Just Do It

Radio Silence Selected Photography Opening Reception and Ian Svenonius performance

by Dianca Potts

Fri., Jan. 2, 7-10 p.m., exhibit through Feb. 1, Juanita and Juan's, 125 N. 11th St., juanitaandjuans.com

Anthony Pappalardo and Nathan Nedorostek, the dynamic duo behind the punk-friendly book Radio Silence: A Selected Visual History of American Hardcore Music, bring a post-New Year's spread of historic rock 'n' roll to Chinatown. On display are black-and-white photographs from the late-'80s/early-'90s hardcore scene featuring bands like Youth of Today, Adolescents, Nation of Ulysses and Negative Approach. The exhibit documents a counterculture with both musical and political ramifications.

Friday's opening also features a special Oi!-worthy performance by hardcore legend Ian Svenonius. A familiar name to any scene kid, Svenonius has done time in Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up (for which he created the garage rock-soul hybrid genre of gospel yeh-yeh) and the still-active Weird War.

Released this past fall, Radio Silence is a quintessential crash course in American hardcore composed of previously unseen images, fanzines, T-shirts and LPs. All of the photos come straight from Pappalardo and Nedorostek's tome. "Our connection to hardcore was so personal, it's something that basically brought us up," says Pappalardo. "We wanted to show that hardcore is as vital as any form of American music, if you strip off the sensationalism and volume it's a very savvy, articulate culture. It's just masked by bravado and volume."

But it's not just the exhibit that Pappalardo is excited about, it's also his Philly sojourn. "I'm just excited to see old friends and have the event at [Juanita & Juan's] because it's such an incredible space and run by people who inspire us," he says. "It doesn't hurt that Harmony is next door and I can get a bunch of mock-beef buns."