Ian Mackaye at PJ shows?

musicismylife78 · October 2011

I know Ian Mackaye and Ed have been close for a long time. and that Fugazi and Minor Threat were huge influences on Ed.

I remember hearing that Ian was at PJ shows in the early part of the 2000's, but havent heard any mention of him, in the crowd at recent shows.

has anyone seen him at any of the shows the last few years or last few album cycles? I guess the obvious shows shows for him to have been at would have been the last two DC shows in 2008 and 2006. was he in attendance?

texasistheSTEVEN · October 2011

I have the most amazing Ian Mackaye story, but I need to sleep and it's very long and I will tell all soon.
It involves me being a huge Minor Threat fan and going to the Dischord house

tremors · October 2011

texasistheSTEVEN wrote:

I have the most amazing Ian Mackaye story, but I need to sleep and it's very long and I will tell all soon.
It involves me being a huge Minor Threat fan and going to the Dischord house

Tease! You got any more celebrity stories up your sleeve texasisthesteven??

randallanddarcy · October 2011

texasistheSTEVEN wrote:

I have the most amazing Ian Mackaye story, but I need to sleep and it's very long and I will tell all soon.
It involves me being a huge Minor Threat fan and going to the Dischord house

You'll have to tell us that. The Dischord House is legendary. (I'm a big Hank Rollins/Rollins Band fan).

jshin · October 2011

texasistheSTEVEN wrote:

I have the most amazing Ian Mackaye story, but I need to sleep and it's very long and I will tell all soon.
It involves me being a huge Minor Threat fan and going to the Dischord house

Come on!...

forester · October 2011

I saw him at Eddie's solo tour in DC in 2008. He came out the stage door/garage in the wee hours of the morning....just before Eddie came out, close to 2 a.m.

(Recently saw him in the audience at Liam Finn's gig at the Black Cat/DC, last month.)

High Fidelity 2000 · October 2011

I don't know re: recent shows... for sure was at the 2003 DC/Virginia show, but left early.

Ed talked about how he was there but left...

randallanddarcy · October 2011

Are Fugazi still an ongoing concern? Been a while since I heard anything about them.

jshin · October 2011

randallanddarcy wrote:

Are Fugazi still an ongoing concern? Been a while since I heard anything about them.

Doesn't look like it, unfortunately.

Spencer · October 2011

randallanddarcy wrote:

Are Fugazi still an ongoing concern? Been a while since I heard anything about them.

They've been on 'hiatus' for about eight years.

I guess it's like breaking up but nobody hates each other and they can say 'it's not a reunion!' when/if they play a show again.

elwayvedder · October 2011

Ian was nice enough to donate a signed CD to our our fundraising efforts for the Wishlist Pre Parties for the Philly 4 Spectrum shows. The picture of it can be found in the original thread. One of you lucky PJ fans out there has the cd!!

texasistheSTEVEN · October 2011

tremors wrote:

texasistheSTEVEN wrote:

I have the most amazing Ian Mackaye story, but I need to sleep and it's very long and I will tell all soon.
It involves me being a huge Minor Threat fan and going to the Dischord house

Tease! You got any more celebrity stories up your sleeve texasisthesteven??

Hah yeah it's funny innit first few posts are about meeting famous people.
I can assure you I am not one of those horrible name droppers, it was just a succession of events.

This one is a ridiculous though, well it is if you follow Ian Mackaye/Minor Threat/Teen idols/Fugazi?dischord etc etc.

OK, so in about 2006/2007 I was playing in some bands and my friends were doing this metal band called Frightener. They were going off on a UK tour for 2 weeks and needed a second guitarist, they are mates so I agreed cos I liked them and the band was pretty ridiculous, in the best way possible. Just filthy Napalm Death/Terrorizer/Discharge kinda sound. Anyway this 2 week tour was with a band from baltimore called Pulling Teeth who we were friends with and after doing 2 weeks with them in the UK they asked if we wanted to come over that November for a 5 week full US tour to support them. Of course we agreed, tickets were bought and off we set come November. Our third gig was in Chicago and we stayed at this guys house who had a huge Minor Threat poster on his wall. It was this one outside the Dischord house in DC >>>http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=minor+threat&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1440&bih=676&tbm=isch&tbnid=d3hqffeXQBGrgM:&imgrefurl=http://www.swotti.com/musicbands/minor-threat_19442.htm&docid=jNNLKNai82TjPM&w=648&h=455&ei=YKqSTuiSA4mw8QOIpIwz&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=822&vpy=215&dur=1005&hovh=188&hovw=268&tx=151&ty=117&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0

So being wide eyed Brits we of course said, when we came back across country we would go to DC, find the house and get that photo recreated. 4 weeks later and we had criss crossed the US and were in Baltimore with 4 days off for Thanksgiving. Second day and we decided to go there. There were 6 of us, 5 in the band and our driver Rob. Our singer wanted to stay in Baltimore to record shop and our guitarist wanted to smoke weed and stay in bed all day. So 4 of us (perfect for the shot) headed off with our GPS and the house address (god bless google).

