At the latest Punk Nite, guests embellished DIY ‘zines during and between the featured sets. (Photos: Brianne Sanchez) By Brianne Sanchez My middle school son and I went looking for common ground. We found it at Punk Nite, an all-ages music-themed hang at Maggie’s Rumble Room, 1430 Second Ave. T he retro-inspired bar and grill, which replaced Sambetti’s in 2022, cultivates a welcoming, analog vibe with a jukebox, pool table and pinball machines. Motorcycle and music memorabilia reflect owner Maggie Senn’s love for choppers and vinyl. One Monday evening a month, Punk Nite host Saeed Tokhi takes over the sound system and sets up a variety show that celebrates the rock subgenre while building community at the same time. Themes like “California punk” and “indie sleaze” inform the playlist, pizza and cocktail specials, trivia and lightly competitive offbeat creative activities. “I want to make it really interactive and participatory,” Tokhi said. “To me, punk rock was not a spectator sport. … It’s the idea that, if you are dedicated and devoted and have extreme passion, then it really doesn’t matter if you get famous or make money, or if it’s any good.” Punk Nite embraces the DIY culture that inspired its sound. Sometimes there’s live music. Sometimes there’s poetry. At this March’s riot grrrl-inspired event, tables featured colored pencils and scissors for decorating and clipping paper dolls from a fan-designed ‘zine (with mohawk and Vans shoe accessories, of course). When state auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand appeared as a featured guest in November, participants crafted magnetic-poetry-style absurdist attack ads, and Tokhi invited Sand to choose his favorite. “Punk Nite is a love letter to the time in between songs,” Tokhi said, adding that the energy between sets inspired some of his best memories of attending punk shows. He purposely keeps the music volume lower, so people don’t need to shout over lyrics while catching up with or making new friends at the bar. The idea for Punk Nite started jokingly, as a foil to a Grateful Dead-themed event a friend started at Work in Progress Bar, in the basement of Val Air Ballroom. Tokhi’s “I’m going to start a Dead Kennedy night” quip in the group chat turned into a sincere attempt to add to Des Moines’ social scene. He takes inspiration from local artists Ramona and Derek Muse-Lambert, whose quirky pub quiz and musical endeavors embrace collaborative improvisation. Tokhi waits tables at Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster, and his service-industry relationships helped launch the new project. Anna McDermitt, a liquor distributor and former frontwoman of the Iowa City-based punk band Slut River contributes themed menu ideas and prize merch. Tokhi’s wife, Jennifer Morrow, used to co-host the “JG Faux Show” in the early years of the now-defunct Des Moines Social Club. She helps produce the event and appears on “The Punk Nite Podcast.” (Pictured from left: The author, her son, Tokhi and Morrow.) Together, they cultivate the Punk Nite ethos of exploration. It doesn’t matter if guests know every word to every Patti Smith or Sex Pistols song — or even if they like the genre at all. “I’m constantly trying to annoy [musical purists] and push the boundary of what counts as ‘punk,’” Tokhi said. “It’s got to be more than power chords. Otherwise, it’s not diverse enough and interesting enough to last for 50 years.” Up next Punk Nite Presents: Pop Punk with guest co-host Kira Barker 7-10 p.m. April 13 Maggie’s Rumble Room, 1430 Second Ave. Contributing writer Brianne Sanchez writes about the inspiring people and places in our dsm and ia magazines. You can also find her work in several People, Inc. publications and through outlets like Arts Midwest’s Creativity News Desk. ...read more read less