The initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s, centered in London and New York City, set off musical conflagrations across the United States. In Pittsburgh, The Cardboards, The Five, and Carsickness were among the early punk bands that emerged.
Without interest from major record labels, large venues, or corporate radio stations, punk bands embraced a do-it-yourself ethos to record music and organize events. Posters and flyers for upcoming shows became important communication tools. Quickly made and easily reproduced, posters relayed essential information—who, when, where, and how much—and could be hung on a telephone pole at short notice.
The Fives and Kitsch at the Electric Banana, 1982. Harriet Stein Collection, MSS 1120, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.
The Harriet Stein Collection sheds light on this exuberant music scene during the late 1970s and early ’80s. Primarily consisting of gig posters and flyers, the collection highlights the bands, venues, visual aesthetics, and attitude of the community during those years.
Stein, an ardent fan of punk rock and friend to many local musicians, assembled the collection by obtaining posters from telephone poles, painstakingly removing the staples so as not to damage the paper. She also procured copies from the venues hosting shows such as the Electric Banana, a North Oakland club that provided a stage for local and touring punk bands. Stein’s posters also document shows at venues like Phase III in Swissvale, Heaven in Downtown, and, somewhat incongruously, a Holiday Inn near the airport.
The Wake at the 2001 club, c. 1982. Harriet Stein Collection, MSS 1120, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.
Though they can appear slapdash in appearance, the posters incorporate techniques long established in modern art such as collage, photo manipulation, and appropriation of found imagery. Typical of the genre, they often contain letters cut out from various sources, giving the posters a look reminiscent of a ransom note. While many adopt a black and white scheme, The Cardboards’ posters stand out for their colorful palette.
With his job at the Darkroom, a Downtown Pittsburgh photo lab, keyboardist Ron Solo (Ron Washensky) enjoyed access to the business’s color Xerox machine. His creative processes involved using a Kodak slide projector to display original photography onto the Xerox machine’s glass surface. The Cardboards’ posters also showcase the band’s playful sense of humor. A poster for a gig at Heaven notes that the group will be joined by “some unknown band from somewhere like Cleveland or something!” while another poster advises attendees to “bring proper notification of existence.”
Poster promoting a screening of Debt Begins at 20 at the San Francisco Art Institute, 1980. Harriet Stein Collection, MSS 1120, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.
Stein’s collection also reveals the fertile cross-pollination of the city’s punk and independent film scenes at that time. Included is a poster for Debt Begins at 20, a loosely scripted short film by Stephanie Beroes that stars punk musicians Bill Bored (Bill von Hagen) and Sesame Spinelli.
Another flyer promotes “Le Cyrk Wedding,” a film depicting a gay wedding between two punk musicians, created by Peggy Ahwesh, an experimental filmmaker from Canonsburg who went on to receive international acclaim for her works. Beroes and Ahwesh were affiliated with Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the Oakland media arts center that screened films and offered equipment for rent.
Squeeze and The Cardboards at the Stanley Theatre, 1982. Harriet Stein Collection, MSS 1120, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.
Stein’s collection contains posters for a series of shows The Five played at Filmmakers, where they were accompanied not by another band but by screenings of cult films like “Dr. Strangelove” and “Mad Max.”
Materials documenting punk rock can be found in libraries, archives, and museums across the country, a testament to the enduring interest in the subculture. Now housed within the Detre Library & Archives, the Harriet Stein Collection vividly captures a vital chapter in Pittsburgh music history.
About the Author
Matt Strauss is the director of the Detre Library & Archives.