Wednesday, February 1, 2012

We Jam Econo



Being a bass player (and one who is a self taught and learned by playing in bands at that) it's kind of crazy that I never got into The Minutemen. I knew Mike Watt from fIREHOSE fame, and was pretty deep into them, but I think I just bought one Minutemen CD, kind of went "meh" and then never came back. I was a Fugazi/fIREHOSE kid growing up, not a Minor Threat/Minutemen kid.

I've already had my late bloomer moment with Minor Threat (having listened to Minor Threat Discography enough over the last few years to make up for lost time) but I never got into The Minutemen. I only really dug in after scoring a copy of Double Nickels on The Dime at a garage sale (for $1.00, selling on eBay for $100, DC!! DC!!!).

What a great, fascinating, intensely creative and original band. This is clearly displayed in the documentary about them "We Jam Econo". If you are a fan or want to be or are interested in them any way, I recommend checking it out, it's on Netflix streaming.

(I also checked out the Pearl Jam "20" documentary by Cameron Crowe, also defintiely worth checking on Netflix, also known as the Spotify of movies.)

d-nice

7 comments:

ator said...

cool pic! crazy how young Mike Watt looks, and is that a Danelectro guitar that D Boon is playing?

I've been meaning to watch this. I think I'll add it to my DVD queue right now (not doing the streaming movie thing yet)

On a related note, I still have vivid memories of the first time I put on Minor Threat's "Out of Step" and heard the opening notes to "Betray". I think that was the first punk album I ever listened to.

Bill Zink said...

The Minutemen were the best live show I ever saw. Only the Sun City Girls came close.

Absolutely incredible.

That band *was* my life.

DC said...

@BillZink #BraggingRights

Bill Zink said...

I'm old.

Oh, and I think the guitar is a "modified" Gibson Melody Maker.

ator said...

Bill, might I ask when and where you saw the Sun City Girls?

Bill Zink said...

Saw them at Lower Links in Chicago in 1990 (I think). Then my band got to open for them in Louisville in 2004 & we got to bond a bit. I also saw the "Brothers Unconnected" tour where Alan and Rick Bishop toured after Charles Gocher died. Also have had a chance to see Rick Bishop several times, though I missed Rangda when they were through. Great shows all.

ator said...

Sweet! I never even heard of Sun City Girls until the early aughts. My first exposure was this weird short film with Claire Danes in it that they used to show on IFC called the "Pesky Suitor"