Cleveland punk

Cleveland punk is an early midwestern proto-punk and punk rock music scene that originated in Cleveland, Ohio. Emerging in the early 1970s, with bands like Mirrors, Electric Eels, the Styrenes and Rocket from the Tombs,^[1] the scene was one of the many early punk scenes forming around the United States like the New York and Detroit scene.^[2] Notable punk rock bands such as Pere Ubu, the Pagans, and Dead Boys emerged from the scene, while later Cleveland bands encompassed influences from hardcore and post-punk.^[3][4]

Cleveland punk
Cleveland punk band Dead Boys in 1977.
Stylistic origins	Proto-punk garage rock experimental rock rock and roll
Cultural origins	Early 1970s, Cleveland, Ohio
Typical instruments	Electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, vocals
Other topics
Akron Sound garage punk post-punk punk fashion punk rock art punk hardcore punk

History

Background

During the 1970s, Cleveland earned the nickname "Bomb City U.S.A." due to organized crime rivalries and economic struggles, which were exacerbated by deindustrialization linked to the decline of the Rust Belt.^[5][6][7] Severe air and water pollution, partially caused by the Cuyahoga River setting on fire numerous times in the late '60s, contaminated the city's water supply.^[8]

Artists drew influence from Cleveland’s harsh, smog infested, industrial landscape to create jagged, chaotic, and dissonant music informed by gritty urban decay. Other influences included, Ghoulardi, a popular fictional character made by Disc Jockey Ernie Anderson who was the host of "Shock Theater" which screened late night horror films on, Channel 8 (a.k.a. "TV-8") the CBS Affiliate station in Cleveland, Ohio, from January 13, 1963, through December 16, 1966.^[9]

1970s

See also: Akron Sound

By the 1970s, Cleveland had a thriving underground rock scene, with artists like David Thomas, who began his career in the early 1970s as a writer for the local weekly The Scene under the pseudonym 'Crocus Behemoth' and later went on to form the short-lived influential rock band Rocket from the Tombs.^[10][11] The scene began in the early 1970s with bands like Mirrors, Electric Eels, the Styrenes and Rocket from the Tombs, groups that combined aggressive garage rock with avant-garde experimentation, nihilism, and confrontational attitude. Bands in the scene drew influences from the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, MC5, Captain Beefheart, and free jazz as much as traditional rock and roll.^[12][13]

Pere Ubu were considered one of the most influential bands to come out of the original Cleveland punk scene.

In 1974, the Cleveland scene began with the proliferation of shows headlined by bands like Mirrors, Electric Eels, the Styrenes and Rocket from the Tombs which were dubbed "Extermination Night".^[14][15][16]

Around this time, Cleveland legend Peter Laughner described by Richie Unterberger^[17] as "[...] the single biggest catalyst in the birth of Cleveland's alternative rock scene," emerged as a leading force, credited as a prolific guitarist and songwriter who played in several key bands like Cinderella Backstreet and later joined David Thomas' band Pere Ubu, who formed after the implosion of Rocket From the Tombs.^[12] Laughner had also reportedly auditioned to replace Richard Hell in Television and was responsible for organizing the band's first gig outside NYC, which was played in Cleveland, Ohio.^[18][19] Some bands in the Cleveland scene like Pere Ubu, positioned themselves in opposition to other early New York punk scene.^[20] However, Laughner admired the NYC scene, routinely hanging around prominent CBGB figures like Patti Smith, Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine during the early 1970s.^[21] As time went by, Laughner's health deteriorated, with his growing self-destruction and unreliability being attributed to his emulation of rock heroes like Lou Reed.^[22] This behavior contributed to members from Pere Ubu bringing up concerns regarding his unreliability which led him to leave the band in 1976, only to pass away the following year on the 22nd of June, 1977, at age 24, with his death linked to extensive alcoholism and drug use.^[23][24]

Legacy

Despite its limited geographic reach, the Cleveland punk scene proved to be influential with other Ohio bands such as Devo, whose members hailed from Akron and Kent, and were part of the Akron Sound movement as well as the Dead Boys, who, although originally from Cleveland, relocated to New York City. Their guitarist, Cheetah Chrome, was previously a member of Rocket From the Tombs.^[25] While Electric Eels drummer, Nick Knox, went on to join the Cramps. Later bands in the Cleveland Punk scene included Human Switchboard, the Wild Giraffes, the Pagans, X-X, Defnics and Broncs.

In 1975, Thomas formed the independent record label Hearpen Records as a partial document of the Cleveland scene. Terminal Records formed a few years later, became another important label in the scene.

By the late 1970s, many of the original Cleveland punk bands had disbanded or transmuted into other forms. The Cleveland scene’s lasting influence and legacy extended far beyond music, reaching punk fashion as well, the Electric Eels' guitarist, John D Morton was allegedly the first punk rock musician known to wear a jacket held together by safety pins. By the 1980s to early 1990s, the Cleveland scene grew to encompass the emerging hardcore and post-punk movements.^[26][27][28]

See also

• Akron Sound