‘Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk’ Documentary to Screen in Burlington November 6, Free & All-Ages During Winter Music Summit
Press Release by Big Heavy World and Abramorama. Photos by Murray Bowles courtesy Abramorama.
Film About San Francisco Punk Scene and Legendary 924 Gilman Street Venue Shows Roots of Collective, Substance-Free, All-Ages Subculture
RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/121758658536970/
TURN IT AROUND: THE STORY OF EAST BAY PUNK explores Northern California’s pivotal role in evolution of punk rock - the loud, intense and anti-authoritarian philosophy of music and politics that arose in the late 1970s. Early San Francisco Bay Area punk pioneers like Dead Kennedys, Avengers and Flipper as well as the Maximum Rocknroll fanzine helped take the punk underground global.
As the once-vibrant local scene became wrought with violence, corruption and racism, punks over the bridge in the East Bay responded by creating a fun and inclusive style of punk that also carried on the region’s tradition of radical thought. Banding together around Berkeley’s all- volunteer 924 Gilman Club, this diverse collective of misfits created a do-it-yourself, no-spectators’ petri dish for art & music that changed the Bay Area punk scene… and the world at large.
Today, we know about some of the bands who emerged from this scene, like Green Day and Rancid, but their success is just the tip of the iceberg; the roots of this inspiring story go deep into the underground. Narrated by Iggy Pop and executive produced by Green Day, TURN IT AROUND: THE STORY OF EAST BAY PUNK is told by the people who were there. The story of East Bay punk rock unfolds from its unlikely beginnings, continues through its struggles, and triumphs with its raucous power continuing to be influential today.
The film features interviews with more than 100 artists and musicians from California’s East Bay punk rock music scene including members of Green Day, Rancid, Metallica, Dead Kennedys, Jawbreaker, AFI, 7 Seconds, Primus, and many more. Turn It Around is narrated by Iggy Pop; executive produced by Green Day; produced and directed by Corbett Redford; with cinematography by Greg Schneider and theatrical distribution by Abramorama. Its run time is 158 minutes.
Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and The Julie Ruin said, “Punk rock isn’t a sound. It’s this idea of doing something that you’re totally afraid of doing in front of other people… and inspiring other people to do stuff they’re afraid of doing…to take risks with each other.”
Big Heavy World brings ‘Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk’ to Burlington in collaboration with Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center and national film distributor Abramorama as part of a week-long Winter Music Summit. ‘Turn It Around’ shows at 7pm on Monday, November 6, at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center Film House, 60 Main Street, Burlington. The Film House features state of the art DCP digital projection, Dolby Atmos surround sound, and a 25-foot screen. The screening is FREE and ALL AGES. Information about the film can be found at https://eastbaypunk.com. Press materials including images can be found at http://bit.ly/2y4ByEk.
Michael Franti of Spearhead said, “So many people that I know who were at Gilman went on to become very successful inventors, creators, artists, entrepreneurs, civic leaders… people who were there, through the DIY movement, had a sense of wings.”
Big Heavy World is an independent, volunteer-run music office that promotes and archives the music of Vermont, building community among musicians and reflecting Vermont’s diverse musical talent to the world. James Lockridge, Executive Director, said, “Vermont faces the crisis of losing a legendary all-ages music hall with the threatened permanent closing of 242 Main in Burlington, the nation’s longest-running all-ages punk rock venue. Generations of youth learned to have confidence in their opinions and to be fearlessly creative there, in a safe space surrounded by peers. ‘Turn It Around’ gives Burlington a larger coast-to-coast context for this experience: The defiantly positive, participatory East Bay subculture was the same that made so many Burlington youth stronger and better contributors to society.”
The Winter Music Summit features this documentary film, musician panels, live music showcases and special events like a free VT Music Yearbook Photo session by photographer Monika Rivard at Big Heavy World’s South End Arts District headquarters. The Summit is made possible by collaborators Arts Riot and Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center with support from Advance Music, the Burlington City Arts Community Fund, and the Vermont Women’s Fund. More information about the Winter Music Summit can be found at bigheavyworld.com.
For more information about the Burlington screening, contact James Lockridge, Big Heavy World, jim@bigheavyworld.com, (802) 865-1140.
Publicity Contact: Film PR, Falco Ink, Shannon Treusch, shannontreusch@falcoink.com.
Green Day PR: BB Gun Press, Brian Bumbery, brian@bbgunpress.com.
