Ian MacKaye

Birth : 1962-04-16, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

History

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (born April 16, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk band Minor Threat, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well as The Evens. He is a co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label. A key figure in the development of hardcore punk and an enthusiastic promoter of an independent-minded, do it yourself punk ethic, MacKaye also works as a producer, and has produced releases by Q and Not U, John Frusciante, 7 Seconds, Nation of Ulysses, Bikini Kill, Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty, and Rollins Band. Along with his seminal band Minor Threat, he is credited with coining the term "straight edge" to describe an ideology that eschews drug and alcohol abuse, though MacKaye has stated many times that he did not intend to turn it into a movement. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian MacKaye, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Profile

Ian MacKaye

Movies

The Butthole Surfers Movie
Self
Follows the story of the groundbreaking Texas-based art-punk band founded by frontman Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary.
Punk Rock Vegan Movie
Self
The ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights and how the music became a breeding ground for vegan activism.
What Drives Us
The stories of some of the biggest artists in music, recalling the romance and adventure, as well as the idiocy and chaos, of their time on the road. While the world has changed, the custom has not changed. There is no other way to know whether you can make it in this business. You have to get in the van.
Dope, Hookers and Pavement
"Dope, Hookers and Pavement" is a lively and unfiltered account of the early days of the Detroit hardcore punk scene, circa 1981-82, in the notorious Cass Corridor, arguably one of the worst neighbourhoods in the city at the time. Featuring over 70 in-depth interviews — including John Brannon (Negative Approach), Tesco Vee (Meatmen, Touch and Go), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Dischord Records), pro skater Bill Danforth, scene kids, and members of the Necros, The Fix, Violent Apathy and Bored Youth — and never-before-seen Super8 footage of the Freezer, "Dope, Hookers and Pavement" is both hilarious and reflective, and an overdue record of a nearly invisible but magic little moment in the long history of Detroit rock'n'roll.
I Really Get Into It: The Underage Architects of Sioux Falls Punk
self
Largely ignored and left to their own devices, a group of unassuming teenagers in late 80s and early 90s Sioux Falls, South Dakota created their own culture, community, and economy. And when they moved out into the world at large, they brought what they learned along with them. I Really Get Into It: The Underage Architects of Sioux Falls Punk is a story about the tenacity and ingenuity of youth, finding and following your convictions, and how the kids you least expect often make the most noise. Shot on location in eight cities and assembled from dozens of hours of archival video and hundreds of photos, the documentary features interviews with Larry Livermore (Lookout. Records), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Mike Park (Skankin' Pickle), Rebecca Hanten (Cadillac Blindside), Terry Taylor (Hammerlord), and dozens of current and former members of the Sioux Falls all ages music scene.
Punk the Capital: Building a Sound Movement
An in-depth exploration of a seminal moment in DC music history (circa 1976 to 1984) and the rise of harDCore. The film is made up of a mix of rare archive material, conversational interviews, and a collage editing style. Features early DC punk and hardcore bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Slickee Boys, The Faith and more.
The Tony Alva Story
Himself
62-years-old Alva, the oldest professional, skateboarder in the world, is considered by many to be the godfather of modern day skateboarding. Alva’s brand of aggression and bravado in the 70’s set the stage for the way skateboarding would be forever defined. Vans’ The Tony Alva Story chronicles T.A.’s humble beginnings on the streets of Santa Monica to his rise to superstardom as part of the legendary Z-Boys, his inevitable drug-induced implosion and his ultimate rise from the ashes to accept his rightful place as a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations of skateboarders the world over.
Records Collecting Dust II
Records Collecting Dust II focuses on the East Coast cities of Boston, New York and Washington DC, and includes in depth interviews with twenty eight highly influential people from the 1980’s hardcore punk rock music scene. Talking about the music, the bands and the records that forever changed their lives. Including Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat/Fugazi, John Joseph of Cro-Mags, Dave Smalley of DYS/Dag Nasty, Bob Cenci of Jerry's Kids, Amy Pickering of Dischord Records, Walter Schreifels of Gorilla Biscuits/Quicksand, Roger Miret of Agnostic Front and Clif Croce of The Freeze.
You Can Color Outside the Lines... The Big Boys
YOU CAN COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, THE BIG BOYS tells the true story of the beloved funk/punk band from Austin, Texas. Go beyond Austin's city limits and hear from some of music & skateboarding's greats about how the original "skate punk" band's message of DIY positivity still resonates today. Hear from such legends as Tim Kerr (Big Boys), Fred Armisen (SNL), Tony Alva (Dogtown & Z-Boys), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Exene Cervenka (X) & many more as this VHS-inspired trip takes you back to those hot summers of Texas in the 80s. And then go make your own art!
The Outhouse The Film 1985-1997
In the mid-1980s outside this college town, home of the Kansas Jayhawks, punk rock history was being made in the middle of a cornfield. Where the pavement turned to gravel, in a small, primitive cinder block building, bands like Fugazi, the Melvins, Rollins Band, Gwar, the Circle Jerks, Body Count, Social Distortion, Bad Brains, White Zombie, Descendents, Sonic Youth, Green Day, Fishbone, the Meat Puppets, Helmet, and Nirvana played to all-ages crowds, a raucous scene of misfits and anarchists on the margins of youth culture. This was The Outhouse. Small, dark and sometimes dangerous, it quickly gained a reputation as a haven for the bands other venues were afraid of, and the kids who loved them.
L7: Pretend We're Dead
Self (archive footage)
A real time journey witnessing the rise, fall, and ultimate redemption of the fierce feminist pioneers of American grunge punk: L7.
Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records
Himself
The true story of punks, queers, & criminals on a ride with two men who accidentally changed music along the way.
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk
Himself
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk spans over 30 years of the California Bay Area’s punk music history with a central focus on the emergence of the inspiring 924 Gilman Street collective. This diverse group of artists, writers, organizers and musicians created a do-it-yourself petri dish that changed the punk scene... and the world at large.
Parallel Planes
'Parallel Planes' is a documentary film portraying 12 American avant-garde & punk-rock musicians. It is a journey between genres, an essay on free thinking and an intimate look at how 12 critical players relate to the potential of music.
Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape
Himself
Cassette inventor Lou Ottens digs through his past to figure out why the audiotape won't die. Rock veterans join a legion of young bands releasing music on tape to push Lou along on his journey to remember.
What Doesn’t Kill Me: The Life and Music of Vic Chesnutt
Himself
A documentary about the singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt
Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)
Himself
"Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)" examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation's Capital. It was a decade when seminal bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Scream, Void, Faith, Rites of Spring, Marginal Man, Fugazi, and others released their own records and booked their own shows-without major record label constraints or mainstream media scrutiny. Contextually, it was a cultural watershed that predated the alternative music explosion of the 1990s (and the industry's subsequent implosion). Thirty years later, DC's original DIY punk spirit serves as a reminder of the hopefulness of youth, the power of community and the strength of conviction.
The Dicks from Texas
A punk band from Texas whose music and persona was extreme and political and the supporters who've followed and loved them for over 35 years.
Positive Force: More Than a Witness - 30 Years of Punk Politics in Action
Himself
Punk activist collective Positive Force emerged in 1985, rising from the ashes of Revolution Summer. This feature-length film by Robin Bell skillfully mixes rare archival footage (including electrifying live performances from Fugazi, Bikini Kill, Nation of Ulysses, Anti-Flag, and more) with new interviews with key PF activists like co-founder Mark Andersen and supporters such as Ian MacKaye, Ted Leo, and Riot Grrrl co-founder Allison Wolfe. Covering a span of 25 years, More Than A Witness documents PF's Reagan-era origins, the creation of its communal house, FBI harassment, and the rise of a vibrant underground that burst into the mainstream amidst controversy over both the means and the ends of the movement. In the best punk fashion, PF volunteers have applied creative DIY tactics and radical critiques to issues of homelessness, racism, corporate globalization, sexism, and war while struggling to constructively address conflicting dynamics and visions within the group itself.
