Meri St. Mary is an American

punk poet Punk literature (also called punk lit and, rarely, punklit) is literature related to the punk subculture. The attitude and ideologies of punk rock gave rise to distinctive characteristics in the writing it manifested. It has influenced the transg ...

, singer, musician and artist.

Career

Meri St. Mary was part of the early punk music scene in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, California. She was involved in many projects, including a

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

video and the punk film '' Suburbia'' as well as television shows (new wave theater) and movies. She also starred in ''Suicide Line'', an

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

punk film on

8 mm film 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of the ...

, featuring people from the punk scenes of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. During the same period she was in two short-lived bands in Hollywood: "Toejam” with Maggie Ehrig, Christina Beck and Suava Smootha (playing KK Barrett's Radio, and introduced by Ice-T), and "Roadhog" with Nickey Beat, Smog Vomit, Rhys Williams (playing

Cathay de Grande The Cathay de Grande was a Chinese restaurant and later a Hollywood nightclub of the same name that featured mostly punk rock bands but also other styles of underground/alternative rock in the 1980s. History Under the ownership of Jack Chen, ...

with

Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...

and The Minutemen. Known in early Hollywood as Meri (wagon) Housecoat, she was photographed by Bruce Kalhberg (and featured in ''NO'' magazine), as well as other photographers around the punk scene including Moshe Brakha, Gary Leonard, Eric Mueller, James Stark, Karl Hinz and Gywn Waters. Early influences were live shows by the Screamers, the Weirdos, the Dickies and The Mau Maus, the latter of whom eventually became friends, mentors and inspiration in art, music, visuals. In the early 1980s, she moved to San Francisco and started the band

Housecoat Project Housecoat Project was an avant-garde punk rock band started in 1984 in San Francisco, California, by Meri St. Mary, Eric Rad Yuncker, Michel Schorro and Erol Cengiz. The band opened for many punk bands of the time and was a headline act at many c ...

with Eric Rad Yuncker, Michel Schorro and Erol Cengiz. The band opened for punk bands including Flipper,

The Mutants ''The Mutants'' is the fourth serial of the ninth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 8 April to 13 May 1972. The serial is set on and high above the ...

, Skankin' Babylonians,

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

, Romeo Void, Richard Hell, Weasel Contingent, A31,

Poison Idea Poison Idea was an American punk rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1980. History Formation, 1980s, and 1990s Poison Idea was formed in 1980 by vocalist Jerry A. (aka Jerry Lang). The initial lineup consisted of Jerry A., Chris Te ...

, MDC, Afflicted, Smashed Weekend, Three Day Stubble, Spot 1019,

World Entertainment War World Entertainment War was an American funk rock band, formed in 1986. They recorded four records before disbanding in 1993, and then played reunion concerts in 2000 and 2001, and again in 2009. The band describes itself as “a benevolent medi ...

Frightwig Frightwig is an all-female punk rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1982 by Deanna Ashley and Mia Levin. After many line-up changes, Frightwig retired in 1994. Frightwig reformed in 2012 with Rebecca Sevrin and Rachel Thoele. Fr ...

, Bambi Lake, White Trash Debutantes, Seahag,

Sister Double Happiness Sister Double Happiness was an alternative rock, alternative blues rock band that existed from 1986 until 1995, formed in San Francisco, CA, United States. Its core members were Gary Floyd and Lynn Perko, who were in the seminal punk rock band Th ...

Tragic Mulatto The tragic mulatto is a stereotypical fictional character that appeared in American literature during the 19th and 20th centuries, starting in 1837. The "tragic mulatto" is a stereotypical mixed-race person (a "mulatto"), who is assumed to be dep ...

and Jah Big. until Yuncker died onstage at the

Mabuhay Gardens The Mabuhay Gardens, also known as The Fab Mab or The Mab, was a former San Francisco nightclub, located at 443 Broadway Street, in North Beach on the Broadway strip area best known for its striptease clubs. It closed in 1987. History The Mabu ...

, leaving St. Mary to begin again with a new lineup. Housecoat Project released their first album ''Wide Eye Doo Dat'' on

Subterranean Records Subterranean Records is an independent record label based in San Francisco, California. Founded by Steve Tupper and a then partner, Michael Fox in 1979, it focused on that city's underground punk and industrial music scene. Subterranean and fell ...

. They also played the New Music Seminar in New York City, at the Pyramid Club in the lower east side; then toured the US. The band disbanded after their second recording in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, St. Mary started a band called "Sex is A Witch" in San Francisco (Mia Simmans, Mark Pino, Rachel Thoele) another short-lived project that played shows like "Making Waves" on

Market Street Market Street may refer to: *Market Street, Cambridge, England *Market Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia * Market Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia *Market Street, Manchester, England *Market Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ...

to The Visitation Valley Street Fair, the Valencia St. New College, "Bottom of the Hill" and a benefit for Kathy Peck's H.E.A.R. at 50 Oak Street. That venue had a Vibathon Floor for deaf participants to take in the music as well as the hearing. This show was the first webcast show in history. In 2007 she resurfaced as an award-winning broadcaster at

