Between 1985 and 1988, a teenager by the identify of Sohrab Habibion was attending punk and post-punk exhibits across the Washington, DC space. What set him aside was the cumbersome video camperiod he’d carry to the present and let roll, documenting complete gigs in all their low-rez, lo-fi glory. Only a child attempting to document an important night time out. Habibion may not have identified on the time what an important time capsule he was creating, however these 60 or so tapes have now been digitized and uploaded to YouTube, due to Roswell Movies and the DC Public Library’s Punk Archive.
“Please remember the fact that I used to be a teenager once I shot these exhibits,” Habibion writes, “and had zero professionalficiency with the equipment. And, as you may imagine, no person was doing anyfactor with the lights or the sound to make issues any wagerter. What you get here’s what was documented on my Betamax and probably finest appreciated with a little bit of generosity as a viewer.”
Excessivelights embody the above full concert by Fugazi on December 28, 1987, a 12 months earlier than their first e.p. and playing songs that will flip up on their 1990’s classic debut Repeater; Descendents in 1987 on the peak of their profession; The Lemonheads after they had been a punk band and never a power pop group; the insane and hilarious GWAR from 1988, the 12 months of their debut; and another residencecity punk band, Dain Bramage, which featured Dave Grohl on drums, lengthy earlier than he performed with Nirvana and the Foo Battleers (see under).
Habibion went on to his personal musical profession: first because the entranceman for post-hardcore band Edsel, and curhirely as a part of the band SAVAK.
Habibion’s tape archive makes one receivedder: who else is on the market sitting on a trove of historic documentings? And the place is that particular person’s equivalent of the DC Library? Who would assist fund such a undertaking? And who would see the price of such documentings? Not solely are Habibion’s tapes concerning the bands themselves, however they inform a sepafee history of music venues come and gone, of a time and place that may never come once more. Watch the exhibits right here.
Notice: An earlier version of this publish appeared on our web site in 2022.
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Ted Mills is a freelance author on the humanities who curhirely hosts the Notes from the Shed podsolid and is the professionalducer of KCRW’s Curious Coast. You may also follow him on Twitter at @tedmills, and/or watch his movies right here.
