A SoCal Punk’s ‘Ode’ To LA’s Backyard Gigs

#175: Today on How To LA, we’re talking about punk rock. Specifically, about the evolution of the backyard punk scene that sprouted up in East L.A. starting in the 1980s, and how backyard shows, rooted in Latino spaces in the city, influenced punk rock and made backyard gigs a thing in California.

Guest: Journalist and producer Stephanie Mendez, author of the recent SPIN magazine article, “Ode to East L.A. Punk and the Backyard Gigs We Inherited." She was also featured in a documentary called "Los Punks” about the scene.

More on this:

• Javier Cabral’s coverage of the East L.A. punk scene for LA Weekly
• "Teenage Alcoholics: Punk Rock in East Los Angeles" by Jimmy Alvarado for Razorcake
• "East Los" documentary series by Vans
• Nothing Less Booking on Instagram

Music featured in this episode from:

• The Stains
• The Voids
• Corrupted Youth
• Union 13
• Underground Alliance (clip from "East Los" doc series)