For a fan, follower and student of rock ‘n’ roll, it’s hard not to use this opportunity to gush over Greg Ginn like it’s his premature obituary. As guitarist and principal songwriter of L.A. hardcore pioneers Black Flag, Ginn toured the U.S. relentlessly, forging the Oregon Trail of DIY, a coast-to-coast network that artists still rely upon today. As proprietor of the fiercely independent SST Records, Ginn—along with the likes of Dischord and K Records—proved indie labels could be just as financially stable as they were artistically viable. Black Flag and SST soon grew tired of the restrictions that defined punk rock: they were among the first to embellish punk with elements of other genres, and they also released landmark albums by bands like Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Minutemen and Hüsker Dü. Since Black Flag’s demise, Ginn has spent the last 23 years doing more or less the same. In addition to a few solo albums, he’s performed with bands such as HOR, Fastgato, The October Faction, Gone, Confront James, EL BAD, Mojack—and most recently, Western-swing outfit The Texas Corrugators and his jam-based band Jambang, who will both swing through town this Saturday night. Word on the street says Ginn himself has forbidden venues to use Black Flag’s legacy to promote his shows. Unlike his former band mates— Black Flag drummer Robo and singer Dez Cadena, who are now touring with the equally influential, reassembled Misfits—Ginn shows little or no interest in riding the gravy train of the nostalgia circuit. In fact, he seems most content playing his own music on his own terms—and what’s more punk rock than that?
Fri., Sept. 18, 9 p.m., 2009
Fri., Sept. 18, 9 p.m., 2009
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