When we got to DC a while later, we found the street and the house and of course, being polite brits decided that we should knock on the door to ask permission to take a photo outside. It would be rude not to, and rude to presume. We heard Ian Mackayes mum still lived there or something so after deciding who was gonna knock, Rob our driver did and imagine our faces when Mackaye himself opened the door to us, on the phone and not looking too chuffed to see 4 full grown men on his doorstep at 11am. He asked us what we were doing there and we explained the photo op, he asked us again in a slightly different tone "No, what are you doing here". us thinking we had made a huge fuck up and were about to get lambasted by the singer of the best hardcore band ever (IMO) and again we said about the photo op. Turns out he we had crossed wires, he could tell we were Brits and was asking us what we were doing here, as in DC, as in America. A collective sigh of relief was felt between us and we explained we were a band on tour and wanted to visit the Dischord house.

He looked at all of us and said "so uh, I've got 10 minutes spare, do you guys wanna come in". Of course we agreed and the next 15 minutes were a blur as we got shown the og Minor threat skateboard, the basement where tenn idols and MT practised, 2 huge filing cabinets filled from top to bottom with flyers/posters of the best era in hardcore, the office with every important hardcore record's first press up on the wall and loads of other incredible stuff.

After this he took us across the street to the dischord offices which are situated in 2 huge converted and joined together garages. Met the people who run that, had a great chat about cd's vs vinyl and then after getting the photo that we came for done we went and got burritos round the corner and didn't really speak to eachother as we were too blown away.

We then did the usual DC sightseeing stuff but it kinda meant nothing after our private dischord tour. When we told the two we left at home what had happened they lost their minds and were green with envy

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/mo1eman/PB220517.jpg

SD48277 · October 2011

That is a fantastic story. Lucky you.

pjsteelerfan · October 2011

Thats a great story

JonnyPistachio · October 2011

There looks like there is a severed leg next to the skateboard in that pic!

cheesy_shredder · October 2011

I was lucky enough to see Fugazi in Dublin around 98/99 when they released End Hits. Amazing show!

Abe Froman · October 2011

What a cool story! God I love Fugazi. Wish they'd play a few shows sometime.

forester · October 2011

lucky man - fantastic story and pix!

i never saw fugazi, but being in DC late 70's - early 80's, teen idles and minor threat were happening and I luckily stumbed upon them. I loved the music but the slam dancing/pit was a little too much for me as a woman(girl back then) - they were way more male oriented. I stood back and enjoyed the music and watched in amazement. I will never forget it.

texasistheSTEVEN · October 2011

forester wrote:

lucky man - fantastic story and pix!

i never saw fugazi, but being in DC late 70's - early 80's, teen idles and minor threat were happening and I luckily stumbed upon them. I loved the music but the slam dancing/pit was a little too much for me as a woman(girl back then) - they were way more male oriented. I stood back and enjoyed the music and watched in amazement. I will never forget it.

You are lucky you got to see them. I have seen Bad Brains, Gorilla Biscuits, Cro-mags reunions but they are never gonna be the same as living through the real deal.....!

tremors · October 2011

SD48277 wrote:

That is a fantastic story. Lucky you.

+1!

forester · October 2011

texasistheSTEVEN wrote:

forester wrote:

lucky man - fantastic story and pix!

i never saw fugazi, but being in DC late 70's - early 80's, teen idles and minor threat were happening and I luckily stumbed upon them. I loved the music but the slam dancing/pit was a little too much for me as a woman(girl back then) - they were way more male oriented. I stood back and enjoyed the music and watched in amazement. I will never forget it.

You are lucky you got to see them. I have seen Bad Brains, Gorilla Biscuits, Cro-mags reunions but they are never gonna be the same as living through the real deal.....!

I feel really lucky to have been a witness to that scene, hanging out at clubs to dance/party and have some friends in bands that were popping up. Right place at the right time-lots of young guys running around in kilts and combat boots!... and I did see Bad Brains,and it's lucky you saw them, too. Some things don't change that much - it's a continuum. I didn't see early 90's Pearl Jam, but I loved them then and they are a big part of who I am today. They are my go-to band, but then I love when they play punk inspired tunes in concert, like Sonic Reducer-they nail it.

Your adventure at Dischord house is really wonderful, and the re-created picture is phenomenal- Bravo! That's a once in a lifetime story!!

