Of all the timeless punk music that emerged during the 1980s hardcore explosion, no one manipulated the movement’s ethos like Minutemen—the trio of Mike Watt, D. Boon, and George Hurley. The band fearlessly and relentlessly defied any standards, broke any mold, and incorporated a plethora of other music styles into the short spurts of politically charged aggression they called songs. The free swing of jazz met folksy storytelling and was funneled through furious punk tempos, quickly separating Minutemen from their punk cohorts and anything music has ever seen. Their restless touring schedule and acclaimed albums like Double Nickels on the Dime and Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat put the trio on the punk rock map, and their impact continues to ripple throughout modern music.
For this Golden Age Thursday, we look at a clip for the height of the Minutemen. This August 1984 performance occurred at Helen’s Anti Club and was captured and brought to us by punk archivist Louis Elovitz. The head-spinning performance comes just months after the success of their Double Nickels on the Dime LP, which was released in July of the same year. The grainy footage captures the live prowess Minutemen picked up along their many long tours across the globe, with the band performing over twenty songs in just over thirty minutes. Immerse yourself in the world of Minutemen below.
