Isocracy

Isocracy were a punk band from the Berkeley area of California, active from 1986 through 1988, and closely tied to the Maximumrocknroll and Gilman Street world.

The lineup featured drummer John Kiffmeyer, also known as Al Sobrante, who later played with Green Day, along with Lenny Johnson on guitar, Martin Brohm on bass, and vocalist Jason Beebout, who later formed Samiam.

How the Band Got Started

Isocracy formed in 1986 during a period when hardcore punk dominated a lot of the Bay Area punk circuit. The band stood out by mixing fast songs with unpredictable onstage behavior and a prankish, anything-goes approach.

Recordings and Lookout Releases

The group recorded a 10-song 7 inch EP titled Bedtime for Isocracy, released in 1988 through Lookout! Records as L005.

The band also appeared on Lookout! compilation releases, and the EP tracks were later reissued as part of Punk Rock 7 inchs Volume 1 on Lookout! as L293.

Live Shows and Reputation

During their short run, Isocracy became known for shows where the line between concert and chaos experiment got blurry. They played unusual spots, including laundromats, and sometimes covered crowds with trash and shredded paper.

Accounts of the Gilman Street project describe the band as part of a shift toward a more playful, positive kind of disorder inside the local punk community.

Connections That Carried Forward

Kiffmeyer’s contacts from this period later helped Green Day as that band got started. Isocracy also appears in the 2017 documentary Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk.

Discography

Releases:

• Bedtime for Isocracy, EP (1988, Lookout! Records)

Compilation appearances:

• “Fuck This” on Lethal Noise, Vol. 2 (1987, David Hayes self-released cassette)
• “Confederate Flags” and “Z.B.H.R.” on Turn It Around! (1987, Maximumrocknroll)
• “Happy Now” on The Thing That Ate Floyd (1988, Lookout!)

Past Members

• Jason Beebout, vocals
• Lenny Johnson, guitar
• Martin Brohm, bass
• John Kiffmeyer (Al Sobrante), drums