About The Detroit Punk Archive

The Detroit Punk Archive is made possible thanks to matching grant support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of the Detroit Arts Challenge program. The grant was awarded to Rob St. Mary in October 2017 to complete this archive site and three vinyl compilations of tracks from the bands that played in the scene by the end of 2019.

If you have stories, images, audio or other materials to share, please get in touch.

Text written, expect where noted, by Rob St. Mary

Audio interviews conducted and edited, except where noted, by Rob St. Mary

Web design by Chris Urbanski

Web design/development by Mark Szymanski

Images

The Detroit Punk Archive includes images from the collections of local artists, creators, and collectors. Members of the various bands have also shared materials from their personal collections. The sources of all the materials are noted as applicable. I would also like to thank the following people for giving so freely in the collections for the site.

Ben Blackwell

Kevin Knapp

Joe Sposita (Images Courtesy of S. Kay Young)

Jerry Vile

Paul Zimmerman

Bethany Nixon

Deborah K. Pastor

Tex Newman

Gerald Siclovan

Tom McHenry

TM Caldwell

Glenn Barr

Michael Spencer

Victor Dawahare

Gerald Zasuwa

Dave Toorongian

Pat “Scruff” Shaw Collection (Images Courtesy of Sara Ostoin)

Interviews

The Detroit Punk Archive features interviews conducted and edited by Rob St. Mary (unless otherwise noted). Here is a complete list of all the interviewees, short description of their relation to the era the archive covers as well as the year in which the interview was conducted.

Art Lyzak – Vocalist in The Mutants, Son of Lili Karwowski of Lili’s – 2018

Barry Henssler – Vocalist in The Necros – 2011

Bruce Nichols – Guitarist in The Ivories – 2019

Cary Loren – Artist, Musician in Destroy All Monsters – 2011

Chato Chavez – Booker of Nunzio’s – 2018

Cherry Blackwolf – Keyboards,Vocals in The Algebra Mothers – 2018

Chip Sercombe – Filmmaker, “Face the 80s”, Bookie’s Club 870 Scenester – 2018

Danny Fields – Signed The Stooges & The MC5 to Elektra Records, Manager of The Ramones – 2008

Dave Hanna – Musician, Bassist in The Ramrods, Guitarist in The 27 & The Boners – 2018

Dave Rice – Musician, Bassist in Algebra Mothers, Guitarist in L-Seven – 2018

Dave Uchalik – Musician, Guitarist/Vocalist in The Reruns – 2019

Don McAlpine – Musician, Guitarist in The Traitors – 2018

Don Was – Musician, Vocalist in The Traitors – 2017

Frank Callis – Musician, Bassist in Retro & L-Seven – 2018

Gerald Shohan – Guitarist in Coldcock – 2019

Gerald Sicolvan – Guitarist in The Zooks, Retro – 2018

Gary Reichel – Vocalist in Cinecyde, Founder of Tremor Records – 2011 & 2018

Gary Zasuwa – Guitarist in Service – 2019

Glenn Barr – Guitarist in BADHABIT, Artist – 2018

Glenn Johnson – Drummer in Leisure Class – 2019

Greg Kutcher – Guitarist in The Pathetx – 2018

Greg Upshur – Vocalist in The Seatbelts – 2018

Hiawatha Bailey – Vocalist in the Cult Heroes – 2019

Jerry Vile – Vocalist in The Boners, Co-Founder of White Noise magazine – 2011

Katy Hait – Vocalist in The Sillies, writer/editor of White Noise magazine – 2012

Ken Kondrat – Musician, Guitarist/Vocalist in The Reruns – 2019

Kory Clarke – Drummer in The Attitudes & L-Seven – 2018

Mark Kliem – Writer at Spooee! & Street Life, Bookie’s Club 870 Scenester – 2012

Mark Leavitt – Vocalist in The Pathetx – 2018

Michael Goldwater
– Musician, Bassist in The Pathetx – 2018

Michael Halloran – Musician, Bassist in The Plugs, WDET host of “Radios in Motion” – 2018

