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Churchill’s Pub, the storied, gentrification-repellent venue in Miami’s Little Haiti, is a real institution in an institution-less town. Like time itself, Churchill’s seems to have no beginning and no end. But the club did, of course, have a beginning — in 1979, when punk rock had finally gotten a foothold in the United States, and bands playing original music were finally starting to get a shot around town. Most played at Churchill’s, as has virtually every South Florida motley crew with guitars. Over its 30 years, the sort-of-English pub has hosted nights featuring almost every genre imaginable, from underground hip-hop to electronic laptop noodling to straight-up noise.
But to this day, punk has remained the club’s mainstay and even its overall aesthetic. (The layers of stickers, lingering cigarette stench, and perennial bathroom filth surely contribute.) As such, Slammie Productions has organized a bang for the buck this Saturday that will celebrate both Churchill’s and the rock genre it’s grown up alongside. A host of staple legendary acts from across the venue’s history will take the stage, including Charlie Pickett, Radiobaghdad, the Holy Terrors, and the Crumbs. Also playing will be new bands featuring members of old Churchill’s classic acts: Tongues of the Heartworm, for instance, boasts members of Load and Postface, and Nobody’s Hero has members from Against All Authority and Guajiro. But 30 years is too much to sum up in print, so check miaminewtimes.com for a closer look at the bands performing and the venue’s history.
