Thank You for Fugazi, man
11.09.2005 - 5:16 pm

I can't help but love Fugazi. This goes out the guy who intorduced them to me. Story of how I found them.

Walking throught Costco. You know how they have promotional companies selling their shit from time to time? Sometimes it's leather jackets, sometimes aloha clothes. Usually they are stationed right up front when you walk in. This time it was guitars. All shapes and sizes: meaning Ukaleles, banjos, acustic, bass, electric, etc etc. Everything. Even some types of drums.

Me and my dad were checking shit out and the guy who was selling them (for whichever company it was) looked at my shirt and said something about how I knew "real" punk for having a G.B.H. shirt and all these new "hardcore" bands didn't really know what they were doing. Bands like G.B.H. were the original Hardcore and knew what was up. I played off it and said Hell Yeah. Then we started talking about other shit, like politics and what not, and this guy just seemed real intelligent and seemed to really like me and the things I was saying. I think I was about 15, almost 16 years old. Still learning the ropes on politics, religion, punk, etc. So I was real nervous talkin to this older, smarter guy since I wasn't so confident on my beliefs. But we ended up having a great conversation. Turned out this guy was good friends with Death By Stereo and I was really into them at the time. But this guy was totally givin them shit for having song titles like "You mess with one bean, you get the whole burrito." Even said Efrem was kind of pissed at him at the time for talking all this shit while on tour with them. I think it greatly influenced me because from that day on I had a sour taste in my mouth any time someone mentioned D.B.S. but I always kept it inside. But in the back of my head, thinking "they're stupid." I don't think I listened to one D.B.S. song after that until about a week before I saw them in Hawaii. That means not even a year ago, I tried listening to them again. Then I relaized how dumb it was for me to be so influened by others because I remembered why I liked them so much. They have great lyrics, and I don't give a fuck what Guitar Man says about them. I love the music. I love Death By Stereo.

Well from DBS, he led into Fugazi by saying how much better of a band they were and said they were probably his favourite band if he had to choose. I said I heard a few songs a while back but they didn't really jive me then. It is really hard for me to get into new bands (I think I'm just lazy) but the truth was I had never heard of them at the time. He told me about how unique they were and all about Ian MacKay's role etc etc. I was really into Minor Threat at the time too, so that definitely sparked my attention.

I saw him the next day at Costco, too, and we talked more about music and politics, etc etc. He was way cool.

I went home that day to download some Fugazi songs. I had to see what he was talking about. Heard some. Then I found "Waiting Room." My life had changed forever. I couldn't stop listening to that fucking song. It was so good. It still is sooo good. I remember telling Terri how much I loved "Waiting Room" and she said her favorite song was "In Defense of Humans." I love that song, too, thanks to Terri.

After that day, I listened to Fugazi a lot. I went through stages. At first I only liked their fast songs. Their slow songs would make me feel blah. Then I started to only like the slow songs. The fast ones were too loud. Then I went through a stage where I only like the songs Ian sang in. Then a stage where I liked Guy's songs. Now I love it all. I can't think of one song I dislike. I used to not like "I'm So Tired" very much, and banned it from my first mix I made of them. But when I listen to it now, I really like it.

I wonder, though, how genuine my love for them is. I always think about genuiness (is that a word? Genuinity?) So... I usually don't have a favorite anything. Or more accurately, I never have ONE favorite. I just can;t help it. I love so many things equally, and it has inevitably made my life more complicated. I love the colors green, maroon, and brown. I tell people "green" is my favorite but actually I'd just as quickly choose red, orange, maroon. Yellow. Fuck. Same with almost anything you can have a "favourite" of... including bands. Instead of having a "favourite" I always have a "favourite at the time." And even that doesn't usually work out. It always ends up turning into a "Top 3 at the time." And THREE is hard enough. Lol. I think it might also depend on who's asking and when. Sometimes I'm out to impress people, but not usually. The few times it does happen, it's usually when I first meet someone.

But I'm constantly going through phases with certain bands. Sometimes these phases develope into temporary obsessions. It's like I want nothing to do with any other band and all I want to do is listen, learn and soak myself in this one band. My longest obsession went on a whole year, with Led Zeppelin. The summer going into my senior year in high school and I heard the song "Been A Long Time Since I Rock'n Rolled" on some car commercial. I just loved the way Robert plant screamed. So I searched for other Zep songs that had screaming parts. Perma addiction. To this day, I love a good male scream in a song. I think I'm attracted to the passion. Yelling, screaming. Yes. There were other crazes, too. That's what I call them, "crazes." Mostly punk. There was a Germs one. A G.B.H. one. WHen I first moved to Hawaii, I went through an Against Me! craze.

So is Fugazi just an extended "craze?" I'm not sure. I was thinking if my life would be a little less complete had I not discovered them. What, then, would I've claimed to be my favourite? Sometimes I think I pick "Fugazi" strictly out of logical reasons and not out of pure emotion like I'd prefer. But that could just be due to my personality. I'm more of a cold logical person than an emotional extremist. I just feel I need a favourite to focus on. I picked Fugazi because they are the most unique band I've ever heard. They were revolutionary for their time (It's still hard for me to conceive the fact they were borne out of the 80's). Also, they are a very quirky, weird band. That's all I can say. Werid. Just ODD. And I have a high appreciation for ODD. Then, they are hardcore, but at the same time mellow. This is a quality I focus on because it will allow them to remain my favourite no matter how I change. If I become old and mellow, Fugazi can fit that. When I feel spunky, feel like Rock'n Walkin, or just to clean my house (fuck sweeping to slow music), Fugazi allows that too. Every muscle in my body reacts to the noise Fugazi produces. And lastly (I may think of more qualities later, but for now...) IAN MACKAYE! Minor Threat is such an awesome band. Lyrics! Music! Vocals! I love Ian MacKaye. He is one of the punks I respect the most. On the same list with Jello, Jesse (from Op Ivy) and Kieth Morris. Ian is very intelligent and I love his reasons for the Straight Edge movement. Reading HIS perspective on the issue is what gained my respect for the style and ultimately is what changed my thoughts into how I view drugs/alcohol/sex NOW. Not to mention, he has a great voice.

I don't know much about Guy and his past projects, but I really want to learn and listen to better understand Fugazi. I really enjoy Guy's voice, too.

So I have 4/8 [studio] cds and whenever I figure out my financial situation, I will soon buy the rest as well as the DVD "Instrument" and I'd really like to invest in the live albums put out personally by them.

I wish I had done things right from the beginning and not download so many songs. I'm trying to get a feel for the uniqueness of each cd and how each is different and see how Fugazi evolved, but because I've downloaded a few from each album and put them on a mix, it's hard for me to differentiate the sound.

Repeater is growing to be my favourite album. "Blueprint" is turning into my favourite song. But I really like the cd Red Medicine, so I'm not sure which one I like the best. Again, me and favourites... GAH!

I salute you Guitar Man.

yesterday - tomorrow