Punk Rock Museum Turns Two: Reflections, Rants and Ed Colver

Two years in, and the Punk Rock Museum is still standing!

No one’s nodded out on the Kurt Cobain couch with a lit cigarette, and no one’s repelled through the skylight, Mission: Impossible-style, to swap out Joe Strummer’s weed with a fake. And somehow, despite the ancient relics, the noise, and the ghosts of a thousand van breakdowns, the walls aren’t bleeding or chanting Suicidal Tendencies lyrics backwards. However… did anyone else notice the basement no one knew was there, flooded with the blood of mall punk past? Creepy.

Congratulations PUNK ROCK MUSEUM TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY. Two Well-earned years! The party was a fantastic reunion—I got to sit down with Fat Mike, Kevin Lyman, Jack Grisham, and Vinnie Fiorello—held together by George Stroumboulopoulos—and we talked about the early days, the middle days, why there seem to be no end-days, and why community still matters. Each person brought such a unique perspective and was funny as f*ck. Every photo of the event shows me mid-laugh, making some awkward faces!

The next day, we flipped the script and I had the honor of interviewing the legendary Ed Colver. If you’ve ever seen a photo from the early Los Angeles punk scene that punched you in the gut, pulled at your heart, or made you stop and stare—he took it. We talked about the ethics of shooting from the inside, about documenting without exploiting, and why punk is, in its own way, about posing—but a kind built on intention and presence, not pretense.

Huge thanks to Lisa Johnson (rock photographer), Melanie Kaye, Nuit, Mike, and Vinnie Fiorello for trusting me with my first live interview moment.

And a big shout-out to all the bands who brought the fire: The Dollheads, Knuckleheadz, Playboy Manbaby, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and TSOL.

The “defining moment” goes out to Punk Hostage Press and Iris Berry for coordinating the touching presentations by Ron Emory and Jack Grisham in support of Mike Roche’s new book I Play With Giants. It was a raw embodiment of friendship and fellowship—of these amazing men and their commitment to music and each other. I think they said 50 years of friendship?

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