Plugz
Vallen 1979
Acrylic on paper
22" x 30"

I painted this portrait of the Plugz in 1979. They were a band that could only have come from a place like Los Angeles, and lead singer Tito Larriva (far left) once jokingly referred to the multiracial trio as "Two Mexicans and one token Anglo." The band captured the spirit of the day with songs like Satisfied Die!, Let Go, Revolution, and their most infamous song, an anarchistic punk send up of Richie Valens La Bamba.

The Plugz not only sang about current events and the insanity of everyday life in L.A.'s nightmarish urban jungle - they also helped open the door of cross cultural diversity. They were the first punk band to record and distribute their own LP record (Electrify Me, released in 1979).