Book Talk: "Chuco Punk: Sonic Insurgency in El Paso" by Tara López, Winona State University

Date: Monday September 30, 2024

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Location: GAR 4.100 & Zoom livestream

Chuco Punk: Sonic Insurgency in El Paso
University of Texas Press, Jun 2024

A book talk by Tara López, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at Winona State University.

An immersive study of the influential and predominantly Chicanx punk rock scene in El Paso, Texas.

Punk rock is known for its daring subversion, and so is the West Texas city of El Paso. In Chuco Punk, Tara López dives into the rebellious sonic history of the city, drawing on more than seventy interviews with punks, as well as unarchived flyers, photos, and other punk memorabilia. Connecting the scene to El Paso's own history as a borderland, a site of segregation, and a city with a long lineage of cultural and musical resistance, López throws readers into the heat of backyard punx shows, the chaos of riots in derelict mechanic shops, and the thrill of skateboarding on the roofs of local middle schools. She reveals how, in this predominantly Chicanx punk rock scene, women forged their own space, sound, and community. Covering the first roots of Chuco punk in the late 1970s through the early 2000s, López moves beyond the breakout bands to shed light on how the scene influenced not only the contours of sound and El Paso but the entire topography of punk rock.

Annette M. Rodriguez, Introduction and Moderation
Assistant Professor of History
University of Texas at Austin
Website | History Profile

Free and open to the public. Event will take place in a hybrid format, both in-person and virtual:

- In-person RSVP: cmeador@austin.utexas.edu.
Venue: Garrison Hall 4.100. Light lunch served.

- Virtual attendance via Zoom: Please register to receive the access link at--
https://utexas.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tcOiqrDgoEtTS33S6cFFMEnuE4v6BWKOl

The Institute for Historical Studies is committed to sustainable practices and minimizing waste. To that end, we ask that you inform us in your RSVP if you will not require lunch.  In addition, we have eliminated all bottled water and encourage attendees to bring their own reusable mugs for coffee/tea and reusable canteens to fill at our water containers.