This article was written by Gen Handly reporting for SPIN Magazine.
A couple of years ago, NOFX frontman Mike “Fat Mike” Burkett had an idea for a punk rock store that would also display rare genre artifacts that he’s collected over the years. But the idea evolved and is now the 12,000-square-foot Punk Rock Museum, the first of its kind to exhaustively document the world-wide genre and maybe most importantly, the first to welcome all punk bands of all sizes, not just the usual suspects.
Located in Las Vegas, the new landmark will be officially opening its doors on January 13, 2023 when they will hold the grand opening, showing the world thousands of pieces and relics in its 12,000-square-foot space. The Museum’s collection includes a wide range of notable items including Debbie Harry’s iconic Vultures shirt and Devo’s energy dome helmets, as well as the acoustic guitar on which Rise Against wrote some of their first songs and the bright green chainsaw Sum 41 used to kick off their shows during their crazy Does This Look Infected? era. The museum will also engage visitors with interactive exhibits, such as one where you can play your favorite musician’s guitar and amp.
The Punk Rock Museum’s criteria for acceptance is straightforward: “If you’re a punk band, you’re fucking in,” Fat Mike says, seriously. “It’s that simple.”
This museum is the result of the passionate, dedicated work from the museum’s “punk-rock collective,” 10 talented, like-minded musicians and industry professionals brought together by Fat Mike to plan and build this “Church of punk rock.” The Museum aspires to document punk’s stories and deep cultural impact over the past five decades. Some of the characters from these stories are also major investors for the museum, including Pat Smear, Brett Gurewitz, Kevin Lyman and Tony Hawk.
Read the full article HERE to read more about the newest museum.
Presale tickets for the official opening are now available here.
