Throughout punk rock’s long and storied history, many bands have pushed the boundaries of what the genre can sound like over the years. For example, Wire practically invented post-punk with 1978’s Chairs Missing, following the release of their classic debut album, Pink Flag, the year prior. And the Meat Puppets made a hard left turn into quirky psychedelic cow-punk on their classic 2nd album, Meat Puppets II, right after releasing their guttural (and occasionally kind of hilarious) self-titled debut. These are the type of singular punk bands that have always been near and dear to this writer’s heart, but at the top of that list would have to be Minutemen.
Hailing from San Pedro, CA, the late great D. Boon fronted the band on guitar/vocals, Mike Watt on bass, and George Hurley behind the kit. They made a name for themselves with their tight, punchy, and characteristically brief songs, often featuring eclectic influences of blues, funk, jazz, and even polka, all delivered with a distinctive So-Cal flavor that made them truly stand out from the punk-rock pack back in the day. Suffice to say, they were a hell of a lot of fun live, as evidenced by this jovially kick-ass performance from Love Hall in Philadelphia in 1983, where the camera angles give us a bit of a novel ceiling fan view.
