| Ian Mackaye |
|
| Background information |
| Born |
April 16 1962(1962--), Washington D.C. |
| Genre(s) |
Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, Punk, Straight edge, Alternative
rock, Experimental rock |
| Occupation(s) |
Vocalist, Songwriter, Musician |
| Instrument(s) |
Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Baritone guitar, Piano |
| Years active |
1979–present |
| Label(s) |
Dischord |
Associated
acts |
Fugazi, Minor Threat, Teen Idles, The Evens, Embrace, Egg Hunt, Skewbald/Grand Union, Pailhead |
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (pronounced [məˈkaɪ]), born April 16, 1962), is an American singer and guitarist. Active since 1979, MacKaye is
best known as the frontman of the influential hardcore punk and alternative rock bands Minor Threat, Embrace, Fugazi, and The
Evens. He is a founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label.
A key figure in the development of hardcore punk and a staunch promoter of an
independent-minded, do it yourself ethic, MacKaye also worked as a recording engineer, and produced releases by 7 Seconds,
Nation of Ulysses, Bikini Kill, Rites of Spring, and Rollins Band.
Biography
Youth
Ian MacKaye was born in Washington D.C. on April
16 1962, and grew up in the Glover Park neighborhood of
Washington D.C. His father was a writer for the Washington Post, first as a
White House reporter, then as a religion specialist; he
was also active with the socially progressive St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.[1] According to MacKaye's longtime friend singer Henry Rollins,
MacKaye's parents "raised their kids in a tolerant, super intellectual, open-minded
atmosphere."[2]
MacKaye listened to many types of music, but was especially fond of mainstream hard rock
like Ted Nugent and Queen before discovering punk music
in 1979[3] when he saw The
Cramps perform at nearby Georgetown University. He was particularly
influenced by the Californian hardcore scene. MacKaye looked up to hardcore
bands like Bad Brains and Black Flag and was
childhood friends with Henry Garfield (who later changed his name to Henry Rollins).
Early bands
Ian MacKaye's first band consisted of one performance as The Slinkees in the summer of 1979, performing a song titled "I Drink
Milk".[4]
In MacKaye's next project, The Teen Idles, he played bass guitar and sang back up vocals in from 1979-1980, and the short-lived Skewbald/Grand Union (1981-1982).
Minor Threat
After feeling creatively limited in the Teen Idles, MacKaye was determined to be the frontman and primary lyricist for
Minor Threat (1980-1983). MacKaye cited the dynamic performance British singer
Joe Cocker in the Woodstock motion picture
as a major influence on his own animated stage persona.[5]
The Teen Idles and Minor Threat were modestly successful in and around Washington D.C., but would later be cited as two of the
earliest and most influential hardcore punk groups, and as pioneers of the
straight edge philosophy that rejects alcohol, illicit drug use and casual sex. In his
early teens, MacKaye saw the negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse on several close friends and one immediate family member,
and he vowed to never use tobacco, drugs or alcohol.
After Minor Threat broke up, MacKaye was active with several relatively short-lived groups, including Embrace (1985-1986) and Egg Hunt (1986). Pailhead (1988), a collaboration between MacKaye and Al Jourgensen of
the industrial band Ministry, featured MacKaye on lead vocals.
Fugazi
In 1987, MacKaye founded Fugazi. Cited as one of the most important post-hardcore
groups, Fugazi were active until 2002 and have since been on indefinite hiatus.
The Evens and future projects
He currently sings and plays baritone guitar in The Evens with drummer and vocalist
Amy Farina of the Warmers. The Evens released their
self-titled album in early 2005, breaking a four-year silence by MacKaye. Their second album, "Get Evens," was released in
November 2006.
Additionally, MacKaye sang lead vocals on a Government Issue demo, one track of
which is featured on the 20 Years of Dischord collection. Backing vocals and
collaborations -- as, for example, with brother Alec MacKaye's former band Ignition -- are numerous. MacKaye, along with
guitarist Sonic Boom (formerly of Spacemen 3), co-wrote
the music to the 2003 documentary The Weather Underground.
Dischord Records
In 1980, MacKaye co-founded Dischord Records. The label was originally meant only as
a means for distributing the Teen Idles 7 inch EP, but over the years it became a very
well-established independent record label, as well as a source for a variety of different Washington, D.C. area artists. Today more than 150 titles have been released by Dischord.
