Booking your own life: The development of a diy touring network in the United States

Abstract

The do-it-yourself (DIY) touring circuit changed dramatically in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s when more punk bands that had local reputations began to tour beyond their regional bases. This article analyses some important reasons why touring routes expanded, correcting some misconceptions about the types of bands that were touring nationally. I pay special attention to the work of Kamala Lyn Parks, an early booker, and the creation of the Book Your Own Fuckin’ Life (BYOFL) fanzine; a crucial resource for punks to share information about DIY shows in their scenes. Throughout the article, I foreground the importance punks placed on enacting social networks of trust in this newly devel-oped national touring circuit.