Las Vegas’ recently-opened Punk Rock Museum has announced a new exhibit and revealed the tour guides for the month of October. The new exhibit, Black Punk Now, which was curated by James Spooner, director of the 2003 documentary Afro-Punk, and it’s taking place to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary as well as Spooner’s new anthology book of Black punk authors, also titled Black Punk Now (due October 31 via Soft Skull Press).
As part of the opening celebration on October 20, Spooner will be at the museum to speak to guests and sign copies of his new book. The announcement reads:
Upon its release in 2003, viewers and critics alike were quick to honor the documentary Afro-Punk with cult status; no one could predict the film’s ripple effect. What started as a personal exploration into the experience of being a Black Punk Rocker became the foundation of two distinct and in many ways, diametrically opposed communities. In one corner, a multi-million-dollar corporate Alt R & B brand and musical festival, in the other, a reactionary POC punk underground.
Before there was fiscal interest, the Afro-Punk documentary served as a platform for a New York-based Black punk underground to commune. Monthly gatherings dubbed “the Liberation Sessions” and “the Social Hour” gave way, in 2005 to the “Afro-Punk weekend,” the first festival of its kind. Photographers including, Ed Marshall, Jefry Andres Wright, Duwayno Robinson, and Bashira Webb were there to document those early concerts and the synthesis of punk’s first all-Black mosh pit. Their photos, along with others from members of the early Afro-Punk scene, will be shown publicly, for the first time ever.
The exhibition, Black Punk Now – After Afro-Punk, Beyond Bad Brains, also puts a spotlight on today’s generation of Black punks. Disillusioned by consumer culture, underground BIPOC punk festivals realize the promise of the Afro-Punk documentary. Over twenty photographers contributed hundreds of images to prove once and for all that Black punk has continued, after Afro-Punk and beyond Bad Brains.
James Spooner, the Afro-Punk documentary, nor The Punk Rock Museum, claim any ownership, affiliation, or support from AFROPUNK LLC, the AFROPUNK™ brand, festival, company, or its mother company Essence Worldwide. The use of the Afro-Punk name in the Black Punk Now exhibition is only in reference to the documentary and the events supporting the documentary.
And the tour guides for October are as follows:
– October 6th-8th Chris Freeman – Pansy Division
– October 9th – William DuVall – Alice In Chains, Neon Christ, Bl’ast
– October 12th-15th Slim Jim Phantom – Stray Cats
– October 19th 20th and 23rd Chris DeMakes – Less Than Jake
– October 19th Joe Principe (Rise Against)
– October 20th Zach Blair (Rise Against/Gwar)
– October 20th-23rd Blue (Masked Intruder)
– October 21st-23rd Nick Ghanbarian (Bayside, Silent Majority)
– October 21st Kevin Lyman (Warped Tour)
– October 23rd and 24th Dave Baksh (Sum 41)
– October 27th-29th Dicky Barrett (Bosstones/Defiant)
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Exclusive late night tours starting at midnight with cocktails. 21+ only. Night at the museum:
– October 20th Tom Wisniewski (MxPx)
– October 21st Vinnie Fiorello (ex-Less Than Jake) & Lisa Brownlee (The Punk Rock Museum)
– October 22nd Fat Mike (NOFX)
Tickets for the guided tours are available here.
Listen to our recent podcast episode with Fat Mike for more on the Punk Rock Museum:
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