When it came to punk rock, mid-sized cities like Milwaukee were two years behind New York. In places like Peoria, it was more like six. Punks in Peoria documents the new music’s arrival in a city synonymous with square normality. Unlike Milwaukee, Peoria never sustained a punk venue—it had no Zak’s or Starship—but bands played in any hall that would rent to them. Written by fans with an understanding of cultural context, Punks in Peoria joins the lengthening shelf of books and documentaries that chronicle the emergence of punk rock—a dangerous phenomenon in its day—in cities across the world.
