Words by Russ Skelchy
San Francisco is famously known for the “flower power” hippie movement of the 1960s, but in the late ’70s, it emerged as ground zero for a vibrant punk scene. This era saw the rise of bands like the Dead Kennedys, Crime, The Avengers, The Nuns, Tuxedomoon, and Flipper. While punk scenes in New York City, London, and Los Angeles often overshadowed the scene in San Francisco, its strong DIY ethos, raw energy, and inventive spirit attracted a fresh wave of musicians, artists, and photographers.
Kamera Zie, a photographer for the zine Search & Destroy, described the scene as “urgent, raw, aggressively feminist, and anti-music biz.” Despite its relatively low profile, the San Francisco punk scene was vibrant and passionate, with performances taking place in iconic venues like the Mabuhay Gardens, a Filipino restaurant turned punk club on Broadway Street in the North Beach District, the I-Beam on Haight Street, and the Tool & Die on Valencia Street in the Mission District.
Since July 25, an exhibit entitled We Are the One: San Francisco Punk, 1970s-1980s at the Haight Street Arts Center has featured over 150 photos, show flyers and punk club posters, and punk films. Participating in We Are the One are Avengers singer/songwriter Penelope Houston, former Crime drummer and filmmaker Henry Rosenthal, Search & Destroy publisher V. Vale, Target Video’s Joe Rees and photographers Ruby Ray, Chester Simpson, Kamera Zie, Vincent Anton Stornaiuolo, Jeanne Hansen, Richard Alden Peterson, James Stark, Michael Goldberg, Jonathan Postal, and the late Bruce Conner. Photos by the late Jeff Good and the late Bobby Castro also are displayed.
The striking photos featured in the exhibit provide a captivating view of fans, venues, and musicians (both local and touring acts like Blondie, the Ramones, Patti Smith, X, The Clash, Devo, Sex Pistols, Screamers, Television, and Black Flag) that comprised the first wave of punk.
We Are the One runs through September 29, so be sure to catch it if you are anywhere near San Francisco! If you can’t make it, here are some of my favorite photos.
For more information: https://haightstreetart.org/pages/we-are-the-one-san-francisco-punk-1970s-1980s
