From the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, Tallahassee was the home of a vibrant punk music scene. Today, Damien Filer heads up communications for Progress Florida. But when he was a student at Florida High, he was in a punk band called "Gothic Playground." The Tallahassee Democrat's Mark Hinson even did a review of them.
"Mark Hinson wrote, 'They're not a band you're likely to see playing the downtown Hilton anytime soon.' And that one of our songs would, quote: 'Clear a fern bar in seconds.'"
Filer was the opening reader Thursday at RCT Underground for the official kickoff of the "Pioneers of Punk: The Art & Cultural Legacy of Tallahassee's Early Punk and Underground Scene" exhibit. Another presenter was Florida State University English Professor Diane Roberts. She had experienced the scene firsthand back in the day. She read from her account of the Slut Boys, which included this description of the group's lead singer.
"Jim Ballard was like a Botticelli angel and moved like he was some unacknowledged child of James Brown. His stage manner veered precipitously between seduction and punk menace. With Ballard out front shaking the sweat out of his golden hair, a voice like fermented honey, the Slut Boys drew pilgrims from as far away as Dothan and Atlanta."
The event continues throughout the weekend, with displays of period artifacts, posters, storytelling and panel discussions at Railroad Square's 621 Gallery. There are also various band performances throughout the weekend at The Bark, which are already sold out.
