A Quiet Night In with the Mekons: readings, writings and songs

"The Mekons are the most revolutionary group in the history of rock ‘n’ roll” – wrote rock critic Lester Bangs. This genre-defying collective emerged from the 1977 British punk scene, where the mekons progressed from socialist art students with no musical skills to the prolific, raucous progeny of Hank Williams. Theirs is an improbable history – a surprising and influential embrace of folk and country music; with occasional forays into the art world (collaborations with Vito Acconci and Kathy Acker). The Mekons continue to make bold, unpredictable music while staying true to the punk ethos. Their mind-boggling output consistently blurs the lines between high art and low and they remain one of the truly great live bands. "Revenge of the Mekons," a documentary about the band receives nationwide release in 2015 on Music Box Films. This multimedia event at the Poetry Foundation will include readings from the band’s lyric book, discussion, acoustic renditions of songs, and more.

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