Local Unrest

When Honolulu police were summoned to a Waikiki penthouse early one February morning in 1980, they discovered signs of a brutal attack on the lifeless, unclothed body of a local nightclub owner. As news rippled through the city, a crucial chain of events kicked off, ultimately uniting a disordered muddle of young punks, castoffs, and firebrands in the name of radical rock and roll. Local Unrest is the real-life story of a most unusual, colorful, and dynamic underground music scene almost completely unknown to the outside world.

Through the candid, eye-opening accounts of the offbeat nightlifers who built Hawaii's rambunctious punk, post-punk, and alternative rock communities, former music journalist Shawn "Speedy" Lopes takes us on a fascinating deep dive into the most isolated and overlooked music scene in America.