The Punk Rock Museum is a 12,000-square-foot space dedicated to the punk rock music genre, which opened on April 1, 2023.[1] Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, the museum was founded by "Fat Mike" Burkett of the band NOFX, and developed by Burkett and production manager Lisa Brownlee. It is governed by a ten-person collective of musicians and museum investors including Burkett, co-founder Pat Smear (The Germs), and skateboarder Tony Hawk.
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| Established | April 1, 2023 |
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| Location | 1422 Western Ave, Las Vegas, Nevada, US 36°9′14.544″N 115°9′37.85″W / 36.15404000°N 115.1605139°W |
| Founder | "Fat Mike" Burkett Pat Smear |
| Website | www |
History
editThe Punk Rock Museum was founded by NOFX frontman Mike Burkett, also known as Fat Mike, and developed by Burkett and production manager Lisa Brownlee.[2][3] It is governed by a ten-person collective of musicians and museum investors including Burkett, co-founder Pat Smear (The Germs), and skateboarder Tony Hawk.[2] Burkett invited Canadian punk rock musician Talli Osborne to become the museum's spokesperson, who would be responsible for representing the museum at punk music events.[4]
Layout
editThe museum houses more than 1,000 artifacts documenting the history of the punk rock music genre from its birth to the present day.[5] The exhibits, contributions by bands and members of the worldwide punk community, include fliers, artwork, clothing, and instruments used in recordings and on tours by notable punk musicians.[6] Prominent features include molds for the signature helmets of Devo and a photograph of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain sitting on a couch, with the accompanying couch.[1] Founder Burkett has stated the museum is planned as all-inclusive, inviting punk musicians globally to submit memorabilia, stating "We'll let anybody into our world unless you're really annoying. Or a rock star. You can't act like a rock star, because then you get kicked out."[3] As of 2023, guided tours are offered by punk musicians themselves, including members of The Vandals, Social Distortion, and Less Than Jake.[7][6] The museum plans to create travelling exhibitions of its collection in the future.[3]
Housed inside the museum is The Triple Down,[8] a dive bar; The Jam Room, a room with donated musical instruments for visitors to utilize; and a chapel offered for weddings and wakes.[1] There is also the Wall of Insignificant and Unknown Bands, where punk bands of any background are invited to post their band fliers.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c Goldstein, Michael (April 23, 2023). "Punk Rock, The Music Las Vegas Would Never Play, Now Gets A Museum There". Forbes. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Benzine, Vittoria (October 14, 2022). "Leather Jackets, Ripped T-Shirts, and a Gallery Where You Can Thrash on a Guitar: America's Only Permanent Punk Rock Museum Opens in Las Vegas". ArtNet. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Trivett, Ben (April 8, 2023). "NOFX's Fat Mike gives us a sneak peek at the new Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Nickerson, Cara (August 25, 2022). "Canadian punk legend Talli Osborne picked as face of new Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas". CBC Hamilton. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ Kuta, Sarah (October 21, 2022). "A Punk Rock Museum Is Coming to Las Vegas". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Alexandra, Rae (May 4, 2023). "Las Vegas' Punk Rock Museum Has a Treasure Trove of Bay Area Treats". KQED. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Ladouceur, Liisa (April 11, 2023). "10 Punk Rock Museums Around The World That Prove Punk Will Never Die". Spin. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ Bracelin, Jason (July 14, 2023). "Booze in Pringles cans: Explore Vegas' newest dive-bar-to-be". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
External links
edit- The Punk Rock Museum official website