Punk in NYC’s Lower East Side 1981-1991 (Zine)

Zine/pamphlet. Published by Microcosm Publishing.

Punk in NYC’s Lower East Side, 1981-1991, the first installment in the Scene History Series offers a glimpse into this important cultural moment, which has had such a lasting impact on American subcultures, from Hardcore, to Skinhead, to, most crucially, Anarcho-Punk. Drawing on both archival documents and original interviews, this zine explores the music of the era’s bands, including Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, False Prophets, Urgent Fury, No Thanks, and Reagan Youth. At the same time, the scene is situated within the broader social context, from the election of Ronald Reagan to the Tompkins Square Riots. Woven throughout is the tragic story of New York City’s most legendary anarcho-punk, Reagan Youth’s Dave Insurgent. Insurgent came from a Jewish family of holocaust survivors whose history is rarely discussed.

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They began in 1996 and are now based out of Cleveland and Portland, OR. In the beginning, they set out to save ourselves from not caring. But out in the margins, they found inspiration in countless folks and communities who make them want to do more, and better. They've professionalized a little from their punk roots (where once they had zines in a milk crate, they now have warehouses), but Microcosm is still fueled by the dream of a better world, motivating them to share the resources needed to get started building it, right now, together.