The history of hardcore has been well-documented since bands first started supercharging punk with more aggression and social consciousness in the late 1970s. However, that certainly doesn’t mean every story in the genre’s rich history has yet been told. Particularly when it comes to specific cities and scenes that were most influential in its development. Like Washington, D.C.
That’s a gap James June Schneider (co-director and editor), Paul Bishow (co-director), and Sam Levine (associate producer and co-editor) aimed to fill with the documentary Punk the Capital: Building a Sound Movement (premiering in theaters and virtual cinema beginning May 14 and releasing on DVD and Blu Ray on June 8 via Passion River). Covering the early era of D.C. punk from 1976 to 1983, it offers a rare look into the scene’s beginnings, with previously unseen material and interviews with the likes of Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, and HR of Bad Brains.
New Noise caught up with co-director and editor James June Schneider to discuss the inspiration behind the film, the challenges of promoting and distributing it in the midst of a global pandemic, uncovering hidden historical gems from the D.C. hardcore scene, and more.
What inspired you to create this documentary?
There is a powerful sense of becoming that comes both from the music that was created and the narratives lines that this subculture drew. So, I was excited to have the chance to transmit some of what I grew up in, but not as a nostalgic piece, but as something more forward-looking. The powerful ideas and music that continue to come out of this scene were also fuel enough to carry me through the long process of making it.
The history of D.C. punk and hardcore has been fairly well-documented over the years. How does this film differentiate itself from other documentaries covering the scene and the city during the late ’70s through the ’80s?
When Paul Bishow and I started collecting materials around the turn of the century, nobody had made a documentary on D.C. punk, though there had been several attempts.
It was sort of the Bermuda Triangle of D.C. documentaries, as were films about another unique D.C. music subculture, Go-go. Other film projects on the subject came about after we started collecting, and it was a good thing, as it turned out. They pushed us to focus on the as-yet un-covered period (1980 and earlier), to take a hard look at all these interwoven pieces that composed the foundation of this subculture— especially a place called Madams Organ.
That was a row house/art-coop that became the breeding ground for so many punk bands and formative ideas that would make the D.C. scene what it became. That place and its approximately nine-month punk period pushed a lot of people to think about how music and community could merge. That’s sort of the keystone of our film, too.
In your view, why is that era of punk, in D.C. specifically, still so relevant to music, culture, and politics today?
We took a hard look at the positive impact this community has had for people outside of D.C., and while I knew there was a lot, I was really surprised to see just how much. It goes beyond music scenes, with influential figures in business and politics citing D.C. punk ways as their compass. For example, Dischord records’ way of doing business served as a framework for not only countless other labels but also for enterprises such as Kickstarter.
I also realized that part of what has kept the D.C. punk “spirit” (for lack of a better word) alive and relevant for so long is the capacity of so many of the people in the scene to remain youthfully curious and playful, but in wizened, critical, and clear-minded ways.
Was it important that this film appeal to non-fans of early punk and hardcore?
I like films (and making films) that work on a lot of levels, films that can be re-watched and appreciated again and again. So, it’s not so much making it appeal as it is making it cut a wide path. By the simple fact that we trace the film from the bar band scene of the mid-’70s to the step-by-step building into the hardcore sound, people can understand the evolution better than if we just dive right into the hardcore sound and mindset.
You’ve described this film as being optimistic, one about building something from nothing, against the odds. Do viewers who aren’t familiar with punk ever say they’re surprised to learn that punk can be compatible with such positive ideals?
Definitely, it’s a film about the power of punk and DIY. It was amazing traveling across the U.S., to hear people of all ages and cultural persuasions say how they had no idea about these constructive veins of punk. But of course, punk has been a platform for rethinking one’s culture and politics from the get-go, in cities and countries around the world. D.C. just seemed to develop an angle that was initially really focused on personal politics.
I understand the original cut of the film was seven hours long (much of which will be used as bonus material on the home releases). How did you determine what to remove so you could narrow down the focus?
JJS: As we edited, the film began to revolve around three bands that we kept coming back to: Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and The Slickee Boys. The film does cover other bands along the way and branches off here and there, but we didn’t make a sort of catalog of bands. It’s first and foremost a story, and once it became clear that that would be the form, we cut some things that took us too far astray. However, some of the scenes which didn’t fit in the film will be included in the bonus section of the DVD/Blu Ray releases. There’s four, including one about the D.C. band Scream, who are still active and working on a new album.
Was there anything you were surprised to learn when you were putting together the film?
I had only vague information about the story of Madams Organ, and for me, it could have been the sole subject of the film. It was a revelation for me. I should mention that it is completely unrelated to D.C.’s more recent blues bar that usurped the name. Paul Bishow, a co-creator of the film, happened upon Madams Organ in ’79, and he was already making films, so he started shooting a lot there for his movie Wet Streets at Night. Thank goodness. And to boot, he had a well-tuned instinct for knowing what bands to shoot.
You were in the middle of a tour doing screenings for the film when the COVID-19 pandemic sent the country into lockdown. What was going through your mind at that time? How did you make the determination as to when it’d make sense to pick up promoting the film again?
Well, before we finished the film, our crew talked about how the priority for our release would be in-person events, bringing people together. We did that for over 50 consecutive screenings, where one of us and often guests were present. It was amazing. I love the histories of itinerant filmmakers that date back to cinema’s beginning.
Anyway, our last pre-pandemic screening was in Brooklyn on March 11, 2020 with guest Brian Baker of Minor Threat. Then, of course, everything shut down. I know some films that just switched to streaming etc., but the community side of this film was so important. We worked on our digital release and on finding a good distributor (we did!) but we also saw in discussions with them that there was a possibility this spring for a short and intense theatrical run.
While the current release is virtual except for maybe 10 cinemas, it’s still linked with all these great theaters that are run by some of the most important defenders of culture this country has, many of whom I’ve seen at work for decades. I hope people are supporting them however they can.
What do you hope viewers will take away from watching Punk the Capital?
There’s a lot in there about how people treat each other, if you really look at it, and also about building community, so hopefully, the film gets people thinking about some of those kinds of bigger questions we aim to frame. But if we did our job, the film will also leave viewers inspired, with some of the intense creative energy portrayed and shared by this scene.
Watch the trailer for Punk the Capital here:
Find more on Punk the Capital on the official Twitter and website.
Photos courtesy of Punk the Capital.
