1981

Notable Chicago Punk Events in 1981

 * January 24, 1981 - Naked Raygun, Strike Under, and Silver Abuse play a loft party at 180 N Wacker (the show is discussed at this CPP thread)
 * February 20 and 22, 1981 - Oz is raided by Chicago's finest, and owner Dem Hopkins is briefly jailed
 * March 1981 - Touch and Go releases their first record, a 7" by The Fix
 * March 7, 1981 - Bauhaus plays Space Place with Naked Raygun opening
 * March 9-11, 1981 - Busted at Oz is recorded at Oz's North Broadway location. It would be released on Autumn Records later that year.
 * March 23, 1981 - Black Flag plays Space Place; Husker Du plays the after party at Oz (the infamous "blue paint" show)
 * April 1981 - Wax Trax releases Strike Under's Immediate Action 12"
 * April 10, 1981 - Effigies play Oz. A bootleg of this gig exists.
 * April 11, 1981 - Strike Under, Naked Raygun and the Effigies play Space Place
 * April 15, 1981 - Da releases their first 7", Dark Rooms
 * April 1981 - during Northwestern's spring break, Steve Albini records Big Black's first EP, 'Lungs'
 * April 24-25, 1981 - D.O.A. plays Oz with the Subverts
 * July 15, 1981 - Black Flag plays Tuts with the Effigies and DV8. Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski beats up a bouncer.
 * July 16, 1981 - The Fall plays [Tuts]; Naked Raygun opens. For their encore, Raygun plays "Libido" with all the band members completely naked
 * August 3, 1981 - Minor Threat plays O'Banions with Youth Brigade and the Necros
 * August 6, 1981 - Husker Du plays the Lucky Number. The show was reviewed in the Coolest Retard
 * September 1981 - Minor Threat guitarist Lyle Preslar relocates to Chicago to attend Northwestern. The band temporarily broke up, but would reform less than a year later when Preslar dropped out and returned to DC.
 * October 9, 1981 - Strike Under and Naked Raygun play Gaspar's
 * November 1981 - Autumn Records release The Effigies Haunted Town EP
 * December 12, 1981 - Direct Drive plays O'Banions
 * December 31, 1981 - Naked Raygun and Trial by Fire play O'Banions