In 2009, I was asked by the Northwest Folklife festival to help curate their first Folk Punk showcase. At that time, folk punk was largely associated with bands/artists like The Pogues, Billy Bragg, Attilla the Stockbroker, some of Chumbawamba’s early material, Mekons, The Levellers, Men They Couldn’t Hang, Violent Femmes, etc. Now the genre is more closely associated with bands like Blackbird Raum, Days N’ Daze, Bridge City Sinners and Mischief Brew. So, the lineup that played in 2009 was probably closer to the GenX definition of folk punk: us, The Wages of Sin and Meisce. Over the next three years, I started to see the evolution of the genre as incredible bands from all over the country came to busk at Folklife. They were more influenced by anarcho-punk and hardcore and they brought a new heaviness to the sound. Eventually that was the sound that dominated the Folk Punk stage and the genre really evolved into what it is today.

I started Punk As Folk as a way to help those traveling bands make some money and play a show for a drinking audience in a punk-friendly venue, The Funhouse. At the time, it was right across the street from Seattle Center. So close that some of the traveling crusties set up camp in front for the duration of the three day showcase. That inaugural three days featured us, Blackbird Raum, Barons of Tang from Australia, Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra from Canada, Chervona from Portland and a ton of others. Most notably, it was the last performance of God’s Favorite Beefcake as two of the members were killed in the Cafe Racer shootings just two days later. RIP Drew and Joe.

I continued to host it annually; moved it to Conor Byrne and started having bonified folk punk legend (his picture is on the Wikipedia page for Folk Punk) and Chumbawamba co-founder Danbert Nobacon act as MC and between-band entertainment and The Bad Things would close out the night, doing a few songs with Danbert. As the years went on, the wave of crusties with accordions and banjos diminished and Punk As Folk lineups became less focused on national/international acts and more PNW focused.

We’ve had some incredible bands over the years and this year is no exception:

Danbert Nobacon, Mister Ink and the Straight Razor Syndicate (featuring Kevin Incroyable from The Peculiar Pretzelmen), Nil Desperandum, Fun Forest and Phantom Pines. Oh, and The Bad Things closing out the night, of course.

We had to move from Conor’s to The Funhouse when we heard Conor’s was closing. Sounds like it’s open again but it’ll be nice to return to the birthplace (though in a new location) of Punk As Folk, after a five year, pandemic-induced hiatus.

See you there! Get advanced tickets here.