The Avengers

San Francisco's Avengers are notable for many reasons, perhaps foremost for the presence of frontwoman Penelope Houston. One of the first and finest female performers in punk history, Houston was the figurehead of the band and wrote many of their best songs. The Avengers were around for only a few years in the late 1970s, but they also have the distinction of being the opening act for the final show the Sex Pistols played on their infamous 1978 American tour. Houston went on to a respectable solo career as a folk-tinged singer-songwriter, but later rejoined with original Avengers bandmate Greg Ingraham for reunion gigs in the early 2000s.