Amidst all the fuzzy rumors circling the internet that Ian Mackaye died today* (Last of the hearsay was that he was hit by a truck?), I figured it was time to reserve some blogspace for a true music icon. For the unfamiliar, Mackaye is/was in many ways, hardcore personified. Heralded most for his work with hardcore pioneers Teen Idles, straight-edge progenitors Minor Threat, post-core outfit Fugazi, and punk mainstay label Dischord Records, Mackaye embodies the pure punk-rock ethic. Staying ahead of politics (to the left, of course), keeping their shows at $5 tickets no matter how big they got (HUGE) or how fast the tickets sold out (FAST), and remaining very very true. For me, Mackaye’s ideology has always been the example to strive for, in a society and culture that prizes the opposite. Speaking of examples, here are some of the man in action, thanks to Youtube.
w/ Fugazi: “Waiting Room”
on “Entitlement”:
w/ Fugazi “Shut the Door”:
w/ Minor Threat:
w/ Teen Idles (only vid I could find):
*Yeah, I don’t think he’s dead either. But it was certainly a good excuse for an Ian Mackaye post, right?
by bobbyhvndreds