A punk band breaking up is as inevitable as a punk show breaking into slam-dancing mayhem. While these short spurts of musical projects have left a timeless mark on the underground and popular culture, these bands rarely continue working together and releasing music. For example, some of the most impactful punk acts, like The Dils, could barely last a decade. Thankfully, bands like D.O.A. are still releasing music to this day, even if it is only by name.
Joe Keithly formed D.O.A. in 1978 and has been the only consistent member throughout the band’s lengthy tenure. Their most recent release came in 2020 with their Treason LP, which aimed at the modern political landscape, but their legacy goes far beyond their signature brand of highly political punk. The band is credited with creating the term “Hardcore” to describe their sound, going as far as naming their sophomore effort, Hardcore ‘81.
This brings us to this week’s Golden Age Thursday, where the Canadian band gave a beautifully chaotic example of why they saw fit to brand themselves as hardcore. In 1981, D.O.A. took over the Peppermint Lounge for an unabashed onslaught of punk prowess. The crisp, rare footage was captured just weeks after the April release of Hardcore ‘81; you can even see promotion
