Dance of Days Too Decades of Punk in the Notion’ Capital Cover Design: Jason Farrell, Inside Design: David Janik and Sobrab Habibion Front-Cover Photographs: HR of Bad Brains, late 1981 (by Glen Friedman, used by permission, from Puck You Heroes): aith and crowd, Wilson Center, September 17, 1982 (by Rebecca Hammel): Kathleen Hanna of Bikin Kill Sanctuary Theater, April 1991 (by Shawn Seallen); ian NacKaye of Fugazi, St. Stephen's Church, 192 (by Pat Graham) Photographs from First Page: HR of Bad Brains, Rock Against Racisra show, Valley Green public housing project, September 1979 (iy Lucian Pereins}; lan MacKaye of Minor Theat, 930 Club, 1983 (by Jim Saah, werwjimsaahcom); Kathi Wileax and Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, with Laura Solitaire and Erika Relnstein of Riot Gerel DC infront row, PF Filipino human rights benef, Si, Stephen's Church, October 1991 (by Brad Sigal) All Photographs and Images: Courtesy ofthe artists ISBN-18: 975-1-985354-0045 Library of Congress Control Number: 2000622341 ©2001, 2008, 2009 Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins Published by Akashic Books Originally published by Solt Skull Press Sath printing ‘Akashi Books, PO Box 1458 Now York, NY 10009 info@akashicbooks.com ‘wi. akashichoks.comput a bullet thru the jukebox The mood at the Keg, a hard-rock dive in the Glover Park neighborhood of Northwest Washington, had suddenly turned ugly. Twas steamy night in July 1976, An unknown local band, Overkill, was midway through aset of offbeat originals and renditions of songs by the Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, and various obscure ‘60s garage bands. If Overkill’s music and appearance—most of the members sported close-cropped hair and shades—weren’t enough to show that this was not rock as usual, several tel- evision sets were chattering continuously onstage, beaming random images at the audience. Expecting the usual cover versions of hard-rock standards, much of the Keg crowd was mysti- fied by the band, One of Overkill’ songs contained the good-natured chorus, “We can be weird together,” but few listeners seemed interested in accepting the invitation, ‘One disgruntled, alcohol-ueled man with shoulder-length hair kept yelling for Overkill to play some Alice Cooper, The band ignored him and played on. Undeterred, the heckler continued. In a. break between songs, bassist Harrison Sohmer took off his gaudy shades and stepped to the micro- phone: “Why don't you go fuck Alice Cooper?” ‘The longhair redoubled his commentary, now joined by two equally hairy buddies. Then Overkill singer Barney Jones, clad in tight-fitting black and white clothing and wraparound sun- glasses, moved to the front of the stage. “Why don't you cut your hair?” he demanded. A decade earlier, such taunts were barked by conservative elders at youths who defined them- selves as members of a new counterculture. By the mid-1970s, however, long hair was common among men whose only connection to "60s youth culture was via its leftover hedonism. Jones's words—like Overkill’s performance itself—served notice that the ‘0s were over and that some- thing really needed to be done about the "70s.