Alan Parkes, “Nailed to the X: The Sounds and Styles of Later 1980s Straight Edge Hardcore Punk”
With a playing time of just two minutes, hardcore band Bold’s “Nailed to the X” adhered to the
assaultive sound that characterized early hardcore punk – distinct from its punk predecessor by
its simplicity, increased speed, and aggression. In it singer Matt Warnke shouts:
Working together with straight clean souls
Working for a common cause, the youth unite
Join with us in our fight
Nailed to the X
Expressed by an emphasis on “the X,” a symbol of straight edge identification, and cleanliness,
the song represented a broad embrace of straight edge – abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and
promiscuous sex – among hardcore fans and band members. Straight edge, along with
disavowing nihilism popularly associated with punk and the metal sound that many earlier
hardcore bands turned toward by 1985, helped to recover hardcore punk from what many
hardcore scene members saw as a mid-decade nadir. However, by the end of the decade, straight
edge hardcore’s success came at the cost of immersing itself in cultural influences beyond its
venues and hangouts. While straight edge bands created music in line with that of their hardcore
predecessors, they signified a dependency on latent support of broader cultural trends, marked a
drug-free philosophy that mirrored prevailing approaches to anti-drug programs of the decade.
At the same time, the popularization of a hip-hop style alongside a growing hardcore youth
culture at the end of the 1980s signified a new phenomenon in which white hardcore fans
retained a distinct musical form while embracing a hip-hop inspired fashion. This paper will
assess changes in hardcore punk at the end of the 1980s, exposing more than the evolution of a
youth culture. Through analysis of hardcore music, zines, and flyers, this paper will argue that an
adherence to a rising white consumer culture, inspired by black music makers and icons, and the
popularization of anti-drug messaging mediated hardcore’s subversion of American cultural
norms in the late 1980s.
Robbie Segars, “Gatekeeping Punk: Tim Yohannan, Maximumrocknroll, and the East Bay Scene”
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Tim Yohannan had a significant, though often overlooked,
influence on reshaping underground values within the East Bay punk scene. With his local
radio show, Yohannan gained a large teenaged following by promoting lesser-known bands whose
musical style reflected his “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) ethos, political views, and preference for socially
conscious punk. In 1982, he extended this influence into a national magazine, Maximumrocknroll,
which many fans revered as the “punk rock bible.” The success of his local radio show and magazine
eventually enabled Yohannan to fund the Gilman Street Project, an all-ages music venue in the East Bay
intended to be inclusive and collectively run. Despite its stated values, however, Yohannan continued to
exert his influence to exclude bands and overturn policies that with clashed his personal tastes.
This paper explores Tim Yohannan’s position as a gatekeeper in the East Bay punk scene. Building on the
work of David Pearson, Pamela Shoemaker, Timothy Vos, and Charles Goshert, I trace Yohannan’s rise as a key spokesperson in both the local and national punk communities. By analyzing interviews with Yohannan,
oral histories with other scene members, and columns from Maximumrocknroll, I argue that Yohannan
was a highly influential figure who used his outsized status in the East Bay scene to help redefine punk
as an anti-capitalist, DIY practice—a philosophy that many insiders still use to police punk’s boundaries
today. This process allowed Yohannan to problematically act as the authority on punk rock, which had adverse consequences for the bands he personally disliked, who both had trouble finding acceptance within the
punk communities, and, after the fact, had their impact on punk history diminished. Ultimately, this research
illustrates how punk gatekeepers like Yohannan have problematically wielded their social power to promote
their personal tastes as the new “universal” standard.
Abigail Ryan and Jerika O'Connor Hayes, “Latex, Whips, and Minivans:
How Be Your Own Pet’s Mommy (2023) Confronts Youth through Punk’s History of BDSM Aesthetics”
Two concepts that have accompanied the legacy of punk rock are the spirit of youth
rebellion and incorporation of subversive countercultures, namely the aesthetics of BDSM. Early
feminist musicians including Poly Styrene, Siouxsie Sioux, and designer Vivienne Westwood,
used these styles to create social commentary, push the envelope, and demonstrate the personal
liberation found in youth revolting against the established systems of old. Both the adoption of
the subversive visuals of BDSM— an acronym from three sets of terms: bondage/discipline,
domination/submission, and sadomasochism—and punk's ties to youth have unfortunately led to
the acceptance, visibility, and opportunity within the music subculture to decline drastically for
those outside the youth demographic. In 2023, American garage-punk band Be Your Own Pet
unexpectedly released a new album, a full fifteen years after their untimely breakup in 2008. The
album, titled Mommy, was both a return to their biting, noisy rock, and a new venture for the
band as they unabashedly explore aging, motherhood, and politics through BDSM related
metaphor and aesthetics. Our findings are established through close readings of music and lyrics
from the album, informed by literature on punk and feminism by Vivien Goldman and Sheila
Whitely, aging and pop music by Abigail Gardner, as well as Margot Weiss’ concept of
“working at play” in BDSM subculture. In this paper, we argue that on Mommy, Be Your Own
Pet uses BDSM signifiers to carve out space for 30 and 40-something punks to explore
adulthood with the freedom and fearlessness usually reserved for youth. Through these complex
juxtapositions, we posit that Be Your Own Pet not only furthers the lineage of punk and BDSM,
but offers a fresh perspective on the difficulties of aging, feminism, and what it means to be
punk.
Jocelyn Aguilera and Yadira Arroyo-Díaz, “Fashioning Resistance: Race, Gender, and Style
in LA's Punk Scene”
Led by secondary rockera educators, this presentation explores how marginalized punks in 1970s
and 1980s Los Angeles crafted resistance through DIY fashion. Focusing on East LA's and Hollywood's
vibrant scenes, the presentation will uncover how people of color, women, and queer punks challenged
both mainstream society and punk's white heteronormative culture.
Through an interactive gallery walk featuring archival photographs, participants will explore how pioneers
like Teresa Covarrubias and Alice Bag incorporated political messages and cultural elements into their fashion,
while Vaginal Davis's drag performance art and DIY style challenged gender norms and racial boundaries
in the punk scene. By examining these intersectional fashion practices, the presentation reveals how clothing
became a crucial medium for expressing political dissent and cultural pride in LA's diverse punk community,
offering valuable insights for all attendees but especially educators looking to incorporate these themes into
their classroom.
