Before Milwaukee made beer cool, it made punk dangerous — and nobody saw it coming.
Taking the City By Storm: The Birth of Milwaukee's Punk Scene is a documentary focusing on the progression of Milwaukee's Protopunk, Punk, New Wave, and Alternative music scene from 1975-1985.
Direction
LaValliere treats Milwaukee like it matters — because it does
Sound
Raw archival footage that sounds like it was recorded in a basement
Production
Zero gloss, maximum authenticity — punk as aesthetic choice
Director
Doug LaValliere
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson appear as themselves — they're Cheap Trick members who played Milwaukee clubs before hitting arena rock, making their presence a bridge between scenes.
James Chance's appearance connects Milwaukee to NYC's No Wave scene — the film quietly argues Midwestern punk wasn't provincial but networked, a claim most coastal narratives ignore.
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Reactions from the web
Can't wait to see this!
@pauln.7701 2
Wow!
@RalphDrzewiecki 1
Awesome! Can't wait to see the film!
@aprilwood2780 2
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