Author Event with Nic Brown: The Violent Femmes' Violent Femmes
Venue: Blacksburg Books, Blacksburg
Date: Friday, May 29, 2026
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Event Types: Miscellaneous, Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free
Description:
Blacksburg Books presents Author Event with Nic Brown for his book "The Violent Femmes' Violent Femmes" on Friday, May 29, 2026.

Through rare access to the Violent Femmes and their archives, this book investigates the creation of such iconic songs as "Blister in the Sun", "Kiss Off", "Add it Up" and "Prove My Love", as well as the album's recording process.

The self-titled debut from Milwaukee post-punk acoustic trio the Violent Femmes is one of those rare albums that seems to have altered the course of popular music and influenced just about everyone who heard it while also managing to operate almost entirely outside of the mainstream. Released in 1983 to little sales or attention, the band was so iconoclastic that it couldn't even engender support from Milwaukee's anti-establishment punk scene. Over the ensuing years, though, Violent Femmes managed to exert itself as an unstoppable cultural force, ascending the college radio charts and spreading through word-of-mouth.

Violent Femmes didn't sound like anything else when it was made, and it still doesn't sound like anything else. The album somehow exists both outside of time and as one of the most evocative and enduring artifacts of the alternative 1980s.

Nic will chat about his book and answer questions. As always, this event is free and open to everyone!

Blacksburg Books is located at 401 South Main Street, Suite 106 in Blacksburg, VA.

For more information, visit: https://www.blacksburgbooks.com/events/5gt0gjaos2uuokv6prfgfoeuesqav4 or https://www.facebook.com/Blacksburg.Books or https://www.instagram.com/blacksburg_books/ or call 540-315-9650 or email info@blacksburgbooks.com with questions.