Ty · October 2011

Props! Love it!

texasistheSTEVEN · October 2011

forester wrote:

texasistheSTEVEN wrote:

forester wrote:

lucky man - fantastic story and pix!

i never saw fugazi, but being in DC late 70's - early 80's, teen idles and minor threat were happening and I luckily stumbed upon them. I loved the music but the slam dancing/pit was a little too much for me as a woman(girl back then) - they were way more male oriented. I stood back and enjoyed the music and watched in amazement. I will never forget it.

You are lucky you got to see them. I have seen Bad Brains, Gorilla Biscuits, Cro-mags reunions but they are never gonna be the same as living through the real deal.....!

I feel really lucky to have been a witness to that scene, hanging out at clubs to dance/party and have some friends in bands that were popping up. Right place at the right time-lots of young guys running around in kilts and combat boots!... and I did see Bad Brains,and it's lucky you saw them, too. Some things don't change that much - it's a continuum. I didn't see early 90's Pearl Jam, but I loved them then and they are a big part of who I am today. They are my go-to band, but then I love when they play punk inspired tunes in concert, like Sonic Reducer-they nail it.

Your adventure at Dischord house is really wonderful, and the re-created picture is phenomenal- Bravo! That's a once in a lifetime story!!

I love PJ's connection with old punk/hardcore bands. Covering the dead boys is awesome and also when I saw them play this intimate show in London at Shepherds Bush Empire, Eddie Vedder came out wearing a FEAR shirt. I lost my mind because the show was so good but also lost my mind that he was wearing a FEAR shirt. I tried to explain to my mum who I was with, but she doesn't know FEAR.

I am almost certain I saw an old video of the band ages back and someone was wearing an SSD shirt. I might have been mistaken but it's definitely stuck with me. I guess that whole Seattle scene was built from the legacy of punk/hardcore in the 80's so it makes sense. Additionally the more I am reading PJ20 the more Fugazi and their links to PJ keep cropping up. It's really awesome!

I like it when fans of such a huge band like them have a decent musical past. I can't believe how many PJ fans like U2 and Hootie and the Blowfish and middle of the road garbage like that.

Lament · October 2011

forester wrote:

They are my go-to band, but then I love when they play punk inspired tunes in concert, like Sonic Reducer-they nail it.

I'm with you on this. It saddens me that we're in the minority these days. I love when they cover stuff like Public Image, The New World, The American In Me, Bleed For Me, Arms Aloft, Sonic Reducer, I Believe in Miracles, etc. Unfortunately these days it seems the majority of Pearl Jam fans don't get why they're not covering whatever classic rock staple they just heard on the radio. Pearl Jam could come out and perform the tightest, most faithful version of Waiting Room and this board would be filled minutes after the show ended with people talking about how boring it was and how awesome it would've been if instead they'd have covered their seventy-fifth different Neil Young/Who song (don't get me wrong, I love Neil and The Who, but with such a vast array of influences, I could do without them EVER adding another cover from those two catalogs to their repertoire).

forester · October 2011

Yeah, like any music, I guess it's what you're exposed to, or who turns you on to it. That music was seminal in developing a unique,amazing sound and ENERGY, but many people don't know it, or get it, or like it.

But, it was interesting in the PJ20 film - there was a comment, by Stone or Matt maybe, that at some point (don't recall exactly the year) they were at a tough place musically and someone said "we are not Fugazi". Anyone remember that? I didn't notice the comment in the book. I guess the interest in Fugazi got in the way creatively.

Lament · October 2011

forester wrote:

Yeah, like any music, I guess it's what you're exposed to, or who turns you on to it. That music was seminal in developing a unique,amazing sound and ENERGY, but many people don't know it, or get it, or like it.

But, it was interesting in the PJ20 film - there was a comment, by Stone or Matt maybe, that at some point (don't recall exactly the year) they were at a tough place musically and someone said "we are not Fugazi". Anyone remember that? I didn't notice the comment in the book. I guess the interest in Fugazi got in the way creatively.

I was under the impression that the "We are not Fugazi" wasn't about how the band was functioning creatively, but rather how they were carrying themselves business-wise. Does anybody remember more specifically?

forester · October 2011

Lament wrote:

forester wrote:

Yeah, like any music, I guess it's what you're exposed to, or who turns you on to it. That music was seminal in developing a unique,amazing sound and ENERGY, but many people don't know it, or get it, or like it.

But, it was interesting in the PJ20 film - there was a comment, by Stone or Matt maybe, that at some point (don't recall exactly the year) they were at a tough place musically and someone said "we are not Fugazi". Anyone remember that? I didn't notice the comment in the book. I guess the interest in Fugazi got in the way creatively.

I was under the impression that the "We are not Fugazi" wasn't about how the band was functioning creatively, but rather how they were carrying themselves business-wise. Does anybody remember more specifically?

Ok, I totally get that - that makes more sense actually.

Not sure anybody else is paying attention to this thread given the hoopla over the sold out goods - chime in if you know if you have thoughts on what they meant.

