We Jam Econo, the documentary about the Minutemen, is finally released on DVD on June 27th. Details of the release is on their website and it looks like a pretty indie venture.
The flyer above was for a preview screening organised by a bunch of punk loving kids in a space in Surry Hills that was hot, with bad air flow, not enough seats and lets not even think about permits and stuff. But it was fantastic. Lots of people there, just ready to see what this film had to say about the Minutemen, whose core was two losers who were just too naive to figure out how to fit in.
The movie is great. Mike Watt, currently playing bass for the Stooges, is the possible ADD victim I thought he was, randomly jumping from story to story. It’s like he’s having way too many ideas for his mouth to keep up. D. Boon is the other end of the spectrum. Very articulate. Very intellegent. Very funny looking when he was jumping up and down. Lots of interview footage, lots od live footage, archival interviews with no cleaning up of the story or the film stock even.
More can be said here about how it captures a great moment in American music, how this band was an influence on Uncle Tupelo and how Bonnie Prince Billy covered It’s Expected I’m Gone – but spend 90 minutes of your life watching this movie one day. Even if you don’t like the music, and so few do, you can’t help but walk away with the vibe, that D. lived and breathed. That music was a life changing thing, and sticking to your guns was natural, and you answer to no one.
There is a fantastic chapter on the Minutemen in Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad (ISBN 0-316-78753-1). It is a great book anyway and who the fuck did I lend this to? I can’t find my copy.
SITE: We Jam Econo – The Story Of the Minutemen – offical site
MP3: The Minutemen – History Lesson Part II
– From the double album Double Nickels On A Dime (SST, 1989) – buy here