Zine Review: At Home #3

I love reading Ian MacKaye interviews. Regarded to be one of the most important figureheads on the development of hardcore punk underground in the United States, Ian is also one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Unlike many other ‘80s punk legends sharing the same old stories time and time again, Ian’s interviews for countless fanzines and music documentaries are always something really different, unique and special!

In the third issue of the newspaper-styled At Home fanzine, author Drew Katchen walks Ian MacKaye 30 years down the memory lane to talk about a Fugazi show in May 1991 at Rockafellas club in Columbia, South Carolina. As stated in the zine’s introduction, it’s hard to even imagine, considering the sheer amount of gigs this guy has seen, let alone played with his bands, to remember a small show in a small town thirty years ago. But there you go, Mr. MacKaye gave another lengthy interview, packed to the rafters with great personal stories, memories and insights about a Fugazi’s Repeater tour in 1991. This interview alone makes this zine worth getting, but there’s much more great content on the remaining 16 pages!

Another great storyteller, straight edge legend Tim McMahon, recollects his memories about the Mouthpiece debut 7” record that came out on California label New Age Records in 1991, when Tim was only 16 years old. The interview delves deep into the band’s history, touring and playing South Carolina in 1995. This insightful conversation with Tim McMahon also comes along with some exclusive Mouthpiece photos by photographer Lenny Zamkus, a close friend to the band at the time. According to the info on the first page, the first two issues of At Home featured interviews with author Drew’s friends on Fugazi and New Jersey’s Lifetime, so it makes perfect sense to interview no other than Ian MacKaye himself and the NJ’s hardcore legend Tim McMahon in this third issue.

There’s also a third interview in At Home #3 with zinester Gabe Rodriguez, who has been editing and publishing the Good & Plenty fanzine from 1989 to 1992. In its seven issues, Good & Plenty featured all the important bands at the time like Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, Bold, Insted, Turning Point, etc. The interview covers the history of the zine and makes a great point for the importance of fanzines for the development of the Youth Crew and hardcore scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Gabe also gave some great photos from his personal collection to be included along this interview—Integrity, Beyond, Outspoken, Gorilla Biscuits, Billingsgate, Swiz, etc. For those interested, there is a Good & Plenty anthology book called Hardcore Fanzine, published by Draw Down books. The last piece in At Home #3 is a page-long personal write up by author’s friend Chris Leo and it adds up to the whole personal vibe of the zine.

All three interviews featured in At Home #3 are top-notch and I’m bummed I couldn’t get my hands on the first two issues. If you are into lengthy conversations with interesting people who have shaped the US hardcore in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, this fanzine would be a real treat for you!

P.S. There’s actually a video of Fugazi playing at the Rockafellas in Columbia, South Carolina in 1991. Footage taken from the tape collection of Johnny Puke.

Source: diyconspiracy.net