Violent Femmes formed in 1981 as an acoustic punk band playing on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their main influences at that time were Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps and The Velvet Underground. Their goal was to rock harder than any other acoustic act on the planet.
After being rejected for an audition by a local nightclub, the Femmes set up outside a Pretenders gig and began to play. Pretenders' lead singer Chrissie Hynde asked them to open that night's show, which gave the young band a publicity boost and caught the attention of Richard Hell, who invited the Femmes to open for him in NYC. A rave review in the New York Times eventually led to a record deal, which in turn spawned worldwide touring.
Violent Femmes eponymous debut album became the first and only album in Billboard history to enter the charts with a platinum certification-eight years after its release. Over the ensuing three decades, the Femmes became a mainstay of festivals, clubs, and theaters in more than 20 countries worldwide.