You Weren’t There
Encyclopedia
You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk, 1977–1984 is a 2007 documentary film
about punk subculture
in Chicago
from 1977 through 1984. The film was written and directed by Joe Losurdo and Christina Tillman, and profiles the punk bars and local bands that gave rise to the city's punk rock scene in the late '70s and early '80s. Losurdo was the one-time bass player for the Chicago-based '80s hardcore band Life Sentence, although his group is not profiled in the movie.
You Weren't There was released on DVD in 2009. A limited edition white vinyl LP of the soundtrack was also issued and came packaged with copies of the DVD.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about punk subculture
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from 1977 through 1984. The film was written and directed by Joe Losurdo and Christina Tillman, and profiles the punk bars and local bands that gave rise to the city's punk rock scene in the late '70s and early '80s. Losurdo was the one-time bass player for the Chicago-based '80s hardcore band Life Sentence, although his group is not profiled in the movie.
You Weren't There was released on DVD in 2009. A limited edition white vinyl LP of the soundtrack was also issued and came packaged with copies of the DVD.
Bands profiled in the film
- Articles Of FaithArticles of Faith (Band)Articles of Faith were a Chicago-based hardcore punk band notable for songwriting in a class above most of their contemporaries . The band's later work, the posthumous In This Life LP in particular, either founds or foreshadows the emo sound...
- Big BlackBig BlackBig Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
- DA! (band)DA! (band)DA! was formed by 16-year-old singer/bassist Lorna Donley in 1978 with guitarist keyboardist Evelyn Marquis and drummer Dawn Fisher. This lineup performed only once and guitarist Gaylene Goudreau was added in late 1979.By early 1980 DA! had parted ways with Evelyn Marquis and replaced her with...
- The EffigiesThe EffigiesThe Effigies is an early post-hardcore group from Chicago. The band, first formed in 1980, was active for approximately a decade, undergoing multiple personnel changes, with frontman John Kezdy the only constant, before disbanding in 1990 . The band released 5 LPs and several EPs, most on...
- End Result
- Mentally Ill
- Naked RaygunNaked RaygunNaked Raygun is a Chicago-based punk rock group. Initially active from 1980 to about 1992, Naked Raygun had several short-lived reunions afterwards and a full-time reformation in 2006....
- Negative Element
- Rights Of The AccusedRights of the accusedThe rights of the accused is a "class" of civil and political rights that apply to a person accused of a crime, from when he or she is arrested and charged to when he or she is either convicted or acquitted...
- Savage Beliefs
- Silver Abuse
- Strike UnderStrike UnderStrike Under was an influential Chicago punk rock band of the early 1980s. It was started by Steve Bjorklund after the demise of The Rabbits. The principal musicians, besides Bjorklund, were his brother Chris , Pierre Kezdy , and Bob Furem .Strike Under was founded in 1979 or 1980...
- Subverts
- Tutu And The Pirates
- Verböten
- The Way-Outs
People Interviewed in the Film
- John Kezdy (The Effigies)
- Vic BondiVic BondiVic Bondi is a singer/songwriter and one of the founding members of political Chicago punk band called Articles of Faith. Bondi was originally a protest singer with decidedly leftist views. He went on to form Alloy, and Jones Very after AoF's demise. At the time of AoF's original breakup Bondi was...
(Articles Of Faith) - Steve Bjorklund (Strike Under)
- Chris Bjorklund (Strike Under)
- Jeff PezzatiJeff PezzatiJeff Pezzati is the lead singer for a popular Chicago punk band, Naked Raygun. From 1983 to 1985, he was also the bass player for the internationally known band Big Black. In 1980, Jeff Pezzati was a member of a suburban cover band, Condor, when he was asked to audition for Naked Raygun by the...
(Naked Raygun) - Santiago DurangoSantiago DurangoSantiago Durango is an American guitarist remembered for his work with the 1980s punk rock groups Naked Raygun and Big Black. Mostly retired from music as of the early 2000s, he works as an attorney.- Biography :...
(Silver Abuse, Naked Raygun, Big Black) - Steve AlbiniSteve AlbiniSteven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
(Big Black) - John HaggertyJohn HaggertyJohn Haggerty is an influential Chicago guitarist. A key member of Naked Raygun during their heyday , Haggerty formed the band Pegboy, with brother Joe Haggerty on drums and Steve Saylors and Larry Damore of the Bhopal Stiffs, upon leaving Naked Raygun.The eldest son of a plumber father and a...
(Naked Raygun) - Mike O'Connell (Rights Of The Accused)
- Anthony Illarde (Rights Of The Accused)
- Jay Yuenger (Rights Of The Accused)
- Dave Springer (Tutu and the Pirates)
- Pierre Kezdy (Strike Under, Trial By Fire, Naked Raygun)
- Earl Letiecq (The Effigies)
- Barry Stepe (Negative Element)
- Chopper Stepe (Negative Element)
- Steve Stepe (Rights Of The Accused)
- Dem Hopkins (owner of the Oz bar)
- Eric Nihilist (local promoter)
- Rodney Anderson (Seismic Waves, Fast & Loud Radio)
- Timothy Powell (sound engineer)
- Terry Nelson (DJ for WZRDWZRDWZRD is a student radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, USA, founded in 1974. The station serves the Chicago area. The station is currently owned by Northeastern Illinois University...
Chicago) - Bill Meehan (Silver Abuse, The Way-Outs)
- Camilo Gonzalez (Silver Abuse, The Way-Outs, Naked Raygun)
- Steve Smith (End Result)
- Lorna Donley (DA! (band)DA! (band)DA! was formed by 16-year-old singer/bassist Lorna Donley in 1978 with guitarist keyboardist Evelyn Marquis and drummer Dawn Fisher. This lineup performed only once and guitarist Gaylene Goudreau was added in late 1979.By early 1980 DA! had parted ways with Evelyn Marquis and replaced her with...
) - Brian Gay (Savage Beliefs)
- Special Ed (Mentally Ill)
- Sado Marquis (Mentally Ill)
- Brian Green (Subverts)
- Steve Ross (Subverts)
- Jason Narducy (Verboten)
Soundtrack
- Tutu & The Pirates - "Wham Bam Son Of Sam"
- Mentally Ill - "Gacy'sJohn Wayne GacyJohn Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
Place" - Buzzards - Who Are The Boys?
- The Way-Outs - "Surf Combat"
- Painterband - "Reactor"
- Strike Under - "Elephant's Graveyard"
- DA! (band)DA! (band)DA! was formed by 16-year-old singer/bassist Lorna Donley in 1978 with guitarist keyboardist Evelyn Marquis and drummer Dawn Fisher. This lineup performed only once and guitarist Gaylene Goudreau was added in late 1979.By early 1980 DA! had parted ways with Evelyn Marquis and replaced her with...
- "Dark Rooms" - Subverts - "Eyesore"
- Toothpaste - "Spy Guy"
- End Result - "They Love War"
- Naked Raygun - "Tojo (demo)"
- Trial By Fire - "Rocks Of SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
" - Articles Of Faith - "I Got Mine"
- Negative Element - "Anti-Pac Man"
- Verboten - "Slump Shot"
- Rights Of The Accused - "Fuckup"
- Savage Beliefs - "Big Big Sky"
- Nasdat Rebel - "Bounty"
- Seismic Waves - "Lypsynch To The Go-Gos"