“What a thrill it was to have been at ground zero with John Albert, through the thicks and thins of two teenagers making their way through Los Angeles in the 1980s, partaking in the art and punk scenes, rebel-rousing in Otis art school dorms and riding that first wave of teenage opioid addiction and surviving. John led the way in understanding aesthetics beyond any typical Los Angeles experience. He saw stories everywhere. He was thoughtful and funny. He had a folded-up, worn, and torn paperback of Bukowski in his back pocket and a pen and notebook in the front. We would often get high and make out (although not with each other), and we were only arrested together once.”
– Jennifer Finch
All good stories start with, “We met in art school.”
In 1981, I only wanted to get out of the LA Public school system and get into art school. Otis/Parsons in downtown LA had a summer school program targeted to potential high school-aged initiates and, for whatever reason, made an exception for my age, since I was only 14 and not the required 16. There, I met John Albert; he was in the painting program. Meeting someone (ANYONE) my age with the same taste in books and music was a revelation. John was well-versed in everything from Black Flag to Gil Scott-Heron and from Bukowski to Patti Smith. We quickly became close friends and merged our social circles—his from Pomona and mine from LA.
John introduced me to a world of art and music that deeply influenced me. I took him to see Circle Jerks and Bad Religion, and he introduced me to Christian Death. Through him, I met significant figures like Ron Athey, The Speed Queens, and Eve O and discovered authors like John Fante. These experiences and connections played such a pivotal role in shaping my perspective on life and how to live a good life through art and music.
LIVE EVENT – JUNE 30, 2024 4 – 7 PM
JUNE 30, 2024 4 – 7 PM
SOAP PLANT/WACKO
4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
@soapplantwacko
@punk.hostage.press
PRESS RELEASE FROM PUNK HOSTAGE PRESS
Iris Berry @irisberry.official — Punk Hostage Press
A. Razor
Punk Hostage Press is honored to announce the release of “Running With The Devil” by John Albert. This release is especially poignant, as John tragically passed away on May 3rd, 2023. This book is a testament to his legacy, a labor of love created through the collective efforts to ensure John’s voice endures in this collection of essays, articles, and remembrances. John Albert, one of Los Angeles’s finest writers, captured the essence of LA in a way only he could. The book was conceptualized and edited by Joe Donnelly, to whom we are incredibly grateful.
A heartfelt thank you to:
Ben Harper (@benharper) for his beautiful foreword,
Jennifer Finch (@jenniferfinch) for the perfect cover photo
Bad Idea Music (@badideamusic) for the stunning cover design.
We also extend our gratitude to Brett Gurewitz (@brettgurewitz), Jerry Stahl (@somejerrystahl), Keith Morris (@doctorkeithmorris), and Laurie Ochoa (@laurie.ochoa) for their powerful blurbs. This project truly brought together a dream team.
And most importantly, thank you to John Albert for his unforgettable words. Read, enjoy, and remember…✨📚✨
John Albert Event ScHedule
4 p.m. Doors
5 p.m. Start SEATING
5:15: Jesse says a few words and reads from Black Flag: Hong Kong Cafe.
5:20: Keith Morris to read from Black Flag: Hong Kong Cafe.
5:25: Jennifer Finch read from The Satori Underground: King Crimson.
5:30 Iris reads from Mickey Avalon.
5:35 Brett reads from Running With the Devil: A Lifetime of Van Halen
5:40: Justin
5:45: Robert Sobul video of John Albert and Wrecking Crew
5:50 Arty reads from Hardball
5:55 Jerry reads from The Hep C Generation
6:00 John Waldman
6:05 Ben Harper
“John Albert was one of the great unsung literary giants of Los Angeles. His LA was
–Jerry Stahl, author of Nein, Nein, Nein!: One Man’s Tale of Depression,
the one most people don’t see – the junkies, punks, outcasts, ex-cons, teen-age
nihilists and all-around cross-the-street-when-you-see-them-coming skeeks… All of
whom he imbued with humanity and heart and a voice that was 100 percent his and
his alone. John was one of the funniest humans in the world, but his humor was so
insanely dry, and so dark, some people didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or run
screaming into the night. John was a one-of-a-kind genius on the page. And a badass
mensch of the highest order. Not a day goes by when I don’t miss him.”
Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust, and I, Fatty
“Let’s get in the Time Machine and go back a few years and put out the call to meet
– Keith Morris, frontman for the Circle Jerks, OFF!, and Flag
up in the dimly lit parking lot next to the venue. Someone should bring cigarettes, a
handful of joints, pills and three or four 6-packs of some cheap chilled adult
hangover inducing yellow liquid. We’ll joke and tell stories and start with JOHN
ALBERT… “
“Running with the Devil is a journey through the heart and soul of my beloved friend,
–Brett Gurewitz, co-founder of Bad Religion, founder and CEO of Epitaph
John Albert, a man who found beauty in the bleak, humor in the tragic, and depth in
the superficial. His pieces are more than reflections; they’re revelations that unpack,
with cutting humor and fierce clarity, the essence of an era and the intricacies of
human connections. In stories that span the evolution of punk to the depths of
personal struggle, his writing reflects the nuanced soul of a city and its people. The
collection will resonate with all who have contemplated the absurdity of existence
or sought meaning in both the magnificent and the mundane.”
Records.
“John Albert is the voice of a Southern California fever dream. Sifting through the
–Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times
absurd to find what is true about this land of misfits and visionaries, his stories speak
to us with humor, rage and, ultimately, love.”
