The Queers have been around since forever it seems and in their 41st year this beloved, irreverent crew continues forging along in a vein of never-taken-so-serious punk rock filtered through ’60s bubblegum pop.
Keep in mind that the 1980s punk scene in America was marked by heavy regionalist identity and fragmentation into dozens of subgenres. While the college radio-leaning acts made the most waves in the moment, what can now be considered the more traditional bands — with a Ramones ethos of hypered-up, stripped-down rock ’n’ roll — laid the foundation for the eventual pop-punk explosion out of the Lookout! Records stable of artists in the early ’90s.
Formed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1982 by Joseph “Joe Queer” King, the Queers are one of the better bands (if not the best) to carry that Ramones influence forward. At times a trio, sometimes a quartet, King’s been the only constant in an outfit that has hosted dozens of rhythm sections over a very productive run — more than two dozen full-length efforts counting studio, live and compilation recordings, as well as over 20 singles and EPs.
Their two most recent LPs, 2020’s Save the World and 2021’s Reverberation are Queers marquee standards: The former a slab of snot with tracks like “Shirley Needs a Dildo” and “Let the Rain Wash Away My Tears”; the latter another entry in their ample covers catalogue. This one features versions of hits by The Troggs, The Who and … you get the picture.
It hasn’t all been saccharine pop bliss for the Queers. Alcoholism and drug abuse have interrupted the their momentum and perhaps kept the band from a higher profile. In today’s more polarized discourse, King’s sometimes against-the-grain views and comments have produced blowback. But a hetero guy leading a band called Queers while living a life in punk rock has obviously developed a thick-enough skin to keep himself and his brand intact.
The Queers with The Jasons, Billy Doom is Dead and Straight Jacket perform 7pm Thursday, August 3 at Propaganda in Lake Worth. GET TICKETS ~ Abel Folgar
