NOFX frontman Mike "Fat Mike" Burkett was looking to open a shop a few years back, a place that folks could come for all their punk rock gear, but one that also housed some of the collectables the singer had accumulated over the years. That idea took fire pretty quickly, and soon evolved into something much bigger. The Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, which will open its doors on January 23, 2023, will be a first of its kind: an extensive curation of punk rock music and culture with one very singular criteria for entry.
“If you’re a punk band, you’re fucking in,” Fat Mike told Spin Magazine in a recent interview. “It’s that simple.” With much of the bureaucracy that plagues other halls and institutions sidelined, fans will be able to roam the 12,000 square-foot building to engage with multi-media and witness an unrefined and robust account of the genre up close, not just the usual left-behind trinkets from heavy hitters like the Ramones and Sex Pistols.
The Punk Rock Museum is possible thanks to a 10-panel punk rock coalition, with board members including former Germs, Nirvana and current Foo Fighters' guitarist Pat Smear, Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, Warped Tour promoter Kevin Lyman, members of Pennywise and Less Than Jake, and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. According to the Spin article, some of the items featured include items from Debbie Harry of Blondie, Devo’s energy dome helmets, an acoustic guitar belonging to Rise Against, and a green chainsaw once used by Sum 41 as a crowd pleaser during their live shows back in the day.
“This is a love letter to punk rock,” drummer Vinnie Fiorello of Less Than Jake told Spin. "We want to show this common passion amongst so many different people for this form of music.” Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge also commented “It becomes the soundtrack of your life. It’s such a dedicated fanbase and these people are in it for fucking life….. We wanted to create a place for these people and for people who don’t know much about it.”
You can get your pre-sale tickets to the Punk Rock Museum here. There a some very cool punk-inspired ticket packages, such as the "I Got A Six-Pack" bundle and the "Pay to Come" option. There's even a discount option that comes with 2 warm beers at the bar (we're dead serious!)
