In Genevieve Coleman’s documentary Monday Night at the Rock ‘n Bowl, Diversey River Bowl co-owner Gary Secrest boasts that his lanes were specifically designed to accommodate sloppy drinkers–unlike other alleys that discourage boozing in such proximity to the lane approaches. That advancement in lane technology is just one of the lucky circumstances that led to the evolution of punk rock night at the Rock ‘n’ Bowl, now a raucous but amiable weekly convocation of around 150 kegling punks and their balls.
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Three years ago the lanes were deserted on Monday nights. But gradually a small group of service workers began hanging out at the alley when their bars and restaurants were closed. A contingent of rockabilly and punk kids–friends of bartender Julia Henner–was already in residence, and Secrest’s judicious selection of early punk and metal on the sound system and his relaxed attitude toward alcohol on the wood made it an ideal place to hang out.
Her hour-long film, shot over eight months, is a collection of retardo one-liners (bowling “allows me to use my arm”) and drunken high jinks on the lanes, bridged by a sober section on the history of the game. Like televised bowling itself, that may not sound like the most gripping spectacle, but Coleman makes it look like a lot of mindless fun. “That was definitely one of our goals with the film, to just try and capture the feeling of this scene that exists there and the place itself. You can forget about all your trouble when you’re there. It sounds kind of cheesy, but it’s very true.”
