DIY or Die: If it hadn’t been for a do-it-yourself concert, this city would have no music scene

Note from writer: I was recently asked by former City Council member and Truth to Power blogger Richard Johnson to write about my history with promoting music shows in Cheyenne and, specifically for this article, where I started. This is my response.  

BY KEITH COOMBES

There is no secret that Cheyenne has had a thriving underground music scene for decades. And then there is its rich history of music throughout the 20th century in numerous, mostly defunct bars and clubs.  

Throughout the 1980s there were several garage metal and rock bands that would pop up at parties, the American Legion

Keith Coombes was in on the ground floor of the city’s punk metal scene.

and the infamous Lincoln Theater Battle of The Bands show in 1989 where the punks and thrashers showed up and moshed and stage dived in front of the unsuspecting crowd of Q98 listeners.  

In my world, that was the turning point in Cheyenne underground music history.  We were younger (mostly), and we had a crew of outcasts who all skated and listened to much more aggressive music than Megadeth, Metallica, or Guns N Roses. 

I was merely a skate rat punk metal kid who was up front for the show, thrashing about and saw the city division first hand that I felt before (and after).  

We were doing our own thing. The generational wave was imminent.

Fast forward a few months to October 1989. I had recently visited Wax Trax in Denver (I was either spending my hard-earned bus boy money there or at Front Range Recs in Fort Collins as well as Book & Record Exchange in downtown Cheyenne), where I got a flier for a four local bands $4 metal show in Thornton, so the Kauhn's and I went down. 

This show was wild: in some basement garage-type place with a couple hundred, drinking and drugging and just hanging out listening to some punishing music.  

I'm somewhat of an impulsive person, and that night literally changed my life. As we're watching the bands, I thought to myself, "I'd love to have this in Cheyenne!" so I just went for it.  

As each band was done with their sets, I looked for a member to be in the crowd and approached them about playing in Cheyenne. I got contact info and started brainstorming where I could do this. The obvious place: the old community house in Lions Park.  

So I called the city and rented the hall for a mid-November date.  I called my contacts —  Anathema and Sadistic Intent were down. With one of their recommendations, we added Blistering Body Pus (also from Denver) to the bill. Time to get to work.

I made fliers and handbills and we hit up the mall as well as Budget next to Dan's County Market, Downtown Record Exchange, all pawn shops and instrument stores (there were 3 back then) plus the high schools and Jr. highs, of course. Three weeks to a month of advertising (what a concept) and we had 119 paying people plus my friends who were helping me out with cleaning and whatnot.  

I had hoped for 50. I charged $3  because it was three bands. Makes sense. Punk rock prices.  Lots of familiar faces as well as lots of unfamiliar faces.  

Back then, going to a different school meant you didn't necessarily know everyone who was potentially into the same things you were. I remember a constant mosh pit, everyone rocking out with zero fights and zero garbage to deal with. I think everyone was just excited to be around like-minded people in a town where they are normally ostracized.  

Everyone I talked to liked BBP the most (as did I), so I asked them at the end of the night about coming back in February. I didn't know until the end of the night that the owner of Mosh Pit Records (label and store front) was there and was as blown away with us kids going off all night as were the bands.  

She wanted to bring her "big" band — Animosity— next time with BBP. "Sure!" So here we were with now two-plus months of 119+ people talking about what an incredible time they had and plenty of time to advertise and hype up the upcoming show.

Fast forward to February. I had to put a security deposit down this time as well as rent off-duty cops. Cha-ching. Whatever. You deal. Move on. The city saw their fish.  

I knew this show was going to be bigger anyways.  We had 185 paying this time and Mosh Pit Recs brought up a barrier (which was a lot cooler to jump into the crowd from than the crappy stage provided), full lights and their own loud-as-hell P.A. A real show!  

Cops were out that night — a few busts in the parking lot. Drinks and weed. Not my problem.  This would be the norm from here on out.  

             I know the third show was giving BBP a rest and them suggesting Violent Degenerates as well as bringing back Sadistic Intent. I think Future Shock played too. This was in the spring of 1990.

Throughout the rest of my high school days I threw maybe a dozen shows. I don't know exactly.  I have all the fliers buried in Ernie's basement in boxes. Next time I'm in town I'll have to dig them out.

 And maybe next time I'll tell you about my senior year and the Christian protesters and how these "devil shows" were a threat to the kids who were attending the shows. My youth pastor pulled me aside to let me know she got a phone call from a few churches regarding me and the shows I was hosting.  Screw off.

Keith Coombes is a Cheyenne resident and the owner of Ernie November’s.