Art-filled tables, clothing racks and a backing track of curated punk vinyls set the scene for Boise’s first Punk Flea Market, an event held at the Shredder music venue Saturday, Sept. 27.
People of all ages paraded down the venue, taking in small rows housing different vendors while connecting with local community members.
Instead of recreating the same flea market Boise came to love, the event borrowed from punk culture to curate a space where art and self-expression flourish. The market’s emphasis on diversity and community allowed it to transcend any specific music genre, instead offering a hub for all creatives.
“[Punk Flea Markets] started up in California, Washington and Oregon, and I’d been watching [them] for a while,” said Tiki Tod, one of the two lead organizers. “I’m a punk rocker and I love flea markets, so I wanted to start one.”
“I work at Neurolux, and [Tod] comes, drinks coffee and hangs out,” co-organizer Lauren Barclay added. “We’d been talking about one of the punk rock fleas, and I hadn’t seen anything like that in Boise.”
The two organizers contacted the owner of The Shredder, Justin Cantrell, to set up the event.
“We want to have a space for everybody to get to know each other, talk to more people — considering [at] shows you can’t talk as much,” Barlcay said. “It just seemed like it was something that was lacking in our community.”
Why use the punk label?
“What is punk?” Barclay questioned. “It is creating community, being artists and having a space for artists to be creative.”
“It’s art, it’s self-expressionism, it’s whatever you want to be,” Tod added. “That’s what punk is.”
While the event’s roots are in punk music, the event featured multiple styles within the genre.
“There’s country punk, there’s hardcore punk, there’s pop punk, there’s Oi! punk, there’s every genre, but they all fit in the punk realm because they have the same attitude,” Owner of Modern Sounds vinyl store and event DJ Wayne Lorenzh said. “Help your neighbors take care of each other… If you’re in the pit [and] someone falls down, you pick them up.”
This community-driven attitude brought out artists of all kinds.
VHS collectors and vintage resellers rubbed shoulders with print-makers and designers — a potpourri of different art forms.
Market-goers used the opportunity to create a third place where ideas flowed freely.
Anthony Joseph, one of the vendors at the event, said that a friend invited him to the event. They sought an opportunity to broadcast each other as artists and not just merchants.
“It gets more focused on us as a community and as artisans, as people that want to share, rather than people that just want to sell to make money,” said Joseph.
Community members participated by sharing experiences alongside vendors and supporting their craft.
“It can bring a lot of people from different cultures [and] different sounds together,” community member and Arizona-based musician Nathaniel Mota said.
According to Mota, the space motivates people to get acquainted and “make something” — whether it be art, music or clothing.
“I’m trying to start a new band out here,” Mota added. “So I think doing something like this would bring people together, and I think that’s really cool about it.”
Now, Barclay and Tod seek to make the punk flea market a monthly event. Artists and vendors can join for a $25 fee and an optional charity donation.
“We are taking advice from every vendor or any person that wants to be a vendor,” Barclay said. “We want everybody to start doing this together.”
The next Boise Punk Flea market will take place Oct. 25 at The Shredder.
