During the heyday of the New York and Boston punk scenes of the late ’70s, Indiana had its own blossoming scene. Two bands in particular, the Urinal Mints and The Slammies, blazed the trail for future Hoosier punks like Sloppy Seconds and played alongside of other local heroes the Zero Boys.

There are a few old school punk bands hovering around today, trying to make a few bucks before the remaining original member ODs, but the Urinal Mints are still as energetic and vital as they were 20 years ago when they blew up on the South Bend scene.

With the snarl and energy of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks, the Mints have always appealed to hardcore street punks. The Mints also inject their music with a dose of silliness, à la The Vandals. Songs like “River of Piss” and “Fuck Me Up the Ass” will piss off parents and get stuck in their heads at the same time.  

The Slammies, featured on the legendary local Affirmation Records hardcore compilation The Mastertape in 1981, are still at the top of their game. Their sound falls somewhere in between the first Clash record and the first Minor Threat EP.

The Urinal Mints and The Slammies are playing two shows Saturday night. The first show is at the Underground, where they’ll be joined by The Atrocities, The Challenge and The Dockers. The second show at the Melody Inn with Pipebomb and Super Secret Side Show falls on Punk Rock Night.