Riot on the Dance Floor
Through an oral history format of in-depth interviews and archival footage, RIOT ON THE DANCE FLOOR bring to life the gritty story of City Gardens, one of New Jersey’s most infamous clubs and its larger than life promoter, Randy Now. Featuring the stark and iconic photography of Thrasher Magazine’s Ken Salerno, the film chronicles the rise of several different music scenes in a venue for underground music that traversed the entertainment spectrum; from the comedy of Henny Youngman to Nine Inch Nails, New Order to Nirvana. It is the story of musical champions, underdogs and how hoards of misfit kids found an unlikely home and above all, the freedom and liberation of having complete creative control. - IFF Boston
Breadcrumb Trail
Himself
“My new feature length documentary Breadcrumb Trail is about Slint and the Louisville music culture they emerged from. It includes footage going back to the early 1990s that I shot when repeatedly driving up from Athens, GA to Louisville to try to chase rumors of what they guys were up to. Over the years I tracked down more stories about them, then began filming interviews with each of the band members and their contemporaries. We also unearthed some unseen/uncirculated footage from their few live performances as well as the writing and arranging of Spiderland.”
Dither: The D.I.Y. Sound
Himself
Dither: The D.I.Y. Sound is not your conventional punk rock documentary. In this documentary we explore the ideologies created by cornerstones of the early punk community such as Ian Mackaye of Minor Threat, Fugazi and Dischord Records. But beyond that, we explore the communities and people that have adopted these ideologies and created their own version of what it means to be D.I.Y. This is not a documentary about just music, it's a documentary about the communities that surround the music and embrace it as a way of identification and brotherhood. But this documentary doesn't just ask questions about the culture, it asks questions about how it's possible to maintain a culture that is, at it's core, so opposite of the modern economic and social system.
Bad Brains: A Band in DC
Himself
Bad Brains are one of the most important and influential American bands still working today. They melded punk and reggae into an innovative style that has yet to be copied. Their impact and influence can be heard in groups like Beastie Boys, No Doubt, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction and countless more. Despite the troubles of an eccentric front man they have stayed together for 30 years without ever reaching the level of success so many think they deserve. Using rare archival footage and original comic illustrations the film re-constructs Bad Brains' rich and complicated history.
We Who Wait: The Adverts & TV Smith
Himself
A documentary about the life and career of UK singer-songwriter and Adverts frontman, TV Smith.
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
Himself
When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.
Henry Rollins 50
"The DVD is a live performance of me at the National Geographic Theater in Washington DC on February 13th, 2011, when I turned fifty. Ian MacKaye introduces me and I take it from there. It was a good night in a good theater with a fantastic audience. One of the parts I like about it is that we did some non performance footage of me going back to some of my old haunts in DC like the classic venue Madams Organ as well as a tour through my old job that I left in 1981. We are very happy to be able to bring this to all of you who were not able to go to the tour and pick it up there." -- Henry
I Need That Record!
Himself
Guerilla filmmaker Brendan Toller unleashes I NEED THAT RECORD! THE DEATH (OR POSSIBLE SURVIVAL) OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE, "an elegy for a vanishing subculture...a lively, bittersweet film that examines - with caustic humor, brutal candor, and, ultimately, great affection - why roughly 3,000 indie record stores have closed across the nation over the past decade," (Johnathan Perry, Boston Globe). A tour-de-force tale of greed, media consolidation, homogenized radio, big box stores, downloading, and technological shifts in the music industry told through candid interviews, crestfallen record store owners, startling statistics, and eye-popping animation. Fat cats or our favorite record stores? You decide. Featuring- IAN MACKAYE, NOAM CHOMSKY, MIKE WATT, THURSTON MOORE, LENNY KAYE (Patti Smith), CHRIS FRANTZ (Talking Heads), GLENN BRANCA, PATTERSON HOOD (Drive By Truckers), PAT CARNEY (Black Keys) , LEGS MCNEIL, BOB GRUEN, BP HELIUM, and many indie record stores across the U.S.
Punk's Not Dead
Himself
On the edge of the 30th anniversary of punk rock, Punk's Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, shopping malls and stadiums where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive.
924 Gilman Street
Self
Starting with its inception in 1986, the all-ages nonprofit punk venue at 924 Gilman St. in Berkeley, Calif., was a mainstay of a thriving music scene. In this punk-tastic documentary, filmmaker Jack Curran takes a loving look at the historic club. Chronicling the DIY roots of the volunteer-run establishment, the program features interviews with Jello Biafra, Ian McKaye, Lars Frederickson and Matt Freeman, as well as many live performances.
