Someday All the Adults Will Die!: The Birth of Texas Punk -- Pat Blashill, Paperback

A deep dive into the early days of punk in Austin, Texas, this oral history immerses readers in a diverse and influential music scene.

Texas has always teemed with music and counterculture. When punk came to the state in 1978, it flourished in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and, especially, Austin. Punk and post-punk musicians, including nationally acclaimed bands like the Butthole Surfers, the Big Boys, the Dicks, and Daniel Johnston influenced local culture before slashing into the American musical psyche. (See Kurt Cobain sporting Johnston's "Hi, How are you?" T-shirt.) Someday All the Adults Will Die! is an oral history of punk in Texas, from its rise in the late 1970s, through its strong anti-racist, feminist, and queer peak, to its dissolution in the late 1980s.

Now a seasoned music journalist, Blashill experienced the zenith of Texas punk as a teenager, and he captures its intensity in words and pictures. Someday All the Adults Will Die! is rife with electrifying images and firsthand tales of what made this scene such a storm of pleasures and terrors, uncompromising artists, and wild performances. This dynamic portrait of an untamed, all-out musical era is a must-read for fans of punk music, counterculture, and live music.

Author: Pat Blashill
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 09/02/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781477332474

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/21/2025

About the Author

Pat Blashill was born and raised in Austin. In 1979, he began going to punk shows while studying photojournalism at the University of Texas. In 1987, he moved to New York City, where he worked for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Wired, GQ, and other publications. Texas Is the Reason is the first collection of his photographs and writing.