Inside Cell 63: Punk Rock in the San Fernando Valley is a new exhibition that celebrates the underground punk venue that ran from 1992-1996 in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Cell 63 hosted over 100 shows with 200+ bands and was founded by 17-year-old Nathan Peterson.
The exhibition kicks off this weekend (March 28th) at BEAM Studios in Van Nuys, a neighborhood right next to where I live in Sherman Oaks, so I was extra-intrigued with the project. The show was the brainchild of Cheyanne Washington, a student at Pepperdine University who put it together as her History Program senior thesis.
To help her, Cheyanne brought in Nathan, who's parent's basement in Granada Hills served as the actual venue when it first launched. "When I went into junior high, I had some unresolved issues on my heart and mind," Nathan tells me. "Skateboarding and punk hardcore became a natural attraction. As far as my connection to the Valley, I’m a fourth generation Angeleno and a third generation in the Valley."
Working as a piercer since the '90s, he owns Nathan's Tattoos & Piercings in Canoga Park. Nathan explains how the Cell 63 exhibition came to fruition. "Cheyanne and my wife, Crystal, had the vision and have curated the entire exhibit. I provided the materials, context, history and footage but they’ve taken everything and turned it into what it is. I booked the bands for the show and connected them with people of interest who were around back in the day."
Throwing punk shows in the basement of a Southern Californian house isn't exactly viable, so Cell 63 had to find new locations as pressure mounted from outside forces. "We ended up moving to a warehouse in Northridge and then eventually another warehouse in Sun Valley.
"Every one of my 3 venues were shut down by the cops because of phone calls and noise complaints. We would have to lie low sometimes and try to change up the name of the venue on occasion to try to avoid being caught. I had to go to Van Nuys court and that led to a certain level of financial and physical exhaustion."
Inside Cell 63 will feature original flyers and posters, interactive displays, exclusive footage including the only known video of Rage Against the Machine’s first-ever live performance at Cal State University Northridge. The immersive exhibition's opening night will also include a live panel with Andrew Kline (Strife, WAR Records), James Morris (Social Justice, downset.), Kirsten Patches (Naked Aggression), Johnny Whitman (Lava Diva), and Nathan.
Throughout the exhibition's run, there will also be live performances from the likes of Lack of Interest, Naked Aggression, and The Gain, and other events, including a film fest, DJ sets, and a craft show for kids (so sick!).
When asked about his favorite Cell 63 bills, Nathan looks at the bigger picture of it all:
"Honestly, we had tons of great shows. The venue was more about the relationships that were made. That’s like asking me to choose my favorite kid; every show was so different and had its own place."
***
Inside Cell 63: Punk Rock in the San Fernando Valley runs March 28th - April 6th at BEAM Studios (6469 Van Nuys Blvd). Get tickets here.
Learn more about the show at their website and Instagram page.
