Family Weekend Workshops: Punk Family Picnic

James Spooner

James Spooner is an accomplished tattoo artist, illustrator, and filmmaker. He is the author of The High Desert (Harper, 2022), about growing up Black and punk in a small California desert town. He directed the seminal documentary Afro-Punk and is also the co-founder of the Afro-punk Festival. Spooner’s work has appeared in NPR, Vice, The Village Voice, The New Yorker, Vibe, Fader, MTV, NBC News, and Variety. He is an ongoing guest programs curator for the Broad Museum in Los Angeles where he also wrote and starred in the punk and no wave segment of their short documentary series, Time Decorated: The Musical Influences of Jean-Michel Basquiat. He has previously programmed for the Brooklyn Academy of Music. 

The Groans

Don’t let the glitter in their faces distract you from the fires in their eyes! The Groans formed in 2015 when they noticed a lack of representation in their local scene. They write songs about police brutality, self-love, and why dogs don’t deserve to have nightmares. “How can I even afford to be alive? How can I even afford to die?” bassist Annie (she/they) wonders on “Earth Dweller,” the title track of their 2019 album out on Get Better Records. “A paycheck should not determine my worth/In the end, we’re all pathetic humans destroying ourselves and the Earth.” The Los Angeles queer-punk trio have a lot to be mad about, making their raw, feral style of punk feel relevant and timely. Annie rails about white supremacy and class struggles as guitarist Dewie (they/them) and drummer Nadine (she/her) hammer out a passionately aggressive punk attack. Even amid all their fury, The Groans show an endearing and yearning pop side on such reflective tunes as “Missing the Trees, Friends & Everything in Between.”

—LA Weekly FALLING JAMES 

Kash Abdulmalik

Originally hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Kash Abdulmalik grew up in the golden age of hip hop in the 1990s. Often one to jump in on a cypher or freestyle battle, it all changed for him one day in high school after hearing Minor Threat. Inspired by the hard work ethic of Black Flag and the razor-sharp musicianship of the Bad Brains, he moved to Los Angeles and started the hardcore punk band, Bad Reaction. The group played out and toured the country with other revival punk outfits while making a name for the new emergence of hardcore in LA. Now a writer and actor, his love of punk hasn’t diminished as he’s half of a DJ group which perform regularly at the arcade Bar 82 in downtown LA. He also is currently working on multiple projects in film and television involving black rock and roll including a biopic on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and other original works. 

Joe Dana

Joe Dana has been involved in the Los Angeles music scene in various capacities for over 25 years. He’s produced and been a contributor to punk zines and other publications, booked punk shows for touring acts, and sung for his own band. He is a regular volunteer for Razorcake Magazine (the only bona fide 501(c)(3) non-profit music magazine in the US) and had his first vinyl DJ gig at one of their monthly happy hours in 2012. Since then, he has become the host of Razorcake Magazine's monthly happy hour events at Footsies Bar in Cypress Park. These afternoons concentrate on sharing punk rock music, and sometimes give a "how to" to people DJing for their first time. He regularly DJs at 82, Footsies, and The Slipper Clutch. He’s DJed several spots you’ve heard of and even more you haven’t and was even the DJ for the annual Improv Everywhere Metro Ride after party. 

Melissa Scaduto

Melissa Scaduto has been a music enthusiast and avid record collector since first hearing Nirvana as a child of the ‘90s. Her exposure to subculture came early, going to punk shows since age 12 and later becoming a buyer for NYC record shop Rocks in Your Head that specializes in Post Punk. She currently plays in two bands and is embarking on a solo venture under the moniker Melissa Material, to be released in 2022. Melissa Scaduto has DJ’d on radio stations NTS, Dublab, and East Village Radio. She recently DJ’d a benefit for End Overdose at 1720 Warehouse, Reggie Watts’ 50th Birthday Party with John Tejada, and backed Panther Modern as his live DJ.