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THE NARRATIVE ARC
Caught in a Police Riot, and Emerging (Relatively) Unscathed
One wild night at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles
The explosive growth of punk rock in Southern California between 1977 and 1985 was — to some outsiders — as intriguing as it was unlikely.
Amid palm trees and sandy beaches, kids with perhaps too much freedom discovered alcohol, drugs, sex and an aggressive, in-your-face brand of rock n’ roll that was virtually guaranteed to piss off their divorced parents.
Bands formed with names like X, The Germs, Black Flag, Fear and Circle Jerks, drawing their friends to the music and soon, friends of their friends.
This multiplicative effect was largely organic, since punk music could not be found on mainstream radio or in the chain record stores that were popular at the time.
In 1982, a dozen punk rock recordings that would come to be recognized as iconic were released. But since it took time for word to spread, the big bang that took the music from 500-capacity LA clubs into 3,000-capacity auditoriums did not occur until the following year.
An element of danger accompanied live performances. Tension, fights and mayhem were commonplace, and the first thing my friends and I tended…
