gay best friends.
among the trends i'd forgotten to credit punk with: the dissolution of the fourth wall. you like it, talk to us, make a zine about it, pick up your own guitar, jump on stage, catch me as i jump into the crowd...
still finishing up the last few of these. very few chicks in this lot, of course, though a great essay by michelle valencia and a surprising number of cameos starring dudes' later-revealed-as-gay best friends.
June 7, 2011
meh. i picked this up at Socialism 2009. i was on a budget and this was a "different" kind of title for our book fair. one problem here is that some of these stories are well written and some of them are just boring. but my real gripe is that they're all kind of the same (with a few exceptions): same bands. same time frame. same age. and i think the real question is...what is so special about this "first time"? is there a unifying experience or lessons learned? why would i want to read about a stranger's first punkrock show at all?
i did enjoy the stories by Blake Schwarzenbach and Scott Bourne (Bourne, you sexy beast! who knew that you were a writer! call me!)
i did enjoy the stories by Blake Schwarzenbach and Scott Bourne (Bourne, you sexy beast! who knew that you were a writer! call me!)
May 15, 2008
My friend Becky gave this to me. It's interesting stuff. I guess this was going to be a zine, but ended up being a bit more than that with a bunch of stories from lots of different people. It's making me nostalgic. At first I wasn't convinced, but the more of these short essays I read, the more I like it.
Go on, AK Press. Keeep it up.
Additional:
Like a good zine, this is well done, but also a pretty quick read. There is a good mix of people represented here, over a large span of time. Good stuff.
Go on, AK Press. Keeep it up.
Additional:
Like a good zine, this is well done, but also a pretty quick read. There is a good mix of people represented here, over a large span of time. Good stuff.
July 12, 2009
uh so i wrote a piece in this book and i'm definitely not a professional writer. the book has a fanzine feel and the quality of the writing certainly varies. i'm flattered if anybody actually reads what i wrote but i really had fun reading all the other stories. sure there are some common themes but i think anybody that is or was into punk/hardcore will get something outta this collection of stories. it'll definitely make you laugh and reminisce about being young and dumb if nothing else.
January 14, 2008
Got this as a gift from the singer of my old band and loved it after just reading some of the back cover quotes. Having gone to my own first show back in 1987 - I know how important and life-changing an event it can be and it was great to read stories from various "celebs" of the scene and what it meant to them.
November 8, 2007
Excellent collection of essays detailing a bunch of folks' first punk show. A lot of variety in writing style, perspective and experience. I highly recommend this to anyone into punk, hardcore and independent culture.
Want to read
February 25, 2009My friend Chris Duncan wrote this and I cannot wait to read it.
Want to read
September 15, 2007I have a a story in this book. Chris is also one of my very best friends. I have yet to see the finished product, but I'm sure it's great!
February 1, 2008
Reading this made me sad in a way I can't describe.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews