Screamers PDX 1978

Screamers emerged initially  in the mid-70s from Seattle (sandwiched historically between Hendrix and grunge) and then became a fixture by decade's end in the diverse L.A. punk scene. Classified as electropunk, or in their time, “techno-punk,” the quartet featured two keyboardists, a drummer, and an energetic vocalist named Tomata du Plenty. In c.1977, the legendary illustrator, Gary Panter, created their iconic logo, which might be a stylized likeness of du Plenty.  It is such a resonant image from the era that it was featured on the front cover of the 2012 Rizzoli compendium, Punk: An Aesthetic.

Ironically, the Screamers never received a record deal so were not officially recorded. The handbill/flyer featured here, measuring about 8.5"x7" yet slightly irregular due to being hand cut, was issued to advertise a 1978 show in  SE Portland, OR, at an address that might just have been someone's home.

The Screamers seemed way ahead of their time. In watching footage of them, one can see traces of their unrealized vision to release their performative music in a video format. They had disbanded by the start of the 80s, exactly at the time British acts like the Buggles helped launch MTV. Further, I can hear in their sound elements related to legendary New Wave influencers such as The Normal or Tubeway Army. 

Sometimes ephemera like this flyer lives on and reminds of a thing so great just waiting to be rediscovered.