We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen is a Must-See
Right below is a free documentary titled We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen about the punk-est of the punk bands. Back in 1980, D. Boon (guitar/vocals), Mike Watt (bass/vocals), and George Hurley (drums) formed the Minutemen in San Pedro, California. They changed the game by blending the sounds of funk and jazz with the speed and attitude of punk rock. You discover this within the documentary which explores their entire history from beginning to end.
The journey of the Minutemen is one of the best examples of a band forming their own identity and opposing conformity. Their innocent and humble beginning started when Mike Watt and D. Boon met at the age of 13. Both parents supported their music exploration and the two formed a deep bond. When first starting out, they didn’t know they were supposed to tune their instruments, and Mike Watt even explains he didn’t even know what a bass looked like. Despite this, they kept at it, kept doing their thing, and playing tunes together. Fast forward a bit (the documentary fills in the gap), George Hurley joins the two and they official become the Minutemen. Their musicianship would become well-known, some stating Double Nickels on the Dime as one of the best punk rock albums ever created.
I joked when I said, “punk-est of the punk bands,” but there is some truth to it. This is something else you learned within the film. They had this unique sound that most didn’t really know what to think of it. Their authenticity and originality, along with their do-it-yourself attitude stood out among the misfits and degenerates of the punk world.
One particular thing I loved about the documentary is how many people are in it and speak to the Minutemen. Some documentaries feature five to ten people, and they go back to them again and again to flesh out the story. Not with We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen. Mike Watt, George Hurley, Thurston Moore (of Sonic Youth), J Masics (of Dinosaur Jr.), Henry Rollins (of Black Flag), Keith Morris (of Circle Jerks), Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers), and on and on each get a moment to speak. A plethora of who’s who in the rock world. And some of these players speak multiple times, others only once. It keeps you on our toes as you get excited about who will be featured next.
To be honest, I don’t want to give much away when speaking to the Minutemen. They are one of my favorite punk rock bands for their stance in politics, life, and music. Why would I rob you of discovering this for yourself? Watch the film, and get educated.
And if you need a book that covers the band, check out Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad.