There are very few punk rock icons that can command an entire room’s attention like Ian MacKaye. I could rattle off the list of why it would be perfectly ok to shake in your boots when meeting the man but honestly now, he’s just a regular ol’ dude; a normal guy, of course, who has inspired thousands of people with his music in Minor Theat, Fugazi, and the Evens and his label, Dischord Records. 

MacKaye spoke on independent culture at this year’s Indie and Small Press Book Fair in Manhattan, to an absolutely jam-packed room of eager listeners. Of course though, whenever you get the man in front of a bunch of his fans, the incredibly-frustrating and endlessly-repeated questions will arise. “Will Fugazi play again?” or “Are you still straight edge?” People, people. The man answered these questions YEARS ago. The horse is officially decomposed. Give it up! I gotta give him credit though, he handled all the inquiries very articulately, instead of just flipping out.

Despite being asked those questions, MacKaye touched upon a wide-range of topics, including that whole Nike fiasco from a few years back, how Radiohead’s In Rainbows may be effecting not only record labels but the independent record stores of the world, and never-ending quest to stay creative. MacKaye has and will continue to serve as a shining example of how one man can be his own boss their entire life and the panel fittingly served this notion.

The best thing about the discussion was that while you might not always agree with his views, he kickstarts your brain into analyzing your belief system. In these troubled times, we need positive things in our lives to keep us going. Panels like this prove that the DIY mentality and culture will never die if we just simply sit down and think out our own path.

Check out a brief clip of his speech here.

Tags: Ian Mackaye, Indie And Small Press Book Fair //