Documenting Punk and Go-go in the Nation’s Capital

The city is full of parks. Almost everyone in the District lives within a 10-minute walk of one. These parks are places to recreate, congregate, protest, relax, and listen to music. In DC, that primarily means punk and go-go, DC’s official music. The purpose of this mobile exhibit is to not only educate Washingtonians about the rich history between public space and music making. It also serves as inspiration about the importance of public space and the public sphere. Music in DC––whether performed by punk bands or go-go musicians––was frequently intertwined with protest and civic expression. Musicians in parks protested the Gulf War, South African apartheid, and racial inequities at home. They sponsored drug outreach campaigns, fundraised for the homeless, and instructed the public about Afro-diasporic culture and music. In an era of disappearing third spaces and increased police presence in public, such reminders about the importance of the public…