“A wild ride recounted in vivid and lively detail. Barile has a clear, approachable voice that she uses to tell myriad great stories…a must-read for music history buffs, punk fans, and educators.”—Kirkus Reviews “Her true life story is so similar to my own, where we re-live and discover in the rough decay of the 1970s city life, the color and the life of the underground gay and punk scenes.  The struggle, sounds, smells and color come alive. I feel the tension as a woman navigating to find her voice.” —Cynthia Connolly, Banned in DC “I have known Nancy for most of my life as a great friend and as a contributor and caregiver to all who know her socially or personally. I photographed several of the exact moments described in this book but never once witnessed a punk show in Philly, so I enjoyed Nancy’s insight.” —Glen E. Friedman, My Rules “An incredibly cool personal anthology of first-hand hardcore punk history.”—Dig Boston “A valentine to the pre-Internet punk scene…a deeply poignant read, not only for its look at an era long passed but also for what we’ve missed from live music and in-person community during the COVID-19 pandemic.”—Broad Street Review “In this book, Nancy paints a gritty portrait of an underground music scene, captures a highly underrated but extremely vital part of rock ‘n’ roll, and accurately documents a very important time in my life.” —Dicky Barrett, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones From disenchanted Catholic schoolgirl and glam maniac to instigator on the 1980s hardcore punk scene, Nancy Barile discovered freedom at a time when punk music was new and dangerous. She made her place behind the boards and right in the front row as insurgents such as SSD, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag wrote new rules and made history. She survived punk riots and urban decay, ran the streets with outcasts, and ultimately found true love as she fought for fairness and found her purpose.