Michael Rushlow – Musician, Guitarist in The Pigs, Rushlow-King Combo, The Boners – 2018

Michael Smith (aka Smitt E. Smitty) – Drummer in The Blind, Zero Ambiance, L-Seven, Figures on a Beach – 2018

Mike Murphy – Musician, Drummer in The Denizens & The Boners – 2011

Mike Skill – Guitarist/Bassist in The Romantics – 2019

Mike Watt – Founder/Bassist in The Minutemen, Bassist in The Stooges – 2008

Niagara – Artist, Vocalist in Destroy All Monsters – 2011

Nikki Corvette – Vocalist in Nikki & The Corvettes – 2019

Paul Zimmerman – Artist/Writer, Co-Founder of White Noise magazine – 2011

Ralph Valdez – Artist, Bassist in Algebra Mothers & Retro, WDET radio host – 2011 & 2018

Richard “Tex” Newman – Musician, Guitarist & Vocalist in R.U.R. – 2018

Rick Mills – Musician, Guitarist & Vocalist in The Seatbelts, R.U.R., Crayon Killers, The 3-D Invisibles – 2018

Robert Mulrooney – Musician, Drummer in The Ramrods, Coldcock, The Sillies, The Mutants – 2011

Rockee Berlin – Vocalist in Flirt – 2018

Roderick “Legs” McNeil – Editor/Co-Founder of Punk magazine – 2008

S. Kay Young – Photographer, Photos for White Noise magazine, Bookie’s Club 870 Scenester – 2011

Scott Campbell – Musician, Founder of The Sillies, Original Co-Booker of Bookie’s Club 870 – 2011

Skid Marx – Musician, Bassist in Flirt & The Seatbelts – 2018

Sue Rynski – Photographer, Photos for White Noise magazine – 2011

Tim Retzloff, PhD – Detroit gay historian, Assistant professor of LGBTQ studies/history at Michigan State University – 2018

Vince Bannon – Musician, Guitarist in The Sillies & Coldcock, Original Co-Booker of Bookie’s Club 870, Clutch Cargo’s and St. Andrew’s Hall – 2018

Walter Wasacz – Writer for White Noise magazine, Bookie’s Club 870 Scenester – 2011

Wayne Kramer – Co-Founder/Guitarist in The MC5 – 2008

Donors

This project would not be possible without the generous support of the following donors to the Detroit Punk Archive who helped to unlock a matching grant from the Knight Foundation in the fall of 2018.

Alice Schneider

Amado Guadarrama

Amanda Van Huis

Amy Yokin

Andrew Jartz

Ann Delisi

Ann Mass

Anonymous (11 donors)

Aristides Rudnick

Bethany Nixon

Brian Shellabarger

Dan Austin

Dante Chinni

David Feeny

Ebrahim Varachia

Eddie Logix

Erin Carr

Erin Marquis

Gary Reichel

Greg Hurd

Greg James

Hannah Guth

Inney Prakash

James Von Hatten

Jean Mason

Jeff Milo

Joshua James

Karen Dybis

Kelly & Michael Sternberg (Barton Malow Company Foundation)

Kim Kozlowski

Kris Shaw

Mark Finnell

Mark Stewart

Michael Kruger

Mike Murphy

Nestor Rychtyckyj

Paul & Alisa Zimmerman (Frank R. and Faye M. Zimmerman Family Endowment)

Rob Cousineau

Rob St. Mary

Ruthann Ciszewski

S. Kay Young

Shannon Wambaugh

Susan Howes

Thomas Her

Tim Toy

Torya Schoeniger

Vince Bannon

Wayne Woodward

A special “Thank You” to:

Andrew Blauvelt, Laura Mott, Sarah Doty, and the curation team at the Cranbrook Art Museum.

Steve Byrne, Kathy Kieliszewski, and the Freep Film Festival.  

Ben Blackwell, Dave Buick, Roe Peterhans, and the visionaries at Third Man Records