Meanwhile, "waiting room" has been stuck in my head for two days. love it.

KR49749 · October 2011

JonnyPistachio wrote:

There looks like there is a severed leg next to the skateboard in that pic!

i beleive the 'other leg' is to the right of the steps. ; )

Lament · October 2011

forester wrote:

Lament wrote:

forester wrote:

Yeah, like any music, I guess it's what you're exposed to, or who turns you on to it. That music was seminal in developing a unique,amazing sound and ENERGY, but many people don't know it, or get it, or like it.

But, it was interesting in the PJ20 film - there was a comment, by Stone or Matt maybe, that at some point (don't recall exactly the year) they were at a tough place musically and someone said "we are not Fugazi". Anyone remember that? I didn't notice the comment in the book. I guess the interest in Fugazi got in the way creatively.

I was under the impression that the "We are not Fugazi" wasn't about how the band was functioning creatively, but rather how they were carrying themselves business-wise. Does anybody remember more specifically?

Ok, I totally get that - that makes more sense actually.

Not sure anybody else is paying attention to this thread given the hoopla over the sold out goods - chime in if you know if you have thoughts on what they meant.

Meanwhile, "waiting room" has been stuck in my head for two days. love it.

Trying to bump this a bit to see if someone who has seen PJ20 more recently can provide us some context for the quote. It's piqued my curiosity as well...

Abe Froman · October 2011

Lament wrote:

forester wrote:

Yeah, like any music, I guess it's what you're exposed to, or who turns you on to it. That music was seminal in developing a unique,amazing sound and ENERGY, but many people don't know it, or get it, or like it.

But, it was interesting in the PJ20 film - there was a comment, by Stone or Matt maybe, that at some point (don't recall exactly the year) they were at a tough place musically and someone said "we are not Fugazi". Anyone remember that? I didn't notice the comment in the book. I guess the interest in Fugazi got in the way creatively.

I was under the impression that the "We are not Fugazi" wasn't about how the band was functioning creatively, but rather how they were carrying themselves business-wise. Does anybody remember more specifically?

It was during the 1995 tour. The band was absolutely huge but all the hype and media attention was really pissing Ed off. The band wasn't getting along all that well it seemed largely due to this. Ed was doing anything he could to pull the band out of the spotlight. After shows he was running a radio show out of a van and would then travel in the van to the next show without the other members. The other guys started to wonder if he even wanted to be in Pearl Jam anymore. Somewhere in all of this the quote "we are not Fugazi" came out basically directed at Ed. They understood where he was coming from but at the same time were trying to get him to realize they were an entirely different animal and would never be able to operate like the band Fugazi.

Hope this helps. The best I could do off the top of my head.

PJ51390 · October 2011

Abe Froman wrote:

Lament wrote:

forester wrote:

Yeah, like any music, I guess it's what you're exposed to, or who turns you on to it. That music was seminal in developing a unique,amazing sound and ENERGY, but many people don't know it, or get it, or like it.

But, it was interesting in the PJ20 film - there was a comment, by Stone or Matt maybe, that at some point (don't recall exactly the year) they were at a tough place musically and someone said "we are not Fugazi". Anyone remember that? I didn't notice the comment in the book. I guess the interest in Fugazi got in the way creatively.

I was under the impression that the "We are not Fugazi" wasn't about how the band was functioning creatively, but rather how they were carrying themselves business-wise. Does anybody remember more specifically?

It was during the 1995 tour. The band was absolutely huge but all the hype and media attention was really pissing Ed off. The band wasn't getting along all that well it seemed largely due to this. Ed was doing anything he could to pull the band out of the spotlight. After shows he was running a radio show out of a van and would then travel in the van to the next show without the other members. The other guys started to wonder if he even wanted to be in Pearl Jam anymore. Somewhere in all of this the quote "we are not Fugazi" came out basically directed at Ed. They understood where he was coming from but at the same time were trying to get him to realize they were an entirely different animal and would never be able to operate like the band Fugazi.

Hope this helps. The best I could do off the top of my head.

I think that is a good recap, as I remember it as well.

I really was hoping they would go in to this much deeper in the movie. When you throw something out there like - "some of the guys didn't even know if Ed wanted to be in the band", that to me, is kind of a huge point in the band's history. I would have liked to seen more about it, but it is their movie, not mine. I don't want to get beat up too badly by some of the others on here, telling me they don't need to tell everything.

Now, I am not much of a Fugazi fan, but know some of their music and understand the influence on PJ, and NO, I do not want to hear PJ cover a Hootie song, but I didn't understand the shot against them or U2. I am not really a fan of U2 either, really don't care much for Bono, but I may have seen Hootie a dozen or so times in the Charleston area. Nothing wrong with them, or thier music. I don't understand why some people come on here and hate on everything that has nothing to do with PJ...

Ian Mackaye at PJ shows?

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