The late 80s punk scene in California is more of a Pandora’s box of pointed aggression than a music scene that has come and gone. With bands trading members like Pokémon and independent labels budding up, with very few survivors, mapping out the history of West Coast punk could be more complicated than the experts make it seem. That’s what makes discovering a new band from the past so exciting, almost as if you’ve dug up an ancient relic.
Not to say that this week’s Golden Age Thursday band is anywhere near an unknown entity in the pantheon of West Coast punk, but the space they occupied deserves its time in the spotlight. Dr. Know, started by Kyle Toucher, Ismael Hernandez, and Robin Cartwright in 1981, with singer Brandon Cruz being brought in by all three. The history of their lineup is tumultuous; their choice of label was, in retrospect, iffy. However, if anything is certain when it comes to Dr. Know, they were seasoned performers even in their youth.
This brings us to Golden Age Thursday, as we take a look at a Dr. Know show shot in San Diego in 1988. The raw footage shows Dr. Know tearing apart the stage with a punk prowess that afforded the band the longevity they enjoy today. You can watch the full performance below.
