We all have our own stories.  While our bodies, style, and habits may change over the years, our stories stay with us. Big or small, we all have that story of how we got into punk rock. Everyone remembers the details of that beginning. Who their early punk friends were. The first album they obsessed over. The transformative first gig. The first time in the pit. Everyone loves sharing that story over beers, around the campfire, with new friends, with the kids. These stories are timeless. They never lose their passion. We keep those stories dear to our hearts. We keep them alive by sharing. 

This project started brewing in the back of my head years ago. When I started painting portraits, I had the thought that combining punk rock origin stories with portraits would be an interesting project. Two things I love so much. So Here we are.

If you are interested in my project, contact me!

Stephanie SilkStephanie Silk

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, in the suburbs of Los Angeles. I went to Catholic school for 14 years. I had a pretty standard but boring start to things. I loved going to the beach. I hung out at the mall. I listened to rock and roll ...

Alison BraunAlison Braun

I was bored with school and needed a way looking for something meaningful to put my energy into: So I started going to punk shows and bringing my camera. It was a way to contribute to the scene and get into shows for free. I have shot photos for Metal Blade ...

Bob DurkeeBob Durkee

First of all, let’s get a few facts out of the way.  I was not there at the beginning.  I did not go to the Masque, or any of the landmark first shows that started punk rock in Los Angeles.  If memory serves, I had heard of some of the ...

Al QuintAl Quint

My punk rock origin was probably something I didn’t realize was my punk rock origin, at least at the time. I’ve been a music fan my entire life, going back to when I was 4 or 5 years old and had a red transistor AM radio. During my teenage years, ...

Brady RifkinBrady Rifkin

I moved to L.A. in 1979 and soon fell in with the “New Wave” crowd at my new school. They turned me on to KROQ and through that, Rodney Bingenheimer’s program. Right about that time another cool kid that eventually became one of my best friends taped some records for ...

Danny GromfinDanny Gromfin

In the 70s I was a massive Devo fan. I was a pre-teen spud boy. A member of their fan club (still have the membership card!), made my own Devo buttons, etc. When punk started to get covered by the national media in the US, I started to become aware ...

Mike DematteiMike Demattei

I was big on music since I was little.  In junior high, I started reading about the punk and new wave bands and seeing their records in the stores, but I had no way to hear them.  A significant breakthrough happened when a hip girl from NY transferred to our ...

AnthoAntho

My memory is for shit. I’m not always good with chronology, but I remember I still had long hair. I was at Skater Cross (Kross) in Reseda. I was watching some older kids skate in the pools and they were listening to The Clash’s first album. I remember clearly the ...