A self-described trashy, garage, punk rock band, Webcam Teenz is one of the only bands thrashing the punk rock torch in Muncie.
The group, consisting of Scottie Retread, Heather Williams and Loren ‘Freakshow' Foley, formed in 2009.
Retread has been playing music in Muncie for more than 15 years. The Webcam Teenz focus on creating songs about beer, bikes and beagles.
"I had some songs written and would basically play music with anyone who could put up with my skylarking and tomfoolery," Retread, the lead guitarist and vocalist, said. "I'm a full-on showman, Heather's a robot and Loren plays drums."
Tomfoolery runs amuck in the band's live shows, lyrics and riffs. Retread describes the band's lyrics as filled with poor sexual entendres, "campy-trashy" humor and even worse rhymes. For example, "She got a duck named Ping / And a vase from Ming." Rhyming odd combinations, like ming and ping, isn't unusual in punk rock music where expression overrides musical ability.
"I'm certainly not the best guitar player in town," Retread said. "I do what I can, I know some tricks."
Retread's "tricks" include smashing a guitar into his face and stealing Chuck Berry's guitar riffs. The do-it-yourself attitude, creativity and fun attracted Retread to punk rock.
The band's ethos lies in speed, a sense of humor and a sense of urgency, he said.
"Anybody can do it, and everybody should do it," Retread said. "We just play the music that we want to listen to."
Punk rock rose to the forefront of the Muncie music scene in 1998. Punk rock bands would perform at Stevie Ray's House of Wax — formerly above Jimmy John's — and hundreds of people would be at each show.
"There's always been a punk scene in Muncie, at least since the early ‘80s. The Dead Milkmen played here twice, where the 420 Underground is," Retread said. "A lot of people have played here in the past, but until people start showing up to shows again then maybe we can start getting bigger names."
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