Authors Nate Jackson and Daniel Kohn ambitiously undertake the challenge of chronicling Orange County’s vital punk community within Tearing Down The Orange Curtain: How Punk Rock Brought Orange County To The World. Conducting over 100 interviews with the community’s musicians, artists, promoters, label owners, and supporters, the book succeeds in elevating a vibrant community responsible for a unique sound that has endured for decades.
“We realized there wasn’t a project dedicated solely to Orange County. We know scenes in the UK, New York, and LA have all been extensively covered, and rightfully so but we wanted to really highlight how unique the music is and all the people responsible for creating it. It was a challenge because as much as we love them all, some accounts might not always be reliable so there was a lot of fact-checking. Our secret weapon was Social Distortion’s manager, Jim Guerinot because his recall is amazing,” said Kohn.
With a sincere and concise foreword by Social Distortion’s Mike Ness, both authors emphatically agree that Ness has undeniably earned a prodigious role within the annals of Orange County’s subculture. April 3, 2024 proved to be a landmark day for Ness as he was presented the key to the city of Fullerton for his creative contributions. Jackson wryly stated the irony wasn’t overlooked despite it being such a full-circle moment for Ness.
“We both interviewed Ness early on in the project and he wasn’t shy about saying how for years, not a day went by that he wasn’t committing some kind of crime in the town he grew up in, so we all took notice of how such a full-circle thing it was that he was awarded the key,” laughed Jackson.
He added, “Punk was looked upon as some kind of scourge upon moralistic society for so long and it’s great to finally see the creators recognized in other ways. To me, Social Distortion always had great songwriting but we all agree, you cannot discuss Orange County punk without the Agnews. Ness himself immediately said how important they remain and even the overlooked band, The Mechanics because of the impact they made on him and Social Distortion guitarist Dennis Danell.”
Tearing Down The Orange Curtain rightfully celebrates the Agnew family, and guitarist Rikk Agnew, whom his peers cite as an undeniable influence on shaping the enduring California punk sound. Agnew most notably served in The Adolescents with his brother Frank Agnew and momentarily in Social Distortion but his oft-overlooked 1982 solo record, All By Myself further revealed a versatile songwriter and multi-instrumentalist showcasing his ability to mix melody and aggression. If Rikk was responsible for penning the hallmark OC punk anthem, Kids Of The Black Hole (an ode to Ness’ apartment) he challenged himself to eclipse it with OC Life on his solo record.
Agnew’s eventual transition to Christian Death stood as one of the earliest ‘death rock’ examples and marked an unprecedented crossover of Punk and Goth that scene stalwalts TSOL went on to perfect with their seminal record, Dance With Me. OC Punk’s lineage runs through the Agnews, with Frank and Alfie Agnew also carving out respected careers within the vibrant punk community they helped build.
“So many people we interviewed all said you cannot talk about OC Punk without including the Agnews. They came from a very musical family and Rikk is an interesting case to me because of how influential he has been on the scene. There’s a certain kind of genius within his songwriting and how he’s been able to transcend different genres,” stated Jackson.
Kohn affirmed that Rikk’s impact on the punk community was well-deserved and attributed to his unique approach to songwriting, allowing his passion for melody to successfully balance with punk’s frenetic tempos.
“Rikk seems comfortable with his place in punk. He knows his legacy but remains very humble. I think his versatility as a songwriter is amazing and you can clearly hear his influence on players that came after him. We know it took a long time for so many of the bands to earn recognition due to the resistance they faced nearly everywhere they went,” said Kohn.
California’s evolving punk subculture was not widely celebrated within communities and was met with resistance from authorities, religious groups, and even local club owners refusing to book bands due to perceived threats of violence. Clubs such as The Cuckoo’s Nest and radio station KROQ, hosted by Rodney Bingenheimer proved integral to the burgeoning subculture, providing emerging bands support and greater exposure. Both authors cite The Nest as instrumental to the community, creating a centralized spot for bands to play.
The subculture did facilitate creative avenues for individuals to feel a sense of belonging amid a chaotic time where rigid community class structures clashed with the ideals of an emerging new generation that embraced the ethos of Punk’s first wave. Similar to the rise of garage rock in the ‘60s, OC Punk ultimately became a groundswell for a new youth culture that was disaffected, alienated, and fed up. OC Punk successfully crossed over to California’s storied skateboarding community, with many musicians themselves being accomplished skaters. The music became the perfect soundtrack for athletes working to push boundaries and reject the traditions of yesteryear. Skating was integral to OC Punk, with many anthemic choruses recognizing the power and community skateboarding offered the subculture. Street skaters often endured similar harassment and violence like the musicians themselves.
“There’s always been a shortsighted view about violence and Punk. We agree that the violence went both ways but one of my goals was to also highlight the positives. I wanted to show how these kids worked together to create something during a time when nobody was willing to help them or really give them a chance at anything. There was also a big cultural aspect to the community, with artists of all different backgrounds coming together. Nothing was easy and there was some self-destruction and in-fighting but there was also a sense of community that allowed people who felt rejected to feel they finally belonged,” said Jackson.
Tearing Down The Orange Curtain succeeds in preserving and elevating a unique time in Punk’s history by sharing poignant insights into the creation of songs that continue enduring, and how their rediscovery by newer generations has enabled artists to claim their rightful place in Punk’s lexicon.
“To me, one of the biggest takeaways from this project is to believe in yourself, showing that you can accomplish a goal and stand by your convictions. At shows, I see multiple generations in the crowd and it’s really special. Also, I hope the book gives people in the communities a sense of pride about where they’re from and keeping them excited,” concluded Jackson.
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/nate-jackson/tearing-down-the-orange-curtain/9780306832970/