KVMR KVMR (89.5 FM) is a progressive, largely independent radio station founded in 1978 in Nevada City, California producing mainly live broadcasts. Arthur Cohen was its first manager. The station motto is "If you didn't turn us on, we wouldn't be ...

in Nevada City with her show The Underground Sound. In 2009 she recorded with Lemon de George and produced her first acoustic solo CD “I’m Back”, distributed through Subterranean Records. She began performing again acoustically with a backup band or solo, collaborating with Michael Belfer, Craig Gray, Dominique Leslie, opening for Fancy Space People, Mr. Lucky, Th' Mole, Aaron Ross and others in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Meri St. Mary has been featured or interviewed in '' Punk Globe'', '' RE/Search'' Pubs, KALX, KUSF, KXLU,

KDVS KDVS (90.3 FM) is an American student and community radio station based in Davis, California. Featuring a freeform programming format, the station is owned by Regents of the University of California. Broadcasting at 13,000 watts, it is one of ...

KPFA KPFA (94.1 FM) is an American listener-funded talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station sign ...

Mutiny Radio Mutiny Radio is an internet radio station operating from the Mission District of San Francisco, California. The station has an eclectic talk format, hosting local shows with interviews, as well as live performances of comedy, music, hip-hop, the ...

and independent stage and television. In 2009 and 2010 she had her poetry published for the first time in the ''

Chiron Review ''Chiron Review'' is a literary journal based in St. John, Kansas. It was founded as ''The Kindred Spirit''Miriam Sagan, "Chiron Review," ''Literary Magazine Review'', Kansas State University Writers Society, Vol. 9, No. 1, spring, 1990, p. 11 in Fe ...

'' and the San Francisco poetry magazine ''OutofOur'', as well as prose published in ''Primal Urge: A Journal for Diverse Humans'' in 2011. Dave Boles of Cold River Press wrote ''Homage to A Word (For Meri St. Mary)'' in 2011 as well. The 1989 Housecoat Project album ''Girlfriend'' has been remastered and released on vinyl through Subterranean Records with new artwork (October 2010). Housecoat Project's LPs on Subterranean Records are SUB 61 & SUB 66 catalog numbers. In July 2009, the Housecoat Project (Meri St. Mary, Jay Crawford, Bob Bartosik, Mike Simms, Whitey Cox) performed a reunion show in San Francisco and has continued to perform. In September 2012 Meri St. Mary's first book of poetry and art, ''YOU TORE US'' was released on Cold River Press. Meri St. Mary also hosts a second award-winning (in 2011) radio show "Underground Sound", with

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

s, featuring notable figures of

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

radio. In September 2012, her song "Time To Die" was used in an independent film ''Pig Death Machine'' by Apathy Productions, which screened at Artists' Television Access in San Francisco. In November 2014, St. Mary's first electronic vinyl EP ''PROTAGONISTA!'' (with Th' Mole) was released on Beehive Records, and debuted in Berlin. In July 2015, a remastered CD version of ''PROTAGONISTA''! was released independently, with shows in Sacramento and Hollywood. In September 2015, the short film ''NINE DOORS'' debuted at The Nevada City Film Festival in California. St. Mary wrote, directed, and edited the film in collaboration with Camen Hodges for the song "Nine Doors" in ''PROTAGONISTA!'' In October 2015, St. Mary collaborated with Monte Cazazza for the 20th NorCal Noisefest in Sacramento, playing dueling

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

References

The Underground Sound - Podcasts on KVMR Meri St. Mary KVMR-FM DJ Subterranean Records Meri St. Mary 2014 Berlin Tour The Union V.Vales Research Newsletter Foreword for YouToreUs written by V. Vale RE/Search Publications 9 Spoken Word Poems recorded for My Audio Universe Robert Christgau of Village Voice reviews Housecoat Project 1st LP Silke Tudor of SF Weekly write up Rachel Leibrock of SN&R write up Dr. Andy's Poetry & Technology Hour Podcast on KDVS See Jane Do: Meri St. Mary w/Elisa Parker Podcast on KVMR Review of I'm Back East Bay Express "Wild Women Don't Die" Interview w/Ginger Coyote for Punk Globe, April 2012 Insight w/Beth Ruyak - Capitol Public Radio - podcast Meri St. Mary & Th' Mole on The Big California Noise Compilation Blurt Magazine: Meri St. Mary – I'm Back review We Are All Pussy Riot/Radar Productions Blog - Michelle Tea - City Lights Reading Meri St. Mary and Monte Cazazza in Rokko's Adventures no 13 "Catching Up with Meri St. Mary" interview in Punk Globe, August 2015 Punk Globe Hot Gossip PROTAGONISTA! new Meri St Mary Berlin CD release Nov 2014 Meri's SF '90s band Sex Is A Witch Housecoat Project on Discogs Meri St. Mary on Discogs Monte Cazazza at NCNF 2015 Duelling Theremins w/ Meri St. Mary (Excerpts) ''NINE DOORS'' video Meri plays a TR kid in ''Suburbia'' {{DEFAULTSORT:St. Mary, Meri American punk rock musicians Punk poets Musicians from Hollywood, Los Angeles Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American women punk rock singers Women in punk