FUGAZI (BAND)

'Fugazi' was a rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1987. Their evolution of the hardcore punk genre, combined with their dedication to touring earned them an international audience by the end of the 1980s, despite little recognition in mainstream circles.
The band name originated from a Vietnam-era U.S. Army slang acronym for a particularly bad combat situation, which stands for "'F'ucked 'U'p, 'G'ot 'A'mbushed, 'Z'ipped 'I'n". The group reported that they chose the name because of its ambiguous and vaguely exotic qualities.
Perhaps just as well known as the band's music styles was their ethical stance and manner of business practice. Fugazi stood as a rare example of a band that achieved a modest level of mainstream success while remaining loyal to independent recording and distribution values, following a "Do-It-Yourself [DIY] spirit". They rarely charged more than $5–$10 admission to their live shows, insisted that their performances be open to persons of all ages, kept their album prices at about $10, and did not sell merchandise such as t-shirts or posters. In addition, the band did not conduct interviews with magazines that they wouldn't read themselves. Journalists Michael Azzerad and Andy Kellerman^[1] wrote that Fugazi's ethical stance spawned some "laughably fictitious folklore" about the band's lifestyle, which many fans assumed was monastic or ascetic; however, Kellerman stresses that their DIY approach was largely motivated by "pragmatism and modesty". Azzerad talked altercations with fans and awkward housing situations brought about by the folklore in his book "Our Band Could Be Your Life". Many fans of previous bands also felt strongly frustrated and disillusioned with the new ground that was being explored musically.
Fugazi have been on hiatus since 2002, having not written new material, toured or recorded, but the band's personnel have kept busy with other projects.

Contents

Band history

Post-2002

Musical Style

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Official live albums

Compilation appearances

Soundtracks

DVDs and videos

Books

References

External links

Band history

After the seminal hardcore punk group Minor Threat dissolved, Ian MacKaye (vocals and guitar) was active with a few mostly short-lived groups before forming a new trio, Fugazi, with drummer Colin Sears and bass guitarist Joe Lally. After a few months of reherseals, Sears left to join Dag Nasty and was replaced by Brendan Canty (earlier of Rites of Spring).
MacKaye describes his earliest vision of Fugazi as The Stooges playing reggae^[2], and he was also strongly inspired by '70s rock icons Ted Nugent and Queen.
Fugazi performed as a trio for their first shows, then added Guy Picciotto (earlier Canty's bandmate in Rites of Spring, Happy Go Licky, and One Last Wish). Picciotto originally only sang with Fugazi; he likened early role with Fugazi to that of a reggae toaster, and Azerrad notes^[2] that Picciotto was also inspired by Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. But before long, after not seeing a sonic area to incorporate himself, he realized that the band didn't employ a lot of high end frequencies so he ended some very trebly guitar playing into the quartet, quickly becoming a songwriter and contributing to the group on the same level as MacKaye. With Picciotto on guitar, the group's dynamic changed considerably: previously, songs were performed more or less as MacKaye envisioned, but with four instrumentalists, they were now all contributing riffs and song ideas, and their material became much more collaborative than before.
On their first tours, Fugazi worked out their DIY aesthetic by trial and error. Their decisions were partly motivated by pragmatic considerations that were essentially a punk rock version of simple living: for example, selling merchandise on tour would require a full-time merchandise salesperson who would require lodging, food, and other costs, so Fugazi decided to simplify their touring by not selling merchandise. They were also motivated by moral or ethical considerations: for example, Fugazi's members regard pricey admission for rock concerts as tantamount to price gouging a performer's most loyal fans. Their inexpensive target goal of $5 admission was spawned during a conversation on an early tour when the band's members were debating the lowest profitable admission price. At some venues, particularly on the east and west coasts of the U.S., Fugazi was unable to get ticket prices below about $10. However, they never saw the $5 rule as inviolable, instead aiming to charge a price that was both affordable and profitable. Unlike some similar, small-scale independent rock contemporaries, Fugazi's performances and tours were nearly always profitable, due to their low business overhead costs, and MacKaye's keen sense of audience response in given regions.^[2]
Fugazi's early tours earned them a strong word-of-mouth reputation, both for their powerful performances, and for their eagerness to play in unusual venues. They sought out alternatives to traditional rock clubs partly to relieve the boredom of touring, but also hoping to show fans that there are other options to traditional ways of doing things. As Picciotto said, "You find the Elks Lodge, you find the guy who's got a space in the back of his pizzeria, you find the guy who has a gallery. Kids will do that stuff because they want to make stuff happen." (Azerrad, 2001, p 391)
The group (MacKaye in particular) also made a point of discouraging violent, unwanted slam dancing and fistfights, which they saw as relics of the late 1970s/early 1980s hardcore punk era. Azerrad quotes Mackaye, "See, [slam dancers] have one form of communication: violence ... So to disorient them, you don't give them violence. I'd say, 'Excuse me, sir...'- I mean, it ''freaks'' them out -'Excuse me, sir, would you please cut that crap out?'" (Azerrad, 2001, p 392, emphasis in original) Azerrad writes, "[Mackaye's] admonitions seemed preachy to some, but most were deeply grateful. And by and large, people would obey - it wasn't cool to disrespect Ian MacKaye." (Azerrad, 2001 p.392) Occasionally, Fugazi would escort an unrepentant slam-dancer from the concert, and give them an envelope containing a $5 refund (they kept a stock of such envelopes in their tour van for these occasions).
They toured almost continually for their first three albums, and in the early '90s heyday of alternative rock, they were cited as a key influence by many younger bands. In this same era, several of Fugazi's albums appeared on the ''Billboard'' music charts. Their impressive instrumental prowess was often noted by critics, such as the January, 1997 issue of ''Guitar Player'', which cited MacKaye and Picciotto as one of the most inventive guitar tag-teams in rock music.
By ''Red Medicine'' (1995), Fugazi were on the road less frequently, due in large part to other professional and personal commitments. Their music had evolved far from their hardcore roots, with strong art rock leanings.
Their most recent album, ''The Argument'' (2001), featured the first extensive contributions from outside musicians, most notably longtime roadie and sound engineer Jerry Busher, who added percussion or a second drum set to most of the albums songs.

Post-2002

Fugazi are currently on what the band describes as a "hiatus", partly brought on by Canty and Lally both becoming fathers and wanting to spend more time with their families.
In the meantime, the members are undertaking side projects, with MacKaye forming the duo The Evens with his girlfriend, drummer and singer Amy Farina (formerly of the Warmers). In 2004, MacKaye produced the DC EP for Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. The EP also featured Fugazi's touring drummer, Jerry Busher.
Canty has been doing a variety of soundtrack scores and playing bass in the trio Garland Of Hours alongside frequent Fugazi guest contributors Jerry Busher and Amy Domingues. Canty also appears on Bob Mould's 2005 Album ''Body of Song'', and has played bass live with Mary Timony. He is currently working in the Burn to Shine DVD series which is being released by Trixie DVD.
Lally has appeared on fellow DC post-punkers Decahedron's debut album ''Disconnection_Imminent'', as well as on a one shot project with John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Josh Klinghoffer of The Bicycle Thief known as Ataxia. He also released his first solo album ''There to Here'' and is also performing shows under his name, solo and along with producer Don Zientara.
Guy Picciotto currently works as a record producer most notably with Blonde Redhead, and he has performed alongside members of The Ex at the Jazz festival in Wels, Austria.

Musical Style

Fugazi's early music was most clearly rooted in hardcore punk, but even their early output was marked by unorthodox rhythmic and structural elements, often steeped in dub or reggae influence and irregular stop-start structures, punctuated by cliff-hanging pauses.
Generally, MacKaye's lyrics and singing are more direct and anthemic (MacKaye admits that he loves audience sing-alongs and writes songs with shoutable slogans), while Picciotto usually favors a more abstract, oblique approach. Lally has contributed vocals to a few songs as well. Lyrics and vocals often feature strong emotional intensity. This style has led many critics to call their music post-hardcore, as it is seen as both a progression of and a reaction to the hardcore punk movement.
Later, Fugazi more fully integrated elements of punk rock, hardcore, soul and noise with an inventively syncopated rhythm section. Notable is MacKaye and Picciotto's inventive, interlocking guitar playing, which often defies the traditional notion of "lead" and "rhythm" guitars. They often feature unusual and dissonant chords and progressions filtered through a hardcore punk lens. Their guitar work has has earned comparisons New York art-punk icons Televison and the early work of the UK's Gang of Four. Most of Fugazi albums have featured an instrumental song or two.
Fugazi's unusual experimental sound influenced some later punk music groups, and has proven difficult to categorize neatly; they've been classified as post punk and post-hardcore. Though clearly rooted in punk and hardcore, there is arguably much more than punk to be found in Fugazi's music; for example, a review of ''The Argument'' compared a few songs to Radiohead. With ''Red Medicine'', critics Ian McCaleb and Ira Robbins declared that Fugazi combined an "unprecedented dynamic range ... and previously unimagined elements" such as "clattering musique concrète ... piano and sound effects ... murky dub and lancing sax" and "loose-limbed jammy funk ... into an ambitious, experimental format that raises more stylistic questions than it answers."[1]
Fugazi's career is chronicled in ''Our Band Could Be Your Life'', a study of several important American underground rock groups. Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins' book ''Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital'' also covers Fugazi -- and its contributing members' bands -- at length.

Discography

Albums

Release date	Album cover	Title	Billboard peak
September, 1989		''13 Songs''	Did not chart
March, 1990		''Repeater''	Did not chart
August, 1991		''Steady Diet of Nothing''	Did not chart
May, 1993		''In on the Kill Taker''	#153 (Billboard 200), #4 (Heatseekers)
June, 1995		''Red Medicine''	#126 (Billboard 200), #2 (Heatseekers)
April, 1998		''End Hits''	#138 (Billboard 200), #4 (Heatseekers)
October, 2001		''The Argument''	#151 (Billboard 200), #1 (Heatseekers)

EPs

★ ''Fugazi (EP)'' (1988)

★ ''Margin Walker'' (1989)

★ ''Furniture + 2'' (2001)

Singles

★ "3 Songs" (1990)

Official live albums

★ ''Fugazi Live Series'' Volumes 1-30 (CD-Rs, 2004-5)

Compilation appearances

★ "In Defense of Humans" on ''State of the Union (album)'' benefit CD/LP (Dischord Records, 1989)

★ "Reprovisional (live)" on ''International Pop Underground Convention'' CD (K Records, 1991)

★ "Blueprint", "The Word" and "Burning (live)" on ''Twenty Years of Dischord'' 3CD (Dischord Records, 2002)

★ "Pink Frosty Demo" on ''Live Without Dead Time'' CD (Adbusters, 2003)

★ "KYEO" (live) on ''Triple J's Short.fast.loud'' 2CD (ABC Music, 2006)

Soundtracks

★ ''Instrument Soundtrack'' (1999)

DVDs and videos

★ ''Instrument''

Books

★ ''Keep Your Eyes Open'', The FUGAZI photographs of Glen E. Friedman,
Burning Flags Press, Sept. 2007, ISBN 0-9641916-8-7

References

★ Azerrad, Michael, ''Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1980-1990'', Little, Brown, 2001

★ ''Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capitol'' , Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins, Akashic Books, 2001, ISBN 1-888451-44-0

★ ''Our Band Could Be Your Life'', Michael Azerrad, Little, Brown and Company, 2001, ISBN 0-316-78753-1

★ ''Fuck You Heroes'', photographs 1976-1991, Glen E. Friedman Burning Flags Press, 1994, ISBN 0-9641916-0-1

★ ''The Idealist'' In My Eyes 1976-2001, Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, 2004, ISBN 0-9641916-5-2

★ ''Keep Your Eyes Open'', The FUGAZI photographs of Glen E. Friedman, Burning Flags Press, Sept. 2007, ISBN 0-9641916-8-7

External links

★ Fugazi's page at Dischord — Discography and related bands

★ Southern distribution page — More informative page about the band, including current news.

★ Dischord Records — The band's record label.

★ WorldofFugazi.org — A Fugazi fan site

★ Deathrockstar's interview with Guy Piciotto 2004

★ Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Fugazi — Copper Press 9 (2002)

★ Ian Mackaye TV Interview VBS.tv

★

★ Interview with Ian MacKaye 05/02/07