American Hardcore
himself
Inspired by Steven Blush's book "American Hardcore: A tribal history" Paul Rachman's feature documentary debut is a chronicle of the underground hardcore punk years from 1979 to 1986. Interviews and rare live footage from artists such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol and the Dead Kennedys.
Don't Need You - The Herstory of Riot Grrrl
Himself
A documentary film that tells the story of the origins of Riot Grrrl in the American independent music scene of the 1990s, and how this feminist movement evolved into a revolutionary underground network of education and self-awareness through music, writing, activism, and women-friendly community.
We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen
Himself
A feature-length documentary chronicling early '80s punk rock band the Minutemen, from their beginnings in San Pedro, California, to their demise after the death of singer D. Boon in 1985.
Chain
Executive Producer
In Chain, actual malls, theme parks, hotels and corporate centers worldwide are joined into a monolithic “superlandscape” that shapes and circumscribes the lives of two women. One is a businesswoman researching the international theme park industry for her company. The other is a young drifter, illegally living and occasionally working in a shopping mall.
Drive: My Life in Skateboarding
Himself
Join Mike Vallely as he traverses the country on an epic road trip, and presents for you his in-depth philosophies on skating, past, present and future. Still taking time out from the sport to teach youngsters new tips and tricks, Mike is one of the hottest - and most down to earth - stars of skating around.
Minor Threat - Live: DC Space-Buff Hall-930 Club
Performer
Minor Threat played one of its last shows at Washington DC's 930 Club in June of 1983; they would only play once more in DC. Two years later, the tapes from the 930 show were edited together and Dischord Records released them as the Minor Threat Live VHS video in 1986. Along with the 40 minute 930 performance, the DVD includes a 1982 Minor Threat show in Camden, NJ, a clip of Minor Threat's 2nd ever show at DC Space in December 1980, and excerpts from a 1983 interview with vocalist, Ian MacKaye.
D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist
Himself - Interviewee
This documentary features interviews with Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), J Mascis (Dinosaur jr.), John John Jesse (Demonic Erotic painter), Jim Rose (Jim Rose Sideshow), Jim Thirwell (Foetus), Lydia Lunch, Mike Watt (Minutemen), Richard Kern (Filmmaker), Ron Ashet
Instrument
Himself
Instrument is a documentary film directed by Jem Cohen about the band Fugazi. Cohen's relationship with band member Ian MacKaye extends back to the 1970s when the two met in high school in Washington, D.C.. The film takes its title from the Fugazi song of the same name, from their 1993 album, In on the Kill Taker. Editing of the film was done by both Cohen and the members of the band over the course of five years. It was shot from 1987 through 1998 on super 8, 16mm and video and is composed mainly of footage of concerts, interviews with the band members, practices, tours and time spent in the studio recording their 1995 album, Red Medicine. The film also includes portraits of fans as well as interviews with them at various Fugazi shows around the United States throughout the years.
The Obsessed: The Documentary
Documentary on doom metal band The Obsessed. Featuring members of: White Zombie, Fugazi, Pantera, Henry Rollins, L7, The Melvins and more.
Black Hole Radio
Music Editor
Black Hole Radio is an installation that consists of taped confessions of callers of the New York City Phone Confession Line and video images. The Phone Confession Line is based on anonymous callers ringing to confess on things they had done or thought like adultery, theft, murder or regrets. Thereafter anybody could call and listen to the confessions. Although making a confession was free, listening to a confession costs money. After Cohen got his hands on the confessions, he used them as an audio heartbeat to accompany video-images of every day life in New York City he had taken over the years. This installation is a portrait of the city with its dark secrets, hushed voices and nocturnal images. In this way Cohen tries to bring across an experience to the viewer that relies on absence, waiting and the effort to hear something in the dark.
Glueman
Musician
Collaboration with Fugazi
Another State of Mind
Himself
Another State of Mind is a documentary film made in the summer of 1982 chronicling the adventure (and misadventure) of two punk bands – Social Distortion and Youth Brigade – as they embark on their first international tour. Along the way they meet up with another progressive punk band, Minor Threat, whom they hang out with at the Dischord house for about a week near the end of their ill-fated tour.