Bands don’t know how good they have it these days when it comes to promoting a show. With a couple of clicks, they can create an event on Facebook and post a cool pic on Instagram, and they’re good to go. 

In the ’80s and ’90s, it was a journey. 

Back then, in order to get the word out for an upcoming gig, bands turned to the good old photocopier. They cut, pasted, and Xeroxed their announcements onto brightly colored flyers like a deranged author of a ransom note. 

After hitting Kinkos, they would post the handbills in record store windows, bulletin boards, and telephone poles. They’d even hand them out after concerts. 

It’s that type of do-it-yourself mentality that is portrayed in the new Darren “Dag” Hunt film This Town Rocked!: Fort Wayne Punk and Hardcore. 

The documentary will premiere at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 26-27, at Indiana Tech’s Magee O’Connor Theater on the first floor of Andorfer Commons.

Telling a story

Hunt is no stranger to the scene, having cut his teeth in bands such as Dag & The Bulleit Boys and The Rewinders. This Town Rocked! will also be his second full-length film, following 2021’s The Paper Angel. 

In his latest endeavor, Hunt covers 30-plus years of punk history in Fort Wayne, piecing together the story of how the city’s punk scene was built from the ground up and morphed into a full-on crusade. 

It was a time when a bunch of misfits, despite their differences, came together to create something special from DIY ethos, individualism, and a rejection of mainstream values. 

From congregating at Freimann Square to infiltrating stages at The Backdoor, Sunset Hall, The Loft, Columbia Street West, The Shortbus, and Club 13, these counter-culture types made it happen long before the days of the internet. 

Seed is planted

The upcoming film was two years in the making and pretty much started when Hunt joined the Facebook group “RIP in peace Fort Wayne Bands.” 

“That’s where the nugget started,” Hunt said. “I knew about some of the older bands from back in the day like The Beautys, The Chronics, and Fat Ass but never heard of some of these others that were being discussed.” 

That’s when he turned to his buddy Dave Trevino of The Beautys and Fat Ass with questions about these unfamiliar venues and bands like Destination Detox, Spitface 30, The Shortcuts, and Primitive Baptist Church, a band many claim to be the first punk band in Fort Wayne. 

Intrigued by what he was hearing, Hunt wondered why no one had made a documentary on the early Fort Wayne punk scene and if anyone would care to see such a thing. After all, this isn’t exactly Washington, D.C., or New York. 

However, Hunt knew there was a good story to tell, and the people who lived it would certainly appreciate it. Even more, it might appeal to the people that have lived here their whole lives here with no clue this was going on. 

That’s when the wheels started turning. 

Hunt called guys like Kevin Roulette of Tri-State Killing Spree and Trevino’s bandmate Eric Coleman, who had plenty of stories to share. It snowballed and he began interviewing promoters, venue owners, fans, and so on. He also compiled a good collection of photos, video footage, and show flyers. 

All together, 60 people were interviewed, most of which are featured on the film. 

One of his interviewees was longtime Columbia Street West sound engineer Richard Reprogle. 

“Rich came in at the last second and was a huge addition to the film,” Hunt said. “He gives a great retrospective on Columbia Street West and the bands that played there. Definitely a clutch last-minute interview.” 

For you seasoned readers, Hunt interviewed Reprogle back in the late ’90s when he was a writer for Whatzup. 

Talk about coming full circle. 

Editing was done by Ryne Hastings, director of the 2019 documentary American Mullet: Legend of the Silver Fox, while ProCam filming was done by Michael Espy. Hunt did additional filming, of course DIY-style with his phone.

Finished product 

In the end, with all of the interviews, band footage, and a dab of animation, This Town Rocked! clocks in at 1 hour and 50 minutes, which Hunt assures flies by and keeps moving along.

Of course, the film would not have been possible without some local support. 

There was a GoFundMe page and a fundraising event in March at The Brass Rail. At The Rail, which featured performances by The Shortcuts, Last Chance at Failure, Snakehandler Church, and The Maybe-Naughts, folks were treated to a sneak peek of the film’s trailer and a silent auction. The show raised $7,000, which went toward finishing things up. 

Tickets for the premiere can be purchased via Ticketbud or $10 at the door each night. If that’s your plan, make sure to get there early as the shows are expected to fill up. 

After the premiere, there are plans to submit the film to festivals and streaming apps, produce some DVDs, and maybe host another local showing down the road. 

The music was loud, fast, raw, rebellious, and in your face. Whether you had a hand in our emerging punk scene or not, this film takes you into the ideas and sounds from this transformative music scene which continues to be influential culturally and musically in Fort Wayne to this day.