Las Vegas Mixtape v2: Diving Into the City’s Culinary Gems and Top-Shelf Entertainment

Track #4: The Punk Rock Museum on Western Ave

To my mind, Vegas is already the hippest place on the planet, with museums like the Burlesque Hall of Fame, the Atomic Museum, the vintage-rich Office of Collecting and Design, and the Mob Museum. The city is now even cooler with the opening (this past April) of The Punk Rock Museum. Founded by “Fat Mike” Burkett of the band NOFX, it raises its jagged glass to the musical movement that snottily upended the rock establishment in the ‘70s.

Across 12,000 square feet, the photo-and-artifact-packed two-floor museum has many visually striking rooms. They are well laid out, informative, and fun to wander around, especially the one housing an impressive fanzine collection. There’s also a tattoo parlor, bar, music room, store—and a wedding/wake chapel. Check the website for the days when notable punk musicians lead guided tours.

In mid-August, the museum tipped its hat to the late Joe Strummer of The Clash with a crowded birthday weekend celebration party. On hand from L.A. were Linda Ramone, wife of Johnny, and artist/activist/skateboarding scene hero Shepard Fairey as a guest DJ. He amped up the revelers with punk anthems like “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones. As the museum evolves, I’m hoping there will be exhibitions that shine additional light on the Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop, and other vital players in the movement.