Flyover Country? Fly over THIS. This is the story of how postpunk crashed into the Midwest and rewrote the rules.
When most people think postpunk, they picture London or Manchester—lThe Cure, PiL, Joy Division—or the coasts, from Minutemen in California to Bush Tetras in New York. But far from the major labels and media spotlights, a different kind of revolution was taking shape in the American heartland. No Choice but Action uncovers the wildly inventive, fiercely independent postpunk movement that erupted across Kansas between 1978 and 1994—and changed Midwestern music forever.
The Embarrassment. Get Smart!. The Moving Van Goghs. Micronotz. Truck Stop Love. These weren’t outliers. They were the beating heart of a vibrant, self-sustaining cultural ecosystem pulsing through Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka, and Wichita. With no industry infrastructure to lean on, musicians built their own: basements turned into venues, cassette culture fueled DIY distribution, photocopied zines became lifelines, and word-of-mouth grew into a network strong enough to launch bands onto national stages.
With the fervor of lifelong insiders and the rigor of scholars, authors Fran Connor and Darren DeFrain take readers inside this scene with unparalleled access and insight. They capture the personalities, the makeshift platforms, the electrifying shows, and the pure creative urgency that kept the music alive long before email, social media, or streaming. Their chronicle is as kinetic and unpolished as the era itself.
More than a regional history, No Choice but Action argues for Kansas postpunk as a crucial, overlooked chapter in American independent music—one whose influence can still be felt in today’s DIY culture. Kansas wasn’t a footnote to postpunk. It was a force that helped define the possibilities of American independent music.
Postpunk didn’t just happen in the Midwest. It exploded there.
About the Author :
Francis X. Connor is associate professor of English at Wichita State University and Associate Editor for the New Oxford Shakespeare.
Darren DeFrain is director of the writing program at Wichita State University. He has published a novel, The Salt Palace and a collection of short stories, Inside & Out.
Review :
"This entertaining, copiously researched saga chronicles how a dedicated group of enthusiastic Kansans built enduring underground music scenes in Wichita, Lawrence, and Manhattan with whatever happened to be at hand. Connor and DeFrain take you inside the venues, zines, record labels, and college radio shows of the late 70s and early 80s that made Kansas a pivotal stop for bands touring the country on a shoestring as well as locally grown luminaries like the Embarrassment, Get Smart!, and the Micronotz. You've never heard the Sunflower State like this before."--Greg Beets, coauthor of A Curious Mix of People: The Underground Scene of '90s Austin
"Francis Connor and Darren DeFrain have thoroughly researched and written a fantastic book about post -punk music in Kansas. They examine the history of zines and institutions like college radio. All to show that pop rebellion in the Midwest was intellectually engaged and smarter than we thought."--Kevin Mattson, author of We're Not Here to Entertain: Punk Rock, Ronald Reagan, and the Real Culture War of 1980s America
"'Kansans have always been fiercely independent, somewhat rebellious, and difficult to categorize. No Choice but Action: The Kansas Postpunk Revolution captures this essence. Learning about these postpunk bands, fans, and tastemakers from the Sunflower State during a transformative time is one of the quickest ways to understand the true Ad Astra Per Aspera spirit."--Matt Beat, public educator and creator of the Mr. Beat YouTube channel
"This is a fascinating look at everything that's right about Kansas. Connor and DeFrain explore the nuts and bolts of building local music scenes, but more importantly, they focus on the daring that it took to reimagine what Midwestern rock music could be in the 1980s."--Pat Blashill, author of Texas is the Reason: The Mavericks of Lone Star Punk
