Music Enthusiasts gather around the stage at 2023 Punk In The Park festival at Marion Square Park. Photo taken by Charlie Breed
Punx In The Park: A Festival Important to Locals
In Salem, there is a vibrant music scene. Consisting mostly of punk bands, Salem is known around Oregon as having a bunch of bands, venues and people. There are many shows on the weekends and there are new bands popping up all the time. Not a lot of people know about this scene, but as of recently, the scene has started to gain some attention around Salem.
Punx In The Park is a popular annual event in Salem. Punx In The Park is a free, all ages event, held every September at Marion Square Skate Park in Salem’s downtown district. It features six bands, free donated food for the youth, a free clothing closet for the youth, youth speakers, food trucks and access to the skate park. This event was attended by over 300 people in 2022 and is highly anticipated.
Punx In The Park is just one example of the popular shows in Salem. At Blast Off Vintage, there are shows happening all the time. They have had popular punk bands such as DOA, Green Jelly, and MDC. Blast Off Vintage is a vintage clothing store with a basement where they hold the frequent punk shows.
Getting to Know the Locals
“They have the best bands there and it’s always all ages.” Theodore Cannon, a scene local, said.
Cannon is best known around the scene for frequenting shows and being in Squids, another punk band in the scene. Squids formed in 2024 and is made up of the following members: Cannon, Charlie Breed and Eli Stave.
Bands are arguably the most important part of the whole scene. One of the most popular bands, Happy Death Men, is a punk band from Salem. Consisting of three members, their sound is said to be unique compared to some of the other bands in the scene.
“Happy Death Men is the best. Their shows, their sound; it is everything. There is no one else like them,
Cannon said.
Happy Death Men are just one part of the huge scene. Other popular bands are The Doug Furys, Bazooka Sharkz, The Moondogs, Redsun and Andromeda. These bands are popular all around Oregon.
To hold a show, there must also be a venue. Popular venues include Blast Off Vintage, The Bad Space and The Ike Box. There are also occasional house shows, or shows at unique spots like The Scottish Rite Center. The shows themselves are described as many things.
“The shows are loud, hot, chaotic and intimidating at first,” Tom Rodriguez Campos, ‘27, a South Salem High School student, said.
There are often many things going on at shows, such as loud noises, moshing and flashing lights. Many people go to these shows and support the bands and venues. The shows are highly regarded in the scene and mean a lot to many people.
