This is Putrid, I want in: The Formation of the Early Pittsburgh Punk Scene, 1979-1982

Abstract:

In the early 1980s, a new wave of punk bands revitalized punk scenes in L.A., D.C., and New York. This renaissance would become a model for other cities across the United States. Punk music of the 80’s was politically charged and shifting away from the ultra-conservative style and rhetoric of earlier punk music. This new wave, led by well-known bands like The Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, spread punk music to many small cities such as Pittsburgh.
This paper focuses on the emerging punk scene in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting in 1979. It argues that while the early Pittsburgh scene shared many of the same growing pains as other cities, it was fundamentally altered by the connections it had with artists in other mediums. Like other cities, punks in Pittsburgh toyed with and then separated from Nazi imagery, forced their way into and created venues, and critiqued their own scene. In contrast to many other cities however, the Pittsburgh scene was also greatly enriched by its connection to institutions like The Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Blatant Image Gallery. This paper uses primary sources such as local magazines, records, event posters, newspaper articles, and two documentaries to better understand the development of the punk scene in Pittsburgh.