Punk and DIY Music in Portage County
As part of our PCHS feature exhibit, each month through December of 2026 we will share a new piece of music history. Be sure to come back to learn more about the music that makes Portage County so great!
Punk and DIY Music in Portage County was researched and written by Cheyenne Witzeling and Lisa Pett.
The History of Punk Music
Each generation of parents has worried about the music that their children listen to. In the 1920s parents were concerned about jazz and how it could influence their children’s behavior. Those children grew up and were concerned about rock and roll in the 1950s. The rock and roll generation grew up and by the late 1970s there were widespread concerns about punk rock.
Punk rock is a more aggressive form of rock music, often using strong political messages in song lyrics. Rock and roll was already becoming mainstream and no longer represented the youth and their discontent of the status quo. By the late 1970s punk music had become extremely popular in the United Kingdom, spawning a culture of youthful rebellion that went beyond music and included personal clothing styles and political action. Clothing often had deliberately offensive graphics or slogans and might be purposefully torn and repaired with patches, spikes, and safety pins. On the music side, punk rock was heavily influenced by The Ramones, whose use of guitars for white noise, drums for creative beats, and vocals for melody became normalized.
These comics, all from the Stevens Point Journal in the 1980s, are a great representation of how the news covered "punks".
Punk was born from the same discontent that drove the hippies of the 1960s. But punk was a celebration of city life and the ability to be unique; to have your voice heard over a sea of advertising and corporate-funded music. Punk rock listeners were called “punks” and wore the name with pride, as many still do today. Punk bands sought out independent record labels and small-scale recording studios, refusing to help fund big businesses who were seen as part of “the system”. Today there are a multitude of genres that might be lumped together as punk. Hardcore punk uses heavy electric instruments that are also used in metal, indie punk and folk punk often use traditional bluegrass instruments, ska uses jazz instruments, and DIY music combines a variety of punk subgenres into individual sounds. Some bands play multiple genres of music, making them hard to define.
The History of DIY Music
DIY music grew out of the same social upheaval in the 1970s that birthed punk music. DIY music is all about being a diverse and supportive community that embraces all types of art without relying on the music industry. This could mean using homemade instruments instead of purchasing new ones, recording music in homes instead of a monetized recording studio and hosting music events in public spaces or at house venues instead of a paid space. DIY events may mix music performances with art shows, dance performances, and other forms of artistic expression.
This genre was born from the free festival movement in the UK during the early 1970s. The idea of a music festival without sponsors, paid bands, ticket fees, or backstage crews was a radical concept. Flyers told concertgoers to bring what they expected to find. Bands needed to provide their own equipment and attendees needed to bring their own food and drinks. A free music festival allowed everyone to participate without worrying about ticket cost.
It took a few years before major DIY scenes showed up in the United States. But the culture of DIY music has always been here. From the first Native Americans who built their own instruments, to the settlers who used music to raise their spirits, to the enslaved African Americans who built instruments for use on plantations, DIY music has been a cultural undercurrent in the United States that was part of the birth of jazz, blues, and folk music. Street performers and buskers are good examples of DIY music in major cities.
DIY music relies on three tenants. Self sufficiency, personal relationships, and freedom of expression. By removing the constraints that music studios place on bands when they sign contracts, DIY musicians are free to express themselves how they want, in a way that is not money-centric. DIY music is not anarchy; it is about working outside of the system, not consciously overthrowing it. Finally, any genre of music can also be DIY. As long as you follow the three tenants, your music fits the DIY label.
Punk and DIY Music in Portage County
Punk and DIY music arrived in Portage County as soon as it became popular elsewhere. Punk arrived during the last big years of vinyl records and was soon available on cassette tapes and later on CDs. While some songs made it to the radio, many listeners needed to purchase the albums themselves to hear the controversial music. Stevens Point has always had a strong local scene with bands using flyers and word-of-mouth to find audiences instead of relying on large venues and marketing teams. Zines were, and are, also a great way to keep up with the punk scene. A zine is a homemade, underground magazine that may feature interviews with bands, social commentary, poetry, news, gossip, music reviews, and venue listings.
House shows started cropping up as soon as local bands began playing punk music. Some venues refused to host bands because of the music genre or their controversial names. Holding concerts in public parks or on city streets could cause complaints and attract police attention. Punk artists turned to trusted family and friends and used their living rooms, basements, backyards, and garages as venues. One benefit of having a strong underground community is that when one venue needs to close, another is likely to open. House shows need to be discreet. A few noise complaints can lead to police visits and few house owners want to be fined for hosting a show. In Stevens Point, house venues may open for a single show, but often operate for anywhere between 2-10 years. These homes are usually owned by band members or devoted fans. When the band breaks up, the house venue may stop hosting.
Punk music lives beyond a singular artist or venue in Stevens Point. Bands here may switch out members, change names, or have to scramble to find a new venue, but the spirit of the music stays on. This genre confronts difficult topics like distrust of the government, feeling marginalized, and fear of the future. This music often attracts those who are looking for community. This is where the radical acceptance comes in; whether in a bar or a house venue, punks don’t tolerate racism, sexism, or homophobia.
Some Notable Local Punk/DIY Bands
KillDozer
Big Rubber Farm Houses
TED
Ladybeard
Mad Trucker Gone Mad
Scooby Don’t
The Freeway Killers
Signal 7
Macabre
Fuzzdolly
Loser Punks
Big Big Furnace
Decembers January
Piston Hurricane
Selfproclaimed Nickname
The Mudgetts
Fromanhole
Bongzilla
Modern Machines
Nobody’s Housewife
Bob Burns and the Breakups
Chinese Telephones
Repeated Trauma
Brainerd
Prey on Hope
The Lonely Ninjas
Captain Moonlight
Effect the Cause
Poney
Johnny Dissent
thepunkrocketeer
Th Evening Noose
Elk Startled By Thunder
Miss Used
Rosa Parkinsons
BARK!
Hollow Flowers
Dear Persephone
Wilted
Dred Furst
And many, many more!
Thank you for reading this music history, presented together with the Portage County Historical Society's feature exhibit!
Be sure to check out the digital collection of local music history.