Campaigning and activism
MacKaye refused to advertise in mainstream or corporate media, has rarely performed
at events where admission was more than $5-$10, and consistently promoted anti-war and
civil rights causes alongside his music. He regularly attended left-wing organized
protests and events, working closely with the Positive
Force collective in Washington D.C.[6]
MacKaye has also been known for his stance against concert violence and his confrontations with moshers, crowd surfers, and
people who start fights at shows. This is especially true of his days with Fugazi. When
people became belligerent or violent at a Fugazi show, the band would stop playing (sometimes right in the middle of a song) and
MacKaye would tell them to stop. If those people continued their behavior, he would give them their money back and kick them
out.[7] Because of this, MacKaye gained a reputation as a
killjoy with some fans, and a misconception that he was against all dancing surfaced. MacKaye has said on numerous occasions that
he has no problem with dancing but he simply does not feel comfortable letting people get hurt at his shows, and he wants to make
sure everyone can have a good time.
MacKaye recently assisted in the investigation of the Kent State shootings when
he helped clean up a field recording made by a Kent State student who recorded audio of the incident on a reel-to-reel tape
machine from his dormitory windowsill. According to Alan Canfora, a Kent State student who was injured in the wrist that day by a
gunshot, a voice can be heard on the tape yelling, "Right here! Get Set! Point! Fire!" before there is the 13-second volley of
gunfire.[8][9]
Straight edge philosophy
-
The song "Straight Edge" was written by MacKaye for his band, Minor Threat, and was
released in 1981 on Minor Threat's self-titled EP. It was a song that described his personal life free of the "drugs" and the
self-destructive idea of "sex as a conquest" which served as a part of the "sex, drugs and rock'n roll" banner originating as a
rebellion in the 1960s - smoking, drinking, and drug use - to what wasn't socially tolerated previously. It
began to influence youth culture as Minor Threat gained popularity through numerous live shows and through sales of the song on
their EP. Although to MacKaye the song did not represent a philosophy or a movement, over time people adopted the philosophy of
the song and many bands began to label themselves straight edge, founding the straight
edge movement. Although straight edge is not explicitly supportive of vegetarianism, McKaye has stated that he is a vegetarian because he feels it's a logical progression from
his view of straight edge.[1]
Although "Straight Edge" gets the most attention, MacKaye wrote other songs with Minor Threat describing his clean lifestyle
as well, most notably "Out of Step (With the World)," in which he said "I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't fuck. At least I
can fucking think." "In My Eyes," perhaps their most famous song, is also at least partially about his philosophies, with lines
such "You tell me it calms your nerves; you just think it looks cool."
Works
Filmography
Mackaye was in the documentary films, "Another State of Mind", Instrument,
Dogtown and Z-Boys, D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist,
, American Hardcore, We Jam Econo and the
K Records documentary, The Shield Around the K. Mackaye is also featured in
professional skateboarder Mike Vallely's film Drive.
Books
The Idealist, Glen E. Friedman (with
Ian MacKaye contribution), Burning Flags Press, 1998, updated 2004, ISBN 0-9641916-5-2. He also
wrote a foreword for indie-punk band photographer Pat Graham's photobook Silent
Pictures. MacKaye also features in the Friedman book "Keep Your Eyes Open" (ISBN 09641916-8-7), a collection of Fugazi photos
taken by Friedman over the course of the band's career.
Notes and references
- ^ Azerrad, Michael (2002). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the
American Indie Underground 1981–1991. Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-31678-753-1
- ^ Azerras, 2002
- ^ Ian MacKaye speaking at Loyola University; Nov 14, 2006 http://www.loyno.la/ianmackayetalk.mp3
- ^ The AP
History of Punk Rock X: Washington, D.C.. Alternative Press (1996). Retrieved on 10 June
2007, 2007. Retrieved on 10, 2007. Retrieved on 06 2007.
- ^ Azerrad, 2002
- ^ Scott Simon A Quieter Course for Punk Pioneer Ian MacKaye; NPR
Weekend Edition Saturday, April 30, 2005 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4625784
- ^ Kellman, Andy. Fugazi biography; Allmusic.com http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifqxqe5ldke~T1
- ^ Kymberli Hagelberg, Casualty wants new probe of KSU shootings Akron
(Ohio) Beacon Journal, May 2, 2007 http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/education/17166211.htm
- ^ Ian MacKaye helping with Kent State shooting investigation;
PunkNews.org, May 8, 2007 http://www.punknews.org/article/23611
External links
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