Save the Trash

Tulsa punk rock hub connects musicians from around the country

You may not know Tony and Michelle Cozzaglio, but dusting a local punk show could turn up their prints. With the internationally celebrated Fuck You We Rule OK fest, Punk Rock Flea Market and big shows like Sloppy Seconds and The Dwarves, the couple certainly stays busy. 

Now, all-ages shows at their Boulevard Trash shop (4612 E. 11^th St.) are in jeopardy and the community is rushing to help.  

Tony, a Michigan native, moved here several years ago to be with Michelle, who he met while touring with Al & The Black Cats. After a few months of settling in, he started booking shows in Tulsa. His inaugural Tulsa gig was for Denver street punks The Bad Engrish at The Vanguard; according to him and Michelle, “it was a total shit-show.” Although “everyone was way too drunk,” and “the cops got called,” Tony approached Vanguard owner, Simon Aleman, with a more ambitious idea. 

“Hey, you remember that horrible show where the cops came?” Tony asked. “What if there was a whole weekend of that?” To Tony’s surprise, Aleman was interested.  

During 2013’s Fourth of July weekend, the first FYWROK sold out and exceeded all expectations. Brady business owners balked at the bullet-belted youth, but the punks packed hotels and drained bars. Aleman was so impressed he asked Tony to book the next FYWROK 12 months in advance, while the first one was still going. 

“We didn’t realize that the fest would unite all these different scenes, like Texas and the West Coast,” Michelle said. 

FYWROK is the only pure street punk fest of its size in the country, and Tulsa’s Midwestern location made it an ideal place for bands across the nation to converge. This last year, punks carpooled from as far as Canada, and the fest sold out the first day tickets went on sale. 

The Cozzaglios began promoting smaller one-off shows and events after Tony and local musician Mike Williams (Merlin Mason) approached Amanda Chea, who agreed to host punk shows and the Boulevard Trash distro booth at her Creative Room. 

“For many kids, shows at the Creative Room were their first punk shows ever,” Michelle told me.

When the Cozzaglios started the Punk Rock Flea Market, they hit another success. The first Flea Market had 15 vendors and a few hundred shoppers. The most recent installment grew to 50 vendors and 1,500 attendees. It was supposed to be an annual event, but the American Legion asked them to come back seasonally. 

After the Creative Room closed, Tony and Michelle began hosting interim all-ages shows at White Flag in the Blue Dome, but they wanted a permanent space. They pooled their cash and opened the Boulevard Trash brick-and-mortar on 11^th Street.

“It’s a young punk’s job to have fun at shows,” Tony said, “and an old punk’s job to make those shows happen.” 

For a while, shows at Boulevard Trash were perfect. Local underage favorites like the Riot Waves finally had a permanent place to play. It was the hub the couple had always envisioned.

But then things got complicated. Neighbors complained to the city and the fire marshal got involved. The initial grievance stemmed from patrons hanging out on the roof of the venue, which is part of a strip mall. 

“By the time the complaint got to the fire marshal, it said we were an ‘illegal nightclub serving alcohol to minors,’” Michelle said. The fire marshal was harsh on the phone, but softened when he saw the reality: the couple owned a store and threw occasional private parties. Still, he put a moratorium on shows until Boulevard Trash is up to code as a proper venue.

Right now, the Cozzaglios are focused on raising money to make the necessary renovations to meet that code. In the mean time, they’re promoting occasional gigs at Yeti and Fur Shop while they wait to hear exactly how much those renovations will cost. 

“We’re focusing on saving the space, but when Negative Approach calls, you answer,” Tony said. 

For Riot Waves drummer Colton Applewhite, losing Boulevard Trash would be a serious blow.  

“The scene would start dying out, because kids wouldn’t have a place to go anymore,” he said. But losing Boulevard Trash is still a big “maybe.” There was a successful crowd-funding campaign that raised $2,500, and a benefit show raised just shy of a grand for the possible remodel. A good chunk of the donations were from out-of-town bands that have previously played the space. 

Now, the industrious couple is playing the waiting game while the exact price of renovations is determined. They are hopeful, but remain realistic. “If it hits the ten thousands, that’s where we have to call it quits,” Tony said. “We only lease the space, and doing any major renovations would not be smart.”

Until they get a concrete idea of what the renovations will cost, they don’t want to “accept another nickel” from the community.

Regardless of financial constraint, the couple will continue to provide clothes and records to Tulsa’s young punks, bring national acts to Tulsa and make sure the nation’s biggest street punk fest continues to happen each year. For now, if you want to help, they only ask that you keep going to shows and pop by the store. Records and coffee are always on.

Boulevard Trash
4612 E. 11th St.
retail hours:
Thurs.-Sat., 2-6 p.m.

For more from Mitch, read his review of Paul Benjaman Band's album, Sneaker.