The Museum of Sonoma County is pleased to present DISTURBING THE PEACE: Sonoma County’s Early Punk Underground, on view April 18–August 23, 2026. The first-of-its-kind exhibition chronicles the premillenium punk scene in Sonoma County, and its bands, zines, artists, venues and DIY principles that continue to reverberate today.

DISTURBING THE PEACE spans 1970s punk’s reaction to disco, 1980s hardcore’s rejection of Reaganomics, and the expansion of the punk ethos into 1990s musical genres like emo, pop-punk, ska and indie rock. The exhibit features local punk flyers, vintage photographs, listening stations, photocopied zines, archival video, records, T-shirts, stickers, musical instruments and handmade cassettes. Together, they tell the story of a vibrant youth culture that — beneath all the screaming and stagediving — dared to imagine a better world.

The early punk scene in Sonoma County was shaped by a rural setting and lack of infrastructure, and sought to destroy the suburban status quo while building new economies, ideologies and support structures. Along the way, punk wrestled with issues still relevant today: fascism, censorship, police brutality, homophobia, Nazis, drug abuse, racism and misogyny.