Film Flam

This Band Could Be Your Life

We Jam Econo (2005)

INFO: The Minutemen were a rock band from San Pedro, California. Through interviews with members Mike Watt (bass) and George Hurley (drums), the band’s story is revealed. Commentary from other performers such as Flea, Greg Ginn, and Henry Rollins illuminates the band’s place in the Southern California music scene and their contribution to music. Concert footage and old interview footage show Watt, Hurley, and departed singer/guitarist D. Boon, who died in an automobile accident in 1985. Written by Ken Miller {wkmiller704@yahoo.com} (via imdb)

Any Minutemen fan will tell you, Mike Watt loves to talk. Watt, bassist in the the Minutemen, (and the unknowing narrator of the film), will start on one topic and freeform jazz his way to a completely different topic in the space of three sentences. It’s an incredible sight to watch. That mental freedom, and fearlessness is what was at heart of the Minutemen. It’s also in the film, albeit a little buried in some places.

We Jam Econo^† is made by someone who loves the band and wants to share his love with the world. There’s a real lack of pretension in a lot of the interview stuff. Folks are interviewed in their homes and the camera seems to sit on someone’s lap, as if Mamma and Papa Punk Rock / Folk decided to tell us about the good old days. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but it feels like an oral tradition is being passed on via cinema. Thought of this way it can be really magical, sitting in lap of Mike Watt, who now carries the torch of a lot of the DIY ethic and takes the opportunity to sing the change it had on his life whenever he can.

The film, is made up of three different types footage, a docu-triptych. There’s the Mike Watt interview stuff; wherein Mike drives around the band’s hometown of San Pedro, California and discusses the bands origin, and an interview in Mike’s home as he talks about the bands discography while flipping through the bands catalog on CD.There’s the standard music documentary interview-with-that-guy-from-that-band stuff, which includes interviews, with Jack Brewer, Joe Biaza, Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, Chuck Dukowski, and on and on. It’s the last chunk of footage that is easily the most valuable in the film; the band playing live.¹

Using its docu-triptych, We Jam Econo explores the band and its perceptions in interesting way.These three bits of footage serve as three different mouthpieces for the band. Mike, who played in the band gives an insiders perspective and also is burdened with interpreting ideas that by the very nature of what was being attempted, were half formed. Friends and colleagues add a layer, but due to the insular qualities of the hardcore scene function in the same way as Watt. They’re reinterpreting events. This is important because so much of what the film is discussing is legacy and the value of something that is now gone.

In a way the truest explanation of what the band was is in that last chunk, the live footage. Here you see that the Minutemen were about the musical expression of ideas. D. Boon the vocalist / guitarist of the band died in a car accident on December 22, 1985. Yet his voice and ideas run through the film. Since music and lyrical expression seemed to be such a large part of the Minutemen, the live footage serves as his interview segement. The amount time spent on the discussion of D. Boon’s ideas (both political and musical) leaves not doubt that he was the primary catalyst for the film itself.

There is a secondary catalyst as well: How the band did it. A lot of what D. Boon’s and Mike Watt’s lyrics centered around was the democratization of the arts. DIY ethics, concepts of family, and community flow throughout the bands work and the film. Sometimes in overt ways, like Watt talking about meeting Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski, and being invited to play a show with them. We Jam Econo, itself is a testament to DIY principles.

Sitting on his couch and answering questions Mike does his best to recall feelings he had long ago. Mike sits there with musical albums of work that he created with his now dead friend. The volume and timbre of his voice changes. There are moments when he seems sad and contemplative, searching for the right words. During moments like this Watt’s talkative nature can be seen as a struggle within himself to express something deep inside of himself but words fail him. Then, just as fast, he’ll pull out of it. He seems to look back in awe at what he and his friends did. He speaks without pride and tells the camera that it can all be done again by anyone that wants to do it. “This band could be your life”. Its pretty fucking amazing.

† The title is a lyric from their song “The Politics of Time.” It’s also referred to in a comment made near the end of the film by Mike Watt, in a 1985 interview, when the band is asked if they have anything else to say. He answers for them: “We jam econo.” Econo was local slang for economic and described the band’s dedication to low-cost record production and touring. It also describes the band’s (and burgeoning underground independent music scene’s) do-it-yourself attitude and philosophy. (via Wikipedia)

1. In fact, if you’ve come across this film and via netflix or the iTunes Store and would liked to purchase it, the Plexifilm release of it is fantastic if for no other reason than the bonus disc which contains (I’m guessing) at least four hours of live footage of the band. This includes what I think is a pretty fucking awesome acoustic set